Prince George's County Orphans' Court
Maryland probate in Prince George's County uses the Orphans' Court and Register of Wills. The Orphans' Court handles matters involving estates and wills as Maryland's probate court and also some guardianship matters of minors. The Orphans' Court and Register of Wills offices are on the fourth floor in the DuVall Wing of the Upper Marlboro courthouse.
The current Register of Wills is Honorable Cereta A. Lee. The Register of Wills office is located at 14735 Main Street, D4001, Upper Marlboro, MD 20773, with main phone 301-952-3250 and auditing department number 301-780-7819. The Register is also clerk to the Orphans' Court and is elected every four years.
Probate Terms Defined
Probate records use terms that are not common in other court files. These terms help readers understand Estate Search results, Register of Wills notices, and Orphans' Court orders.
- Testator
- A person who made a will.
- Executor
- A person named to carry out the will.
- Intestate
- Dying without a valid will.
- Personal Representative
- The person appointed to administer an estate.
- Guardianship
- A court-supervised arrangement for certain minor or property interests.
Search Prince George's County Orphans' Court
The Maryland Register of Wills Estate Search is the public search channel for estate information. The disclaimer says the electronic record may be limited in scope, history, update time, and reliability, and may not always reflect the official case file. Corrections must be sent in writing to the Register's Office where the record was created or filed; correction requests are not accepted by telephone, fax, or email.
- Open the Register of Wills Estate Search.
- Search by estate number for the most precise result, or by decedent name and county.
- Use Prince George's County as the county filter when available.
- Review estate type, filing date, status, personal representative, and attorney fields.
- Contact the Register of Wills for official files, copy questions, filings, corrections, or estate administration steps.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estate Number | Text | Optional | Use if known for exact lookup. |
| Last Name | Text | Optional | Exact Match on Last Name checkbox is available. |
| County | Dropdown | Optional | Choose Prince George's County to narrow results. |
| Estate Status | Dropdown | Optional | Includes open, closed, archived, and pending status options. |
| Filing Date / Range | Date | Optional | Use MM/DD/YYYY or a date range. |
| Estate Type | Dropdown | Optional | Estate type codes identify the proceeding type. |
Probate Offices in Prince George's County
The Register of Wills appoints personal representatives, oversees estate administration, assists with required forms, maintains permanent probate records, serves as clerk to the Orphans' Court, tracks estates, refers delinquent matters to court, determines and collects inheritance taxes and probate fees, audits accounts, mails notices and court orders, and verifies compliance with court orders. The office cannot provide legal advice.
Register of Wills
14735 Main Street, D4001
Upper Marlboro, MD 20773
301-952-3250
Auditing: 301-780-7819
Orphans' Court
14735 Main Street #D4001
Upper Marlboro, MD 20773
301-952-3790
Fax: 301-952-4489
Probate Fees and Copies
The Register fee page states probate fees apply to estates opened on or after October 1, 2022. The research also states that no Register of Wills fee is due on Small Estates even if valued between $50,000 and $100,000 with spouse as sole heir or legatee. Estate PDFs may be downloaded for $0.50 per page, and some offices have public viewing stations where documents or images can be viewed at no cost, with printing at $0.50 per page.
| Item | Amount or Rule |
|---|---|
| Estate PDF through Estate Search | $0.50 per page |
| Printing at public viewing station | $0.50 per page where available |
| Small estate Register fee | No required Register of Wills fee under the researched small-estate rule |
| Domestic partnership certificate | $25 filing fee |
Prince George's County Probate Process
An estate opens where the decedent was domiciled at death. The practical file usually starts with the original will, death certificate, names and addresses of spouse, children, heirs, and legatees, asset information, secured liens, funeral bill for small estates, and estimated assets for regular estates. The Register appoints the personal representative and issues Letters of Administration if the requirements are met.
The Orphans' Court cannot accept electronic filings for estates and guardianships. Filings may be mailed through U.S. Mail, filed with the Register of Wills office, or placed in the Orphans' Court drop box. The drop box is at the Commissioner's Entrance of the Upper Marlboro Courthouse and has 24-hour access.
Prince George's County Probate Sources
The local Prince George's County Orphans' Court page explains the court's purpose, history, drop box, and filing limits.
The Orphans' Court page is the local source for estate court access and practical filing notes.
The Register of Wills services page provides the office address and phone channel.
Register services explain why probate records are separate from ordinary Circuit Court civil files.
The Prince George's County Register of Wills page identifies Cereta A. Lee and the local office.
The Register page is useful for local office status and official estate administration resources.
The Register of Wills fee page explains probate fees and copy costs.
Fee information should be checked before filing because estate value and estate type affect costs.
The Estate Search disclaimer explains the public-record scope and electronic-record limits.
The disclaimer is important because the online estate record may not always match the full official file.
The Maryland small estate page explains when a small-estate process may apply.
Small estates have fewer requirements and may avoid some fees when the statutory value limits apply.
The Register of Wills FAQ covers copy rules, office functions, safekeeping wills, and domestic partnership certificates.
The FAQ helps separate safekeeping wills from public estate files opened after death.
Restricted Orphans' Court Records
Estate records are often public after an estate is opened, but not every probate-related record is open in the same way. Safekeeping wills of living persons are not public estate files. Minor guardianship matters, mental-health information, sealed filings, account details, and sensitive personal identifiers may be restricted or redacted. Estate Search also warns that electronic information may be incomplete or delayed.