Northumberland County Deed Records Lookup

Northumberland County deed records are maintained by the Register and Recorder in Sunbury, Pennsylvania. The office handles deeds, mortgages, releases, and other instruments that affect real property throughout the county. Searching Northumberland County deed records helps buyers, sellers, attorneys, and researchers confirm ownership and trace property history. Records are available in person at 201 Market Street. The county also offers a free Record Alert service through Landex to help property owners monitor their name in the deed index.

Northumberland County Deed Records Overview

Northumberland County was established in 1772, making it one of Pennsylvania's older counties. Deed records from as early as that year are indexed and available for research. The county seat has been Sunbury since the county's founding. The Register and Recorder office at 201 Market Street is led by Tina Mertz and handles all real estate recording for the county. Indexed records cover deeds from 1770 to 1866 with a grantor and grantee index extending from 1772 to 1914, as documented in FamilySearch catalog records for the county.

All recorded Northumberland County deed records are public documents available under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law. The office maintains a comprehensive index searchable by grantor name, grantee name, instrument type, book and page number, and recording date. Certified copies of recorded documents are available for a fee. The Landex system provides online access to more recent records, while older records are preserved on microfilm at the Northumberland County Courthouse in Sunbury.

One practical resource for Northumberland County property owners is the free Record Alert service. You can sign up at landex.com/recordalert/northumberland to receive email notifications whenever a document is recorded in your name. If you receive an alert for a transfer you did not authorize, call the recorder office's fraud line at 570-988-4985. This service helps detect and respond to deed fraud quickly.

Northumberland County Register and Recorder

Tina Mertz serves as the Register and Recorder for Northumberland County. The office is located at 201 Market Street in Sunbury and accepts deed recordings, mortgage filings, and related instruments during regular hours. Important to note: the office stopped accepting personal checks after November 1, 2019. Accepted forms of payment include cash, money orders, and certified bank checks. In-person probate appointments are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays by appointment only. Zoom probates are also accepted for qualifying matters.

Searching Northumberland Deed Records

The primary online access point for Northumberland County deed records is the state portal at pa.uslandrecords.com. Select Northumberland County and then search by name, document type, or date range. This portal connects directly to the county's recording system and provides access to indexed data and document images. For more recent records, Landex also provides real-time search and document download options with a pay-per-document fee structure.

The Northumberland County Record Alert system shown above lets property owners monitor their name in the deed index at no charge. This free service provides peace of mind and helps catch unauthorized recordings quickly.

HomeInfoMax provides another way to search Northumberland County public records, including deeds, liens, and judgment records. You can also order copies of recorded documents directly through their online system.

For historical deed research, FamilySearch hosts microfilm records for Northumberland County covering deeds from 1770 to 1866. The index extends to 1914 and is searchable online. The Pennsylvania State Archives also holds early land warrant records for the county that predate statehood. These resources are valuable for genealogists and title researchers working on long historical chains of title in Northumberland County.

Recording and Transfer Requirements

Documents submitted for recording in Northumberland County must meet Pennsylvania's standard requirements. The acknowledgment on a deed must state the county and state where it was signed, the date of signing, and the notary's signature and stamp. The notary commission expiration date must be clearly visible. A Certificate of Residence for the grantee is required for all deed recordings. Re-recorded documents must include a new acknowledgment dated after the original recording date.

Pennsylvania's realty transfer tax system applies to all taxable deed transfers in Northumberland County. The state rate is 1% of the property value under the realty transfer tax statute. Most local municipalities in the county add another 1% local tax. The recorder collects both at recording. Exemptions exist for family transfers, certain corporate reorganizations, and corrections of prior deeds. Use the PRODA fee calculator at padeeds.com to compute your total recording fees and taxes before submitting documents in Northumberland County.

Pennsylvania's race-notice recording system under 21 P.S. § 351 gives priority to the first party who records a valid deed in good faith and for value. Recording promptly after closing protects your property interest against competing claims from other buyers or lenders.

Note: The Northumberland County recorder's office does not conduct title searches on behalf of requesters. Parties wishing to determine the state of title must search the index themselves or hire a title professional.