Every Blair County estate starts at the Register of Wills & Recorder of Deeds — Suite 145, first floor of the historic section of the Blair County Courthouse, 423 Allegheny Street, Hollidaysburg, (814) 693-3095. Hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. weekdays, open through lunch — but same-day filings have a 3:15 p.m. cutoff, and the metered streets around the courthouse are chalk-enforced. Here's the practical guide, parking included.
One Office, Two Jobs
Blair County combines the Register of Wills and the Recorder of Deeds under one roof and one elected official — so the same Suite 145 counter that probates wills also records deeds. For estates that include Blair County real estate (and with Altoona's housing stock and Morrisons Cove's farms, most do), that combination is genuinely convenient: the estate opens and the eventual deed records through the same office. At the counter you (or your attorney) will:
- File the original will and petition for probate
- Qualify as executor or administrator — producing your Letters and short certificates
- File the inventory, inheritance-tax return, and estate filings as administration proceeds
- Record estate deeds when property transfers or sells
Location, Hours & Contact
Suite 145, first floor of the historic section of the Blair County Courthouse, 423 Allegheny Street, Hollidaysburg, PA 16648 — (814) 693-3095. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and unlike some neighboring counties the office stays open over lunch. Two timing details matter: same-day recordings and filings must be submitted by 3:15 p.m., and the county advises calling ahead to verify any fee before you come in. As of this writing the office is led by an acting Register of Wills & Recorder of Deeds, Lisa L. Logan, following a 2026 vacancy in the elected office.
Parking (read this before you go)
- The metered streets around the courthouse are actively enforced, roughly 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. — and enforcement chalks tires, so feeding the meter again does not let you keep the space past the time limit.
- Free, unrestricted parking is a short walk away on Mulberry, Spruce, Union, Walnut, and Wayne Streets.
- Security: all visitors are screened at the entrance, and the screening is thorough — belts, coins, and metal shoe shanks can trigger secondary checks, and weapons of any kind (pocket knives and pepper spray included) are prohibited. Travel light and allow a few extra minutes.
Opening an Estate: What to Bring
- The original will (originals, not photocopies)
- An original death certificate
- A completed petition for probate and supporting forms
- Photo ID for each personal representative
- Payment under the office's published fee schedule — the county itself advises calling (814) 693-3095 to verify any fee, which is good advice. Order your short certificates at the same visit.
Blair County publishes no video or remote qualification procedure, so plan on the executor qualifying in person at Suite 145 — we confirm the office's current practice when we schedule, prepare every document in advance, and make it one visit. Everything after that appointment is handled by phone, video, and mail; for our Blair County estates, Hollidaysburg is a straight run out Route 22 from our office, so when a matter does need feet in the courthouse, they're ours, not yours.
Searching Estate Records
Blair County provides remote access to Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds records through Landex, a fee-based account system used by many Pennsylvania counties. The county doesn't publish coverage dates for the estate side, so for older estates — or to confirm what's online before paying for access — call the office or let us run the search as part of the engagement. And the standing planning note: a probated will eventually becomes a public record exactly like the ones in that system — families who want the outcome private pair their planning with a properly funded trust.
What the Office Can't Do
The Register's staff are helpful, but they are court officials — they cannot tell you whether probate is required, how the will interacts with a joint account, or what your executor duties are. Those are the questions we answer every day.
Opening an Estate in Blair County?
We prepare the paperwork, confirm the office's current requirements, and handle the courthouse — Hollidaysburg is straight out Route 22 from our office. One free consultation and you'll know what the estate needs and what it will cost.