McKean County Deed Records
McKean County deed records are maintained by the Recorder of Deeds in Smethport, Pennsylvania. The office records deeds, mortgages, easements, and other real estate instruments for land in McKean County. Located in north-central Pennsylvania adjacent to the Allegheny National Forest, McKean County is a rural county with a history of oil and gas production. You can search McKean County deed records online through the Landex Remote system or through the county's parcel viewer, and you can also visit the courthouse in Smethport for in-person access. The recorder's office publishes a full fee schedule and e-recording options on the county website.
McKean County Quick Facts
McKean County Deed Records Overview
McKean County was formed in 1804 from Lycoming County and named after Thomas McKean, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the first governor of Pennsylvania. The county seat is Smethport. McKean County is predominantly rural, with large portions of land within the Allegheny National Forest. Bradford City, an incorporated city within the county, has its own special requirements for deed recording that differ from the rest of McKean County. The oil industry has been central to Bradford's history, and the county's deed records reflect decades of oil company land transactions.
Michele L. Vogel serves as the McKean County Recorder of Deeds. The office is located at 500 West Main Street in Smethport. The phone number is (814) 887-3250 and the fax is (814) 887-3255. All documents submitted by mail require a self-addressed stamped envelope for return of originals. E-recording is accepted through approved vendors including Simplifile at 1-800-460-5657, CSC Global at 866-652-0111 (erecording@cscglobal.com), and E-Recording at 1-888-325-3365. The county's main website is at mckeancountypa.gov.
McKean County's Common Level Ratio for property assessment is 1.68, effective from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. This ratio is published annually by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue and is used in calculating the realty transfer tax on deed transfers. Under 21 P.S. § 351, recording a deed in the correct county is essential to establish priority of ownership. Note: Bradford City properties in McKean County are subject to an additional city registry requirement when recording deeds, which adds a small extra fee to the recording cost.
McKean County Recorder of Deeds
The McKean County Recorder of Deeds office is at 500 West Main Street in Smethport. The recorder's page at mckeancountypa.gov/recorder-of-deeds provides full information about the office, including recording requirements, fee schedules, and e-recording vendor contacts. The fee schedule is posted at mckeancountypa.gov/recorder-of-deeds/fees.php. E-recording details are available at mckeancountypa.gov/recorder-of-deeds/e_recordings.php. The office also offers passport information services.
| Office |
McKean County Recorder of Deeds 500 West Main Street Smethport, PA 16749 Phone: (814) 887-3250 Fax: (814) 887-3255 |
|---|---|
| Recorder | Michele L. Vogel |
| Website | mckeancountypa.gov/recorder-of-deeds |
| Fee Schedule | mckeancountypa.gov/recorder-fees |
| E-Recording | mckeancountypa.gov/e-recordings |
Searching McKean County Property Records Online
McKean County deed records are searchable online through the Landex Remote system. Instructions for accessing Landex are available through the county at the recorder's page. Landex lets you search by grantor and grantee name, document type, date range, book and page, or instrument number. Document images are viewable and printable. Subscription and pay-per-use options give you flexibility based on how often you search. The system is available around the clock without travel to the Smethport courthouse.
The McKean County Recorder of Deeds page at mckeancountypa.gov provides complete information about recording services, fee schedules, e-recording vendor contacts, and links to online search tools for McKean County deed records.
The McKean County recording fee schedule page lists the base fees for deeds, mortgages, satisfactions, releases, easements, and other document types, with the current fee bill effective November 17, 2025.
The McKean County Basic Parcel Viewer at mckeancounty.maps.arcgis.com provides an interactive map where you can search parcels by address or parcel number and view property boundary information linked to deed record references.
The McKean County official website at mckeancountypa.gov is the primary entry point for all county services, including the Recorder of Deeds office, GIS mapping, and online property records for Smethport and throughout the county.
The statewide portal at pa.uslandrecords.com also provides access to McKean County deed records. For fee estimation and a listing of county recorders, visit padeeds.com.
Recording Requirements and Fees in McKean County
McKean County publishes a detailed fee schedule at mckeancountypa.gov/recorder-fees. The base fee for recording deeds and mortgages, which includes four pages, four names, and one parcel, is $87.75. Each additional parcel or description costs $1.00. For mortgage satisfactions, releases, and assignments, the base fee for four pages and four names is $61.75. Each additional page costs $0.50, and each additional name costs $2.00. For rights of way, easements, agreements, and bills of sale, the base fee is $59.75. Satisfactions require the original mortgage or a legible copy of the recorded mortgage.
Bradford City properties have additional requirements. Recording a deed for Bradford City property requires an additional $0.50 per page to print the deed, plus a $1.50 fee to prepare the City Registry. The City Registry is a requirement specific to Bradford City and does not apply to other areas of McKean County. All documents submitted to the McKean County Recorder of Deeds require a self-addressed stamped envelope for the return of recorded originals.
The realty transfer tax under 72 P.S. § 8102-C applies to most deed transfers. Pennsylvania collects one percent at the state level. Local municipalities add their own rate. The Common Level Ratio for McKean County is 1.68, effective through June 30, 2026. This ratio is used when the assessed value is less than actual consideration to calculate the correct transfer tax base. A Statement of Value form must accompany all taxable transfers. Documents claiming a transfer tax exemption must state the exemption basis clearly in the deed. Note: For Bradford City properties, budget for the additional city registry fee when calculating total recording costs in McKean County.
Oil, Gas, and Forest Land Records in McKean County
McKean County has a long history of oil and gas production, centered particularly in and around Bradford City, which was once a major oil boomtown in the late nineteenth century. Oil leases, gas leases, right-of-ways, and related instruments make up a significant portion of the deed records in the county. These documents are indexed alongside traditional real estate records and are searchable by the names of the landowner and the energy company. Researching the complete ownership and encumbrance picture for a rural McKean County parcel requires checking for these energy-related instruments in addition to the deed chain.
The Allegheny National Forest covers a large portion of McKean County. Private land bordering and within the forest area has its own unique characteristics in the deed records. Some tracts were sold to the federal government as the national forest expanded in the early twentieth century, and those conveyances appear in the deed books. Private inholdings within the forest boundary continue to be bought and sold, and their deed records are maintained at the McKean County Recorder of Deeds in Smethport. Kinzua Dam, located partly in McKean County, has also been a source of land transactions as property along the reservoir changed hands over the decades.
The McKean County parcel viewer at mckeancounty.maps.arcgis.com is a useful tool for identifying parcels in forested or remote areas where addresses may not clearly indicate the location. The parcel viewer displays boundaries and ownership data, which can then be used to search the Landex deed index for the specific instrument history of the parcel. Under 16 P.S. § 9781, the recorder must maintain proper indexes so all recorded instruments are discoverable, including historic oil leases and other energy-related documents that may still affect a property's title today.