Deed Records in Armstrong County
Armstrong County deed records are maintained by the Recorder of Deeds in Kittanning, the county seat. The office records deeds, mortgages, liens, and other property instruments that affect real estate in Armstrong County. You can search Armstrong County property records online through several platforms, including the statewide Pennsylvania land records portal and third-party tools that index county documents. This guide explains where to find deed records and how the recording process works in Armstrong County.
Armstrong County Quick Facts
About Armstrong County Deed Records
Armstrong County was created in 1805 from parts of Allegheny, Lycoming, and Westmoreland counties. Land records in the county date back to its formation, giving researchers more than two centuries of property history to explore. The Recorder of Deeds in Kittanning keeps all instruments that affect real property in Armstrong County. Deeds, mortgages, assignments, easements, and other documents are processed here and indexed for public access.
Pennsylvania's race-notice recording law at 21 P.S. § 351 means that recording a deed promptly in Armstrong County protects your ownership rights. A buyer who records first and pays value in good faith generally holds title over later claimants or unrecorded prior transfers. The Recorder's office assigns each recorded document a book and page number as its permanent index reference. Documents are also scanned and stored digitally so they can be searched and viewed online.
Armstrong County is a largely rural county with towns scattered along the Allegheny River valley. Property records in the county include farms, rural tracts, and small-town residential properties. Oil and gas rights have historically been significant in this region, and some deed records in Armstrong County include mineral rights conveyances and leases.
Searching Armstrong County Property Records
Several platforms let you search Armstrong County deed records online. The statewide portal at pa.uslandrecords.com includes Armstrong County along with all 67 Pennsylvania recorder districts. This portal lets you search by grantor name, grantee name, book and page number, or property address. Images are available online through this system for most recorded documents.
Courthouse Direct provides access to scanned Armstrong County deed records including historical handwritten documents and current filings.
Courthouse Direct at courthousedirect.com provides FileViewer access to scanned indexes and document images for Armstrong County. This includes historical handwritten records and current deeds, indexes, and plats. Oil and gas records may also be available through this platform, which is important for properties in this historically mineral-rich area of Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania Property Checker tool provides owner information, deed records, loans, liens, and tax data for Armstrong County properties.
The Property Checker at pennsylvania.propertychecker.com lets you search by address, owner name, or parcel ID. You can access deed records, loan and lien information, tax and assessment data, building permits, and purchase history for properties across Armstrong County. This tool pulls from multiple data sources and is useful for quick lookups when you already know the property address.
Armstrong County Recorder of Deeds
The Armstrong County Recorder of Deeds is located in Kittanning at the county courthouse. The office handles all recording requests for deeds and other land documents in Armstrong County. You can visit in person during business hours to search records at the public access terminal or to request certified copies of recorded documents. Staff can assist with name searches and document retrieval.
| Office | Armstrong County Recorder of Deeds |
|---|---|
| Address | Armstrong County Courthouse, Kittanning, PA 16201 |
| Online Access | pa.uslandrecords.com |
| Third-Party Search | Courthouse Direct |
The Pennsylvania Association of Recorders of Deeds (PRODA) at padeeds.com lists current officials for all 67 counties including Armstrong. PRODA also provides a fee calculator that estimates the cost of recording documents in each county. Contact the Armstrong County Recorder's office directly to confirm current hours, fees, and available online services before planning a visit or submitting a recording.
Note: Armstrong County deed records are public under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law and anyone may request access to these documents regardless of their reason for searching.
Recording Requirements in Armstrong County
Deeds recorded in Armstrong County must meet Pennsylvania's standard requirements. The document needs to clearly identify the grantor and grantee by full legal name. It must include a complete legal description of the property. The grantor must sign the deed before a notary public. A certificate of residence for the grantee is required under 16 P.S. § 9781. The deed must also display the property's Uniform Parcel Identifier (UPI) number, which links the document to the county's tax assessment records.
Pennsylvania charges a 1% state realty transfer tax on most deed recordings. Armstrong County and local municipalities add their own local rate under 72 P.S. § 8102-C. The combined rate is typically around 2% for most Armstrong County properties. Form REV-183, the Realty Transfer Tax Statement of Value, must be submitted with all taxable deeds. Certain transfers are exempt from this tax, including some family transfers, transfers to charitable organizations, and correctional deeds that fix errors in previously recorded instruments without changing ownership rights.
Recording fees in Armstrong County are based on the number of pages in the document. The first page carries one fee, and each additional page adds to the total. The PRODA fee calculator gives estimates for Armstrong County recording costs. You can also call the Recorder's office to get the exact fee schedule before submitting a deed. All payments must accompany the document at the time of recording.
Property Research in Armstrong County
Armstrong County has a mix of residential, agricultural, and industrial properties. The county contains many small boroughs and townships spread across its mostly rural landscape. When researching a property in Armstrong County, start with the county's online records or the statewide portal to find the deed. Then check the assessment office for tax data and valuation history. For properties with mineral rights, review both the deed and any separate oil and gas lease instruments recorded with the Recorder of Deeds.
Historical land records for Armstrong County are available through FamilySearch, which holds microfilm collections of Pennsylvania county deeds. The Pennsylvania State Archives in Harrisburg at 1681 N. Sixth Street holds Commonwealth-to-first-purchaser records that predate county deed books. These include warrant registers and land patents that can help trace the original grant of land before it entered private ownership in Armstrong County. The Right-to-Know Law at 65 P.S. § 67.101 guarantees public access to Armstrong County deed records.