Huntingdon County Property Deed Records

Huntingdon County deed records are maintained by the Recorder of Deeds in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. This office records all real estate transactions in the county, including deeds, mortgages, easements, and related land documents. Huntingdon County is located in central Pennsylvania and has maintained land records since the county was formed in 1787. You can search Huntingdon County deed records in person at the courthouse or remotely through the state land records portal. The recorder's office indexes all documents by party name and property address.

Huntingdon County Deed Records Overview

Huntingdon County was established in 1787, making it one of Pennsylvania's older counties. It takes its name from the Countess of Huntingdon, a patron of early colonial missions. The county sits in central Pennsylvania, surrounded by mountains and bisected by the Juniata River. Land here has long been used for farming, forestry, and small-scale industry. The Recorder of Deeds has kept an unbroken record of property transactions from the earliest years of county government through today.

Raystown Lake is a major geographic landmark in Huntingdon County. Created by the Army Corps of Engineers in the 1940s, the lake and its surrounding land involve a mix of public and private ownership. Property records in the area reflect decades of transactions as the lake's shoreline developed. Searching deed records near Raystown Lake requires knowing which township or borough the land falls in, since the county is divided into numerous small municipalities. The recorder's index organizes documents by grantor and grantee name, which helps trace ownership even when parcel boundaries change over time.

The Huntingdon County Recorder of Deeds is an elected row officer serving a four-year term. The office maintains permanent records for all real estate transactions. Documents recorded include deeds, mortgages, satisfactions, easements, and UCC filings. Public access terminals are available at the courthouse, and certified copies can be obtained for legal purposes. Under 21 P.S. § 351, recording a deed in the county is necessary to protect the new owner's rights against subsequent buyers and creditors.

Note: Huntingdon County also holds historical deed research resources at the Pennsylvania State Archives, which maintains warrantee township maps and early land survey records for the county.

Huntingdon County Recorder of Deeds

The Huntingdon County Recorder of Deeds office is located in the county courthouse in Huntingdon. The courthouse serves as the hub for all row officer functions in the county. The Recorder's office accepts deeds, mortgages, releases, easements, power of attorney documents, notary commissions, and DD-214 military discharge papers. E-recording services are available for those who submit documents electronically. The county website at huntingdoncounty.net provides contact information and links to the recorder's services.

In-person visits to the recorder's office let you use the public access terminals to search the index and view document images. Staff can assist with searches and provide copies. Certified copies are available for a fee and are suitable for legal proceedings. Documents can also be mailed to the office with a self-addressed stamped envelope for the return of recorded originals.

Searching Huntingdon County Property Records Online

Huntingdon County deed records are accessible through the statewide pa.uslandrecords.com portal. This platform covers all 67 Pennsylvania recorder districts and lets you search from any internet connection. You can search by grantor and grantee name, by document type, or by date range. Document images are available for viewing and printing. The portal gives you the same records you would find at the public access terminals in the courthouse.

The Pennsylvania US Land Records portal at pa.uslandrecords.com connects searchers to all county recorder districts in the state, including Huntingdon County, with online access to document images and indexes.

The Pennsylvania Association of Recorders of Deeds at padeeds.com provides a fee calculator and directory of county recorder officials, making it a useful starting point for any property record search in Huntingdon County.

For historical records predating the current digital system, the Pennsylvania State Archives in Harrisburg holds warrantee township maps and copied survey books covering Huntingdon County's early years. These records can help trace the original land grants and early property ownership in the county. The State Archives is located at 1681 N. Sixth Street, Harrisburg, PA 17102, and accepts research visits by appointment. Note: For very old records dating before 1830, you may need to consult both county deed books and state archive resources for a complete chain of title in Huntingdon County.

Recording Requirements in Huntingdon County

Documents submitted for recording in Huntingdon County must follow Pennsylvania's standard recording requirements. All papers should be on white 8.5 by 11 inch paper and typed in a clear, legible font no smaller than ten points. Notary acknowledgments must be properly completed, including the state, county, date, names of persons appearing, the notary's signature, and the notary's expiration date. Documents must clearly state the municipality, county, and state where the property is located.

The realty transfer tax applies to most deed transfers. Pennsylvania imposes a state rate of one percent under 72 P.S. § 8102-C, and local jurisdictions add their own rate, typically another one percent. A completed Statement of Value form must accompany transfers subject to the tax. Deeds that qualify for an exemption, such as family transfers, must clearly state the basis for the exemption in the body of the deed. Tax parcel identification numbers must appear on deeds.

The following items are needed when recording a deed in Huntingdon County:

• Original signed and notarized deed
• Completed Statement of Value (REV-183) form
• Payment for recording fees and transfer tax
• Tax parcel identification number on the deed
• Grantee's mailing address on the deed
• Self-addressed stamped envelope if mailing

E-recording is accepted for those submitting documents electronically. Recording fees in Huntingdon County are set by state statute. The fee calculator at padeeds.com can help you estimate the cost before you submit. Checks made out for incorrect amounts will be returned, which can delay recording.

Agricultural and Forest Land Records in Huntingdon County

Huntingdon County is predominantly rural, with a mix of farm land, state forest, and private woodland. Agricultural property transfers make up a significant share of the deed records in the county. Family farms often pass through several generations, and tracing ownership requires searching the grantor and grantee indexes across multiple decades. Many tracts are described using old metes and bounds descriptions that reference natural features, neighboring owners, and bearings that may differ from modern survey language.

State game lands and state forest parcels have their own ownership records separate from private deed books. However, boundary disputes and easements along the edges of public and private land often appear in the county deed records. Right-of-way documents for logging roads, pipelines, and utility lines are also recorded here. These documents define who has access to private land and under what conditions. Understanding these encumbrances is an important part of title research in rural Huntingdon County.

The Clean and Green program in Pennsylvania preserves farmland by reducing property tax assessments on agricultural land. Properties enrolled in this program appear in county records with notations about their status. If a property is removed from the program and developed, rollback taxes apply. Deed records may reference a property's Clean and Green status as part of the transfer documentation. For current enrollment information, contact the Huntingdon County Assessment Office in addition to reviewing deed records from the Recorder's office.