Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Property Records: How to Find Out Who Owns a Property (2026)
Pennsylvania has no statewide property records portal. Each of its 67 counties runs its own Recorder of Deeds office, and online access for the same basic document search ranges from a modest per-page printing fee in some counties to a $10-per-day paid subscription in others.
Information last verified on 2026-07-16. This article has not yet been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.
How Property Records Work in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has 67 counties, and each one maintains its own Recorder of Deeds office, often an elected position and sometimes combined with the Register of Wills in smaller counties. The Recorder of Deeds records and preserves deeds, mortgages, and other instruments affecting real property in that county. Philadelphia is the exception: the city's Department of Records absorbs the recording function rather than maintaining a separate elected Recorder of Deeds.
Online access to those records is where Pennsylvania counties diverge sharply from one another. Some counties license their imaging system through a third-party platform. Wayne County, for example, offers a free index search through such a platform, charging only when you download a document. Washington County has digitized deeds dating from 1781 to the present and made them searchable online. Other counties charge a flat subscription just to search at all, regardless of whether you ultimately download anything.
No single state agency runs a unified portal across all 67 counties. Private directory sites link out to each county's individual Recorder of Deeds, Assessment, or Treasurer site. They are useful as a directory to find the right county page, but they are not themselves the county's official record.
How to Find Out Who Owns a Property in Pennsylvania
Start with the county's Assessment or GIS office rather than the Recorder of Deeds if you just want to know who currently owns a specific property. Pennsylvania counties do not uniformly use the title "Assessor," but most integrate GIS mapping into an address-search tool that shows current ownership, past deed transfers, and assessed value, typically free with no login.
For the recorded deed itself, meaning the actual legal instrument rather than just an ownership summary, go to the county's Recorder of Deeds. Search availability and cost vary by county, so check that specific county's site before assuming either a free search or a paid subscription. Once you locate the document, a certified copy generally follows the state's base statutory rate under 42 P.S. § 21051, $0.50 per page uncertified or $1.50 per page certified, though counties frequently add their own per-document fees. Centre County, for example, charges $0.50 per page plus a $1.50 certification add-on, while Allegheny County charges $1.00 per page for documents up to 11x17 inches or $3.00 per page for larger formats. Confirm the current fee bill with the specific Recorder of Deeds office before requesting a copy.
Why Access Varies So Much From County to County
Pennsylvania shows more county-to-county variance in cost and access than most states for the exact same basic function: searching or viewing a recorded deed image. Cambria County, for instance, charges no subscription fee at all and only $0.50 per page to print. Delaware County sells copies online at $0.50 per page, or $1.00 per page in person. At the other end, Adams County requires a $10.00-per-day subscription before you can search or view anything, and Centre County likewise runs a subscription-based imaging service. In most other states, at least the index search itself is nearly always free even when document images cost extra; Pennsylvania is unusual in gating the search itself behind a paywall in some counties.
Practically, this means a Pennsylvania property records search cannot be planned the same way twice. Check the specific county Recorder of Deeds' website first to know whether you are looking at a free index, a pay-per-download system, or a flat subscription.
Fraud Alert Services and the Deed Copy Mailer Scam
A growing number of Pennsylvania counties offer a free records notification or fraud alert service, sometimes called a "Fraud Alert" and sometimes a "Records Notification System." Cumberland County's version and York County's Records Notification Service both let you register a tax parcel ID and email address in a few minutes to get notified whenever a document is recorded against that parcel. Coverage is not uniform, though. Reporting has found counties such as Dauphin without a system yet, described as planned, and Franklin County without one in place while it evaluated options. The Pennsylvania Land Title Association keeps a running list of which counties currently offer title monitoring, worth checking directly rather than assuming your county participates.
Separately, Pennsylvania homeowners are targeted by the same mail-solicitation scam seen nationwide: an official-looking letter offering to sell a "certified copy of your deed" for a price well above what any Recorder of Deeds actually charges. These letters typically use real details about your property pulled from public records and language like "official" or "certified," while a disclaimer buried in fine print admits there is no obligation to pay. Given that Pennsylvania's own statutory certified-copy rate starts at $1.50 per page under 42 P.S. § 21051, a mailer charging a flat fee of $80 or more for the same basic document is a clear sign to disregard it.
None of the free county tools above substitute for a licensed title company's full title search and title insurance policy before an actual purchase or closing. A title search reviews tax records and court filings in addition to the recorder's index, catching liens, judgments, or missing heirs a quick lookup will not reveal. For research short of an active purchase, whether confirming an owner's name or comparing how other states organize the same records at Property Records by State, the county tools described above are the right starting point.
Frequently asked questions
Disclaimer
This article provides general information about how public property records work in Pennsylvania. It is not legal advice and does not substitute for a licensed title company's full title search and title insurance policy before a purchase or closing. Information reflects Pennsylvania law and county practices verified as of 2026-07-16 and may change. If you need advice about a specific transaction or a suspected fraudulent filing, consult a licensed Pennsylvania attorney or a licensed title company.
Last updated: 2026-07-16. Figures and program details reflect their in-force version as of 2026-07-16.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there one website to search property records for all of Pennsylvania?
No. Pennsylvania has no official statewide portal. Each of the 67 counties maintains its own Recorder of Deeds records, with access ranging from free to a paid subscription depending on the county.
How much does a certified copy of a deed cost in Pennsylvania?
State law (42 P.S. § 21051) sets a base rate of $0.50 per page for an uncertified copy and $1.50 per page for a certified copy, though individual counties often add extra charges. Check the specific county Recorder of Deeds' current fee bill.
Why do some Pennsylvania counties charge a subscription just to search records?
Access varies by county because each Recorder of Deeds contracts independently for its imaging and search system. Some, like Cambria and Delaware counties, charge only a small per-page printing fee. Others, like Adams County, require a flat daily subscription before you can search at all.
How do I find out who owns a property in Pennsylvania for free?
Start with the county's Assessment or GIS office rather than the Recorder of Deeds. Most Pennsylvania counties offer a free address-based ownership and assessed-value search separate from the deed-document index.
Does my Pennsylvania county offer a fraud alert or records notification service?
It depends on the county. York and Cumberland counties both offer a free service, but coverage is not universal; some counties had none in place as of the latest reporting. The Pennsylvania Land Title Association maintains a public list of participating counties.
I got a letter offering to sell me a certified copy of my Pennsylvania deed for $85. Is that real?
It is very likely a solicitation mailer, not a government notice. Pennsylvania's actual statutory certified-copy rate starts at $1.50 per page under 42 P.S. § 21051, far less than these mailers typically charge for the same document.
Is Philadelphia's system different from other Pennsylvania counties?
Yes. Philadelphia does not have a separately elected Recorder of Deeds. The recording function is handled by the city's Department of Records instead.
Sources and References
- Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Recorder of Deeds(montgomerycountypa.gov).gov
- Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Records Notification System(cumberlandcountypa.gov).gov
- Pennsylvania Land Title Association, Counties Offering Title Monitoring(plta.org)
- Cambria County, Pennsylvania, Recorder of Deeds Office(cambriacountypa.gov).gov
- Centre County, Pennsylvania, Recorder of Deeds Fee Bill(centrecountypa.gov).gov