Quick answer: deposit accounts under $20,000 per bank — ask the bank directly. Mixed personal property up to $50,000 — the Orphans' Court petition. Any solely titled real estate — formal administration, no matter how small. Check your own numbers with the Pennsylvania small estate checker.
The two shortcuts can work side by side
A house never fits, whatever its value
If the only asset is a solely titled house worth even a modest $40,000, neither small estate shortcut helps — both §3101 and §3102 exclude real estate entirely, so formal estate administration is required regardless of the house's value.
Joint ownership sidesteps the whole question
Jointly owned real property with right of survivorship generally passes to the surviving owner outside of probate on its own, without needing either small estate provision — it's specifically the solely titled property that forces formal administration.
What skips probate before any threshold matters
Property held in joint tenancy with right of survivorship, assets in a properly funded trust, and accounts or policies with a named beneficiary all pass outside probate entirely — the same categories that skip probate in most other states.
The decision, in order
- Is the asset in joint tenancy, a funded trust, or has a named beneficiary? → Skips probate entirely.
- Is there solely owned real estate? → Formal administration required for that asset, regardless of value.
- Deposit accounts under $20,000 per institution? → Bank release under §3101, no court at all.
- Remaining personal property at or under $50,000? → §3102 Orphans' Court petition.
- None of the above fits → Formal estate administration.
A local probate attorney can review your estate — many offer a free consultation.
Whichever track applies, filing happens through the Register of Wills in the county where the decedent resided — Philadelphia, Allegheny, and Montgomery County among the busiest.