Fulton County Land Records and Deed Search
Fulton County deed records are maintained by the Recorder of Deeds office in McConnellsburg, the county seat in south-central Pennsylvania. The office serves as the official keeper of all land records and property documents for Fulton County. Searching Fulton County deed records gives you access to deeds, mortgages, easements, and related instruments that document property ownership across this rural Pennsylvania county. Records are available at the courthouse and through the statewide Pennsylvania land records portal online.
Fulton County Quick Facts
About Fulton County Deed Records
Fulton County was created in 1850 from Bedford County and is one of the smallest and least populous counties in Pennsylvania. The county seat, McConnellsburg, sits along Lincoln Way West and serves as the hub of all county government services. Fulton County deed records go back to the county's founding and document land ownership in this rural, agricultural region of south-central Pennsylvania.
All deeds for Fulton County property must be recorded with the Recorder of Deeds under 21 P.S. § 351. Recording creates the legal public notice that establishes ownership and protects buyers against prior unrecorded claims. Each recorded document receives a book and page number, is scanned into the county's system, and is preserved on microfilm as a permanent archive. The index and document images form the official chain of title for every parcel in Fulton County.
Fulton County deed records include deeds, mortgages, mortgage satisfactions, easements, power of attorney documents, subdivision plans, and notary public commissions. The county's main website at co.fulton.pa.us provides contact information for all county offices, including the Recorder of Deeds. The county business office is located at 101 Lincoln Way West, Suite 103, McConnellsburg, PA 17233, and can be reached by phone at 717-485-6860 or by email at hradmin@co.fulton.pa.us.
Because Fulton County is a small, rural county, its deed records tend to involve large agricultural parcels, mountain properties, and timberland tracts. The county borders Maryland, meaning that some properties along the southern edge of the county may have historical connections to Maryland land records as well. Veterans in Fulton County can file DD214 military discharge papers with the Recorder at no charge, and those files are kept private rather than released as public documents.
Fulton County Recorder of Deeds
The Fulton County Recorder of Deeds office is in McConnellsburg at the county courthouse. The county website at co.fulton.pa.us provides current contact information for the Recorder's office and other county departments. Office hours are Monday through Friday during regular business hours. For a small county like Fulton, calling ahead before visiting is especially important to ensure staff are available to assist you.
At the courthouse in McConnellsburg, you can search Fulton County deed records by grantor and grantee name, book and page number, instrument number, or date range. Staff can locate documents and provide copies for a fee. Certified copies of recorded instruments are available upon request. The Recorder's office cannot give legal advice, perform title searches, or tell you whether a property has liens. For legal title questions, consult a licensed Pennsylvania title company or attorney.
| Office | Fulton County Recorder of Deeds |
|---|---|
| Address | 201 North Second Street, McConnellsburg, PA 17233 |
| Phone | 717-485-6860 |
| hradmin@co.fulton.pa.us | |
| Online Search | co.fulton.pa.us |
Searching Fulton County Deed Records Online
The Pennsylvania statewide land records portal at pa.uslandrecords.com provides online access to Fulton County deed records. This portal covers all 67 Pennsylvania recorder districts and allows searches by party name, document type, and date range. Because Fulton County is a small, rural county far from major population centers, using the online portal is often the most practical option for searchers who are not based in south-central Pennsylvania.
The image below is from the Fulton County official website, which provides access to county services and government contacts including the Recorder of Deeds.
The image below shows a property records resource for Fulton County that illustrates the land data available for public research.
The Pennsylvania Association of Recorders of Deeds at padeeds.com maintains a directory of all county recorder contacts and a fee calculator at padeeds.com/fee-calculator. Third-party portals such as NETROnline also link to Fulton County assessor and property resources that can supplement your deed record research.
Fulton County Recording Requirements
Documents submitted for recording in Fulton County must meet Pennsylvania's standard requirements. Every deed needs a complete legal description, the names of all parties, a notary acknowledgment, and a Uniform Parcel Identifier (UPI). The UPI requirement under 16 P.S. § 9781 links each recorded instrument to the county's tax parcel mapping system. A deed without a valid UPI will be returned without recording.
Pennsylvania charges a 1% state realty transfer tax on the consideration paid or the assessed value adjusted by the common level ratio factor, whichever is greater. Fulton County municipalities impose their own local transfer taxes. Every deed must be accompanied by Form REV-183, the Realty Transfer Tax Statement of Value, at the time of recording. Certain transfers are exempt from transfer tax, including direct family line transfers, qualifying trust conveyances, and corrective deeds made to fix errors in prior instruments. See the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue at pa.gov for current rates and exemption guidance. Notary commissions on any recorded document can be verified at notaries.pa.gov.
Fulton County Historical Land Records
Fulton County's history is closely tied to agriculture and mountain terrain. The county lies within the Ridge and Valley physiographic region of Pennsylvania, and many deed records describe properties in terms of ridge lines, stream courses, and mountain landmarks. Understanding these older surveying conventions is important for locating property boundaries described in deeds from the 19th century.
Because Fulton County was created from Bedford County in 1850, property history before that date may trace through Bedford County deed records. Researchers looking for early ownership history should check Bedford County's records for transactions before 1850. For land grants and warrant history going back even further, the Pennsylvania State Archives holds warrant registers and survey maps for the region. The Archives' research guides at pa.gov/agencies/phmc explain how to use the warrant register and warrantee township maps to connect original land grants to the modern Fulton County deed records. Combining these historical sources with current Fulton County deed records gives a complete ownership history for any parcel in the county.