Bucks County Deed Records
Bucks County deed records are kept by the Recorder of Deeds in Doylestown, one of the oldest counties in Pennsylvania and the fourth-largest by population. Located in suburban Philadelphia, Bucks County has an active real estate market and a deep historical property record collection. You can search Bucks County deed records online through the county recorder's portal and the statewide Pennsylvania land records system. This page covers the office, search tools, and what you need to know about property recordings in Bucks County.
Bucks County Quick Facts
About Bucks County Deed Records
Bucks County is one of the three original counties established by William Penn in 1682 when Pennsylvania was founded. Land records in Bucks County are among the oldest in the entire state, with the Pennsylvania State Archives holding an Old Rights Index for Bucks County covering 1682 to 1740. These early records document the first land transactions in the commonwealth. The Recorder of Deeds in Doylestown has maintained the county's property document collection since the colonial era.
Today Bucks County is a large suburban county north of Philadelphia with a population that ranks it fourth among all Pennsylvania counties. Its real estate market is active, with properties ranging from historic farmhouses and colonial-era homes to modern suburban developments and commercial properties. The Recorder of Deeds handles a high volume of new deed recordings each year. Every document receives a book and page number and is indexed by grantor and grantee name so it can be found in future searches of Bucks County deed records.
Pennsylvania's race-notice recording law under 21 P.S. § 351 applies in Bucks County as across the entire state. Recording a deed promptly after purchase protects your ownership rights against any later claimants. The Bucks County Recorder's office scans all documents for digital access online and at public terminals in the Doylestown courthouse.
Searching Bucks County Property Records
The Bucks County Recorder of Deeds maintains an online search system accessible through the county's website at buckscounty.gov. You can search by grantor and grantee name, book and page number, or property address. Document images are viewable online for most recorded instruments. The system covers current recordings and a growing portion of the county's historical record collection.
The statewide Pennsylvania land records portal at pa.uslandrecords.com also includes Bucks County. This portal connects all 67 Pennsylvania recorder districts in one system, making it useful when researching properties near county borders or tracing ownership chains that span multiple counties. Bucks County borders Philadelphia, Montgomery, and other counties, so cross-county research is common.
The Bucks County Board of Assessment provides property valuation data that complements deed records for researching property history and ownership in the county.
The Bucks County Board of Assessment at buckscountyboa.org provides property valuation and assessment data that works alongside the deed records from the Recorder's office. Starting with assessment data gives you current ownership and parcel identification numbers before you move to the deed index. The assessment office certifies property values annually for tax purposes, and the Common Level Ratio Factor published by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue affects how transfer tax is calculated on Bucks County property transactions.
Bucks County Recorder of Deeds
The Bucks County Recorder of Deeds is located at the Bucks County Justice Center in Doylestown. The office processes deed and mortgage recordings, maintains the land records index, and provides certified copies of recorded instruments. Staff can search by name or document number and assist with questions about the recording process in Bucks County. Public terminals at the courthouse allow free in-person access to Bucks County deed records during business hours.
| Office | Bucks County Recorder of Deeds |
|---|---|
| Address | 55 E Court Street, Doylestown, PA 18901 |
| Website | buckscounty.gov |
| Online Access | pa.uslandrecords.com |
| Assessment Data | buckscountyboa.org |
The PRODA association at padeeds.com lists the current Bucks County Recorder of Deeds and provides a fee calculator for estimating recording costs. Bucks County deed recordings require payment at the time of submission. Contact the Recorder's office to confirm current fee schedules, hours, and e-recording options for professional filers.
Note: Bucks County participates in electronic recording for approved submitters including title companies and law firms. E-recording allows documents to be processed without a trip to the Doylestown courthouse.
Recording Requirements in Bucks County
Deeds submitted for recording in Bucks County must comply with Pennsylvania's content standards. The document must name grantor and grantee in full, include a legal description of the property, and bear the grantor's notarized signature. The grantee's certificate of residence is required under 16 P.S. § 9781. The Uniform Parcel Identifier must appear on the deed to link it to the Bucks County assessment records.
Pennsylvania's realty transfer tax at 72 P.S. § 8102-C applies to most deed recordings in Bucks County. The state imposes 1% of the consideration or assessed value times the Common Level Ratio. Bucks County municipalities add local transfer tax, usually bringing the total to around 2% for most property transfers in the county. Form REV-183 must accompany taxable deed recordings. Some family transfers, charitable transfers, and correctional deeds may qualify for exemptions from the transfer tax under Pennsylvania Department of Revenue guidelines.
Bucks County Land Records and History
As one of Pennsylvania's three original counties, Bucks County has one of the longest property record histories in the United States. The Pennsylvania State Archives holds an Old Rights Index for Bucks County covering 1682 to 1740, which is part of the state's earliest land record collections. These records document the original Penn grants and early private transfers during the colonial period. Researchers studying colonial-era land ownership in the Philadelphia region frequently start with Bucks County deed records.
FamilySearch holds microfilm and digital collections of Bucks County land records from the colonial period through the twentieth century. These materials are useful for genealogical research and historical title searches. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission maintains statewide land record resources and research guides that are helpful when researching Bucks County properties with deep historical roots. For access to any public Bucks County record, the Right-to-Know Law at 65 P.S. § 67.101 ensures that records are accessible to any member of the public without requiring a reason for the request.