Clearfield County Deed Records Access

Clearfield County deed records are held by the Recorder of Deeds office in Clearfield, Pennsylvania. This office is the official keeper of all land records and property documents for the county. When you search Clearfield County deed records, you can find information on property transfers, mortgages, easements, and related documents. Records are available in person at the county courthouse, and online access options are available for many documents.

About Clearfield County Deed Records

Clearfield County was established in 1804, carved from Huntingdon and Lycoming counties. Since that time, the Recorder of Deeds has been the official custodian of land records for the county. Property transactions in Clearfield County are documented through recorded deeds, mortgages, and related instruments. These records form the chain of title that supports every real estate sale, refinancing, and property dispute in the county.

Pennsylvania law at 21 P.S. § 351 requires that all deeds for real property be recorded in the county where the land is located. In Clearfield County, that means filing with the Recorder of Deeds at the courthouse in Clearfield. This requirement protects buyers and lenders by creating a public record of who owns what land. Without recording, a deed may not be enforceable against later purchasers who had no notice of the prior transfer.

The Recorder's office in Clearfield County also records mortgages, satisfactions of mortgage, easements, oil and gas leases, subdivision plans, power of attorney documents, and notary commissions. Clearfield County has a significant history of coal and timber production, which means older deed records often include mineral rights conveyances and timber rights agreements. These are part of the public record just like any other deed. Veterans can also file DD214 military discharge papers with the Recorder at no charge, and those records are kept private.

Clearfield County Recorder of Deeds

The Recorder of Deeds office is in the Clearfield County Courthouse on Market Street in Clearfield. Office hours are Monday through Friday during normal business hours. Call ahead to confirm hours and what identification or information you need when you visit. The county's official website is at clearfieldcounty.org, where you can find contact information for county departments.

Staff at the Recorder's office can search records and help you locate specific documents. Searches can be done by grantor or grantee name, book and page number, instrument number, or date range. Certified copies of recorded documents are available for a fee. Keep in mind that staff cannot give legal advice or provide title opinions. If you need to know whether there are liens on a property or whether the legal description is accurate, you will need to work with a licensed title company or attorney.

Searching Clearfield Deed Records Online

The statewide portal at pa.uslandrecords.com is the primary online tool for searching Clearfield County deed records remotely. This portal covers all 67 Pennsylvania counties and lets you search by name, parcel, or document type. It was built to provide convenient access to recorder office records from anywhere with an internet connection.

The image below is from a property records resource serving Clearfield County, showing the type of property information available to the public.

Third-party services such as NETROnline also provide access to recorder offices and assessment data across Pennsylvania, including Clearfield County. These tools link to county systems and can help you identify which office holds the records you need. The Pennsylvania Association of Recorders of Deeds maintains a fee calculator and county directory that can help you plan before you visit or request records online.

Clearfield County Recording Requirements

All deeds recorded in Clearfield County must follow Pennsylvania's standard requirements. A deed must have a complete legal description of the property, the names of all parties, a notary acknowledgment, and a Uniform Parcel Identifier (UPI). The UPI requirement under 16 P.S. § 9781 links each deed to the county's tax parcel mapping system. Missing a UPI will result in the Recorder declining to record the document.

Each deed must also be accompanied by Form REV-183, the Realty Transfer Tax Statement of Value, as required by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. The state charges a 1% realty transfer tax on the sale price or the assessed value adjusted by the common level ratio factor, whichever is greater. Clearfield County municipalities add a local transfer tax on top of the state rate. Tax exemptions exist for certain family transfers, charitable conveyances, and other qualifying situations. Visit pa.gov for a current list of exemptions and rates.

Historical Land Records in Clearfield County

Clearfield County's history includes extensive land transactions tied to coal mining, lumber operations, and oil and gas extraction. Many deed records from the 19th and early 20th centuries include mineral rights conveyances, surface-only deeds, and timber rights grants. Understanding these older documents can be important when researching the current status of a property. The Pennsylvania State Archives holds warrant registers and patent records that predate county organization and can help trace the earliest ownership of Clearfield County parcels.

The State Archives research guides at pa.gov/agencies/phmc explain how to search historical land warrant applications and land records indices for Pennsylvania counties, including Clearfield. These records go back to the Land Office of the Commonwealth, which has operated continuously since William Penn arrived in Pennsylvania in 1682. Connecting older State Archives records to modern Clearfield County deed records gives you a complete picture of land ownership over time.