Adams County Deed Records
Adams County deed records go back to 1800 and are kept by the Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds in Gettysburg. This combined office handles deeds, mortgages, and other land documents for the county. You can search Adams County deed records online through the county's eSearch portal or through the Landmark Web system. Both options give you access to property records from Gettysburg and all other parts of Adams County.
Adams County Quick Facts
About Adams County Deed Records
Adams County deed records have been collected and maintained since the county was formed in 1800. The Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds office in Gettysburg is responsible for all land documents in the county. This includes deeds, mortgages, easements, and other instruments that affect property ownership. Every document recorded gets assigned a book and page number, which becomes its permanent identifier in the Adams County land records system.
Pennsylvania law under 21 P.S. § 351 makes Pennsylvania a race-notice recording state. This means the person who records a deed first and pays value for the property in good faith generally has superior title. Recording your deed promptly in Adams County protects your ownership rights against future claims. The Recorder's office processes all incoming documents and indexes them by grantor and grantee name, legal description, and document number.
Historical deed records for Adams County from 1800 through 1936 are available online with indexes and images through the county's portal. FamilySearch also holds microfilm collections covering Adams County deeds from 1800 to 1934, making this a valuable resource for genealogical research. The county seat of Gettysburg has deep historical roots, and the land records reflect the area's long history of property ownership and transfer.
Searching Adams County Property Records Online
The county runs two main online platforms for searching Adams County deed records. The first is the official eSearch portal at the county's website. The second is the Landmark Web system, which allows free public access to recorded documents without a watermark. You can search, download, and print documents through Landmark Web without creating an account.
The Landmark Web portal offers complete search and download capabilities for Adams County deed records. Login is no longer required to obtain copies without a watermark, making this one of the more accessible county systems in Pennsylvania. You can search by grantor and grantee name, legal description, or document number. This system covers documents from the Recorder's office and gives you direct access to scanned images of original filings.
The Landmark Web portal provides free access to Adams County deed records including full document images.
The Landmark Web portal indexes abbreviations and spelled-out versions of business entity types such as LP, LLC, LLP, and NA, which were standardized beginning February 14, 2011. For older records, note that prior to July 24, 1989, schools, townships, boroughs, and churches were indexed under those words rather than the organization name. Keep this in mind when searching early Adams County land records.
The alternative land records site at adamscountylandrecords.com offers a tax and assessment search tool, a GIS map viewer, and access to the LAREDO document search system for registered users. The TAPESTRY option on this site allows a one-time general search without an account. Both tools complement the official Recorder's portal when you need broader property information for Adams County.
The Adams County land records portal connects to the assessment system, GIS maps, and the LAREDO deed search tool.
This site also includes a permit tracking system and GIS web applications with map viewer functionality. These tools help you link deed records to current property boundaries and tax information in Adams County.
Adams County Recorder of Deeds Office
The Adams County Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds is a combined office located in Gettysburg. The office handles property recordings, estate probates, and related land documents. In-person estate probates require appointments and the office prefers you call ahead. Virtual estate services are available for attorney-represented cases.
| Office | Adams County Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds |
|---|---|
| Address | Gettysburg, PA (Adams County Courthouse) |
| Phone | (717) 337-9826 |
| registerrecorder@adamscountypa.gov | |
| Online Access | landrecordspa.adamscountypa.gov |
The official eSearch portal at landrecordspa.adamscountypa.gov provides access to Adams County deed records, estate records, and related documents. Account creation is required for full access. Users select a subscription plan and pay through PayPal. A PayPal account is not required since credit cards are processed through the PayPal system. You must accept the site's usage terms before accessing records.
Note: The county's online portal offers access to indexes and images for deed records from 1800 to 1936, with subscription options that renew automatically when access expires.
Recording Requirements in Adams County
All deeds recorded in Adams County must meet Pennsylvania's standard requirements. The document must identify the grantor and grantee by full legal name. It must include a legal description of the property being conveyed. The grantor's signature must be notarized by a Pennsylvania notary public. The deed must also include a certificate of residence for the grantee under 16 P.S. § 9781.
Pennsylvania's realty transfer tax applies to most deed recordings. The state rate is 1% of the property value or consideration paid. Adams County and local municipalities add their own transfer tax, typically bringing the total to around 2%. Form REV-183, the Realty Transfer Tax Statement of Value, must accompany deeds subject to this tax. Certain transfers are exempt, including family transfers and some charitable conveyances. The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue publishes current rates and exemption rules. The PRODA fee calculator at padeeds.com is a convenient tool for estimating recording costs before you submit a document to the Adams County Recorder.
Documents must also include a Uniform Parcel Identifier (UPI) code. Adams County properties each have a unique parcel number used to link the deed to the tax assessment records. The Recorder's office checks that the UPI matches the parcel described in the deed before processing the recording.
Adams County Land Records History
Adams County was formed from York County in 1800, and land records began that same year. The Recorder's office has maintained continuous records since then, providing more than two centuries of property history in and around Gettysburg. The statewide Pennsylvania land records portal at pa.uslandrecords.com links Adams County's records to the broader statewide system used by all 67 Pennsylvania counties.
Pennsylvania's Land Office has operated since William Penn arrived in 1682. While the State Archives hold Commonwealth-to-first-purchaser records, all subsequent private deed transfers are held by county Recorders. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission took over state land records management in 1981. For Adams County properties, the chain of title typically runs from a Commonwealth land warrant and patent through successive private deeds recorded with the Recorder of Deeds in Gettysburg.
FamilySearch holds microfilm and digital collections of Adams County deeds covering 1800 to 1934, including deed book indexes. Rev. Neal Hively conducted extensive land record compilations and land mapping for both York and Adams counties, which can help researchers trace early property ownership. The Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law at 65 P.S. § 67.101 ensures that Adams County deed records are accessible to the public and that the Recorder's office must respond to formal records requests within five business days.