Form PA1S: How to Search for a Will or Grant of Probate

At a glance

• What it's for: searching HMCTS's probate records for a grant of representation ("probate") and, where one exists, a copy of the will — not for applying for probate yourself.
• Coverage: deaths in England and Wales in or after 1858. Earlier records sit elsewhere (The National Archives or diocesan collections).
• Two routes: search online yourself for free and only pay if you order a copy, or apply by post using Form PA1S.
• Postal fee: currently £16, covering both the search and a copy of the grant and will (if there is one) — check GOV.UK for the up-to-date figure.
• Online copy fee: currently £16 per copy ordered online — check GOV.UK for the up-to-date figure.
• Standing search: if the death was in the last 6 months and no grant has been issued yet, Form PA1S can set up a "standing search" (currently £3) that runs for 6 months and can be extended.
• Turnaround: postal PA1S applications are typically dealt with within 4 weeks; the online search itself is instant self-service.
• Not for applying: if you need to apply for a grant yourself, that is Form PA1P (where there is a will) or PA1A (where there is not) — different forms, different purpose.

What Form PA1S is for

A "grant of representation" is the umbrella term for the court order that gives someone legal authority to deal with a deceased person's estate — a grant of probate where there is a will, or letters of administration where there is not. Form PA1S, officially titled "Find a will or probate document" by HM Courts & Tribunals Service, is the postal search form: you use it to ask the probate registry to check its records and, if a matching grant exists, send you a copy of it and of the will, where the grant is a type that includes one.

It is not the form you use to apply for probate. If you are dealing with an estate and need to obtain a grant yourself, that is a separate process using Form PA1P or PA1A — see the section below on not confusing the two.

Why probate records are public

Once a grant has been issued and the relevant will is deposited at the probate registry, it is open to public inspection under section 124 of the Senior Courts Act 1981. In practice this means you do not need to be a relative, executor or beneficiary to search for a record or order a copy — anyone can do it, which is why the service is also widely used for family history research.

Not every grant includes a will, though. GOV.UK's guidance on searching probate records lists the grant types that contain a will as "Probate" or "Grant and Will", and "Admon with Will" or "Grant and Will". A grant recorded simply as "Administration (Admon) or Grant" does not include a will. Check the type of grant shown against the record before assuming a will is available.

Two ways to search: online, or by post with Form PA1S

Searching online

GOV.UK's online probate search service lets you search for a probate record yourself, check whether a grant has been issued, see what type of grant it is, and order a copy — including a will, if there is one — for a fee (currently £16 per copy). Searching itself is free; you only pay when you order a copy. A newly issued grant typically appears in the online system around two weeks after it is granted, so a very recent grant may not show up yet.

Records from 1858 to 1996 are filed under the year the grant was issued rather than the year of death, so if you are searching for someone who died in the early 1990s, you may need to check the years that follow the date of death as well.

Applying by post with Form PA1S

If you would rather apply on paper, or you are running a standing search (below), download and complete Form PA1S and post it to the address shown on the form. A postal search currently costs £16, which covers both the search and a copy of the grant — and the will, if the grant includes one. You should get a response within 4 weeks.

If your need is urgent, you can also book an appointment to visit a probate registry in person and request an urgent search, by emailing the registry nearest you (contact details are listed on the GOV.UK PA1S page).

The standing search option

If the person died within the last 6 months, a grant may not have been issued yet — a straightforward search would simply come back empty. For this situation, Form PA1S can also be used to set up a standing search: your request is entered onto the register and stays active for 6 months, and if a grant is issued during that period you are automatically sent a copy of it (and the will, if included). This currently costs £3. If the 6 months passes with nothing found, you can extend the standing search.

A standing search is commonly used by creditors, potential claimants, or family members who know a death occurred recently but are waiting to find out whether — and when — a grant will be issued.

What information you need before you apply

Whichever route you use, have the following ready:

1. The full name of the person who died, including any known aliases or alternative spellings.
2. Their date of death.
3. Their last known address.
4. If you already know it, the probate registry involved or an approximate date the grant might have been issued — this can help narrow the search, particularly for older or family-history requests.

What you'll receive — and what "no grant found" means

If a matching grant is located, you will receive a copy of it, plus a copy of the will if the grant is a type that includes one (see the grant types above). If no matching grant is found, you will be told. That is not unusual, and does not necessarily mean the person left no will or that anything has gone wrong — plenty of estates never need probate at all, for example where the person who died only held savings, or owned property, shares or money jointly with someone else in a way that passes automatically to the survivor (see GOV.UK's guidance on applying for probate for when probate is and isn't required).

If you believe a will exists but grant hasn't come through, it is also worth checking whether the will was simply deposited with the probate service for safekeeping rather than ever being acted on.

Fees at a glance

| Route | Current fee | What it covers | |---|---|---| | Online search | Free | Checking whether a grant exists and what type it is | | Online copy | £16 per copy | A copy of the grant, and the will if the grant includes one | | Postal search (Form PA1S) | £16 | The search plus a copy of the grant and will (if there is one) | | Standing search (Form PA1S) | £3 | 6 months of monitoring for a grant on a recent death, extendable |

These are the fees published by GOV.UK at the time of writing. HMCTS fees are reviewed periodically, so always check GOV.UK for the current amount before you apply. GOV.UK's general guidance on court and tribunal fees explains whether help with fees may be available.

Form PA1S vs PA1P/PA1A: don't confuse a search with an application

It is easy to pick up the wrong form, so it is worth being explicit: Form PA1S only searches the probate records — it cannot be used to apply for a grant. If you are an executor, or otherwise entitled, and you need to obtain probate yourself, that is a different process using Form PA1P (where there is a will) or Form PA1A (where there is not); see GOV.UK's guidance on applying for probate. Sending the wrong form to the registry will not get you the result you are actually after, so confirm which task you are trying to complete before you start.

What to do next

1. Decide which route fits your situation. If you just want to check whether a grant exists, search online first — it's free. If you want to run a standing search, or you prefer paper, use Form PA1S.
2. If the death was recent and no grant is showing yet, consider a standing search rather than repeating a one-off search every few weeks.
3. Gather the deceased's details — full name, date of death, last known address — before you start, to give the search the best chance of finding a match.
4. Apply and pay the current fee, checking GOV.UK first in case the amount has changed.
5. Review what comes back. If a grant is found, check whether it is a type that includes a will. If nothing is found, remember that is common and does not by itself indicate a problem.
6. If you're unsure what a result means for your situation — including what to do next if no grant is found, or if you have found a grant but don't know what it means for you — a legal adviser can help you think it through.

This guide provides general information about how to search for a will or grant of probate using Form PA1S and the GOV.UK probate search service. It is not legal advice and is not a substitute for advice tailored to your specific circumstances. The information described was accurate as at July 2026 and is subject to change — always check GOV.UK and legislation.gov.uk for the most current position.

Last reviewed: July 2026 by a non-practising solicitor · Next review due: July 2027 or on legislative change.