How to Fill Out and File Form PR-01: Priority, Package, and Deadlines

Ohio Form PR-01, the Probate Information Sheet, is a county-level intake form that Ohio probate courts use to record basic identifying details about a deceased person, the person applying to manage the estate, and the known heirs or beneficiaries. It is not one of the standardized forms published by the Supreme Court of Ohio. You file it as part of the package that opens an estate case, alongside the Application for Authority to Administer Estate (Supreme Court Standard Form 4.0), and the information you put on it feeds the court’s case management system for every notice and deadline that follows.¹

What to Gather Before You Start

The PR-01 collects in simplified form much of what Ohio Revised Code Section 2113.07 requires in any application to administer an estate: the names and addresses of the surviving spouse and next of kin, a general description of the estate, its probable value, and any debt the decedent owed the applicant.¹ Pull these items together first:

The decedent’s full legal name, exactly as it appears on the death certificate, including any suffixes.
The decedent’s Social Security number. Only the last four digits go on the public-facing form (see below).
Dates of birth and death, copied directly from the certified death certificate to avoid transcription errors.
The decedent’s last residential address. This confirms the county with probate jurisdiction, since Ohio probate is filed where the decedent lived at death.
Your own full name, mailing address, and phone number as the person seeking appointment. The court sends every notice and order to this address.
Your attorney’s name, office address, and Supreme Court of Ohio registration number, if you have counsel.
The names and current addresses of the surviving spouse, children, and other next of kin, plus anyone named in the will if one exists.

Who Has Priority to Apply

The PR-01 asks who is applying, but Ohio law decides who qualifies. If the decedent left no will, the surviving spouse has first priority, then next of kin, and both must be Ohio residents. If those individuals decline or do not apply within a reasonable time, the court can appoint any suitable Ohio resident, including a creditor.² When there is a will, the person named as executor generally has priority. Anyone with higher priority who is stepping aside typically signs a waiver that accompanies your application.¹

Filling In the Form

Most Ohio probate courts publish the PR-01 as a downloadable PDF through the clerk’s office. Because it is a local form, the layout varies slightly by county, but the fields are consistent.

Start with the decedent section. Enter the full legal name, the Social Security number in whatever format the local form directs, and the dates of birth and death exactly as they appear on official records. Add the last known residential address. If the decedent used aliases and the form has no field for them, list those on a separate attached sheet.

Complete the fiduciary section next with your name, mailing address, and phone number. If an attorney is filing on your behalf, add their name, office address, and Supreme Court of Ohio registration number. The court uses that number to confirm the attorney is licensed and in good standing.

The heirs and beneficiaries section is where filings most often go wrong. List every person you know to have a legal interest in the estate: for an intestate estate, the surviving spouse, children, and other next of kin; for a testate estate, the beneficiaries and devisees named in the will. Include current addresses. Leaving someone off can delay the proceeding or open the appointment to challenge later.

If you are completing a paper form, use black ink and print in block letters. On a fillable PDF, type into the fields and print the completed version. Check every entry against the death certificate before you file.

Keeping Social Security Numbers Out of the Public File

Ohio’s Rules of Superintendence require you to keep certain personal identifiers out of public court records. Rule 44(H) defines personal identifiers to include Social Security numbers except the last four digits, financial account numbers, and employer or employee identification numbers. Under Rule 45(D), the redaction responsibility is yours. The clerk will not reject a document that contains a full Social Security number, and will not scrub it before the filing becomes public.³

In practice, include only the last four digits of the decedent’s Social Security number on the PR-01 itself. The full number goes on a separate confidential form the clerk keeps out of the public file. Most counties provide a standard cover sheet for this. Ask the clerk which form the court uses if you are unsure.

What Goes in the Filing Package

The PR-01 does not stand alone. An initial estate filing generally includes:

The Application for Authority to Administer Estate, Standard Form 4.0, which is the formal legal request for your appointment.
An original or certified copy of the death certificate.
The original will, if one exists. Ohio law requires anyone in possession of a will to deliver it to the probate court.
Waiver and consent forms signed by anyone with higher priority who is stepping aside.
A signed fiduciary’s acceptance stating you agree to faithfully perform the duties of executor or administrator.
A statement regarding will, for intestate estates, confirming the applicant has no knowledge of one.¹

County probate courts publish their own filing guides. Franklin County, for example, maintains a detailed estates filing guide covering every document required to open a case.⁴

Where and How to File

File in the probate court of the county where the decedent lived at the time of death. You can file in person at the clerk’s office, and in some counties electronically. Cuyahoga County operates an e-filing portal that accepts PDF uploads. Not every Ohio county has adopted electronic filing for probate, so confirm with your local court first.

If you file in person, bring originals and at least one copy of each document. The clerk stamps the originals for the court file and returns your copy stamped with the filing date. That stamped copy is your reference for every filing that follows.

Filing Deposits by County

Ohio probate courts collect an initial deposit when you open an estate. The amount depends on the county and the type of administration:

Franklin County: minimum $125 for full administration, with a $250 deposit recommended to cover anticipated costs; summary administration starts at $105; release from administration runs $105 to $115.⁵
Hamilton County: $260 for full estate administration; estates relieved from administration range from $170 to $240 depending on whether publication is required and whether a will is involved.⁶
Morgan County: $250 for appointment of a fiduciary.⁷

These deposits are not flat fees. If actual court costs come in below the deposit, you receive a refund. If costs run higher, you owe the balance before the case can close. Full-administration estates often use up the deposit, especially when real estate transfers or contested matters are involved.

After the Court Accepts Your Filing

Once the clerk reviews your PR-01 and the accompanying application, the court assigns a case number that follows the estate through every proceeding. The contact information on your PR-01 becomes the court’s official mailing list for hearings, deadlines, and required filings. Update the court immediately if your address or phone number changes. Missed notices can produce default rulings.

The court then reviews the application for authority and, if everything is in order, issues letters of authority. These are called letters testamentary for an executor and letters of administration for an administrator. The letters give you legal power to act for the estate: open bank accounts in the estate’s name, access safe deposit boxes, deal with creditors, and manage property.

Deadlines That Follow Appointment

Appointment is the starting line. Several obligations follow quickly.

Get an Employer Identification Number from the IRS for the estate. The decedent’s personal Social Security number cannot be used for estate tax filings. Apply online at irs.gov or by mailing Form SS-4.⁸

File an inventory of the estate’s assets with the court. The inventory lists all probate assets and their values as of the date of death. The specific filing deadline depends on local court rules, but courts expect it promptly after appointment.

Creditors have six months from the date of death to present claims against the estate, regardless of when a fiduciary is appointed or whether notice was published. You can shorten that window for a specific creditor by sending written notice identifying the decedent, the date of death, and your name and address as fiduciary. After receiving that notice, the creditor has 30 days or the remainder of the six-month period, whichever is shorter, to file the claim.⁹

1
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code Section 2113.07
2
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code Section 2113.06
3
Supreme Court of Ohio. Rules of Superintendence for the Courts of Ohio
4
Franklin County Probate Court, Ohio. Estates (Large)
5
Franklin County Probate Court, Ohio. Court Costs
6
Hamilton County Probate Court. General Resources
7
Morgan County Probate Court. Probate Court – Fees and Deposits
8
Internal Revenue Service. About Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification Number (EIN)
9
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code Section 2117.07