Union County Pennsylvania Deed Records

Union County deed records are maintained by the Register and Recorder at the Union County Courthouse in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Lisa A. Seward serves as the Register and Recorder for the county. The office records deeds, mortgages, releases, easements, subdivisions, and restrictions for all four boroughs and ten townships in the county. Online records are available from January 1, 1962 to the present. Older records are on microfilm at the courthouse. Certified copies cost $1.50 plus $0.50 per page. The index is free to view online, with a charge for actual document images.

Union County Deed Records Overview

Union County was formed from Northumberland County on March 22, 1813, and land records in the county date back to that founding year. The county seat is Lewisburg, home to Bucknell University and the Federal Penitentiary. The Register and Recorder office at 103 S. Second Street handles all real estate recordings. Union County consists of four boroughs and ten townships, with approximately 17,513 recorded parcels. The median home value is $192,550, median rent is $863.50, and the median property tax rate is 1.12%. All documents given a book and page number at recording are scanned into the system.

Online access to Union County deed records is available from January 1, 1962 to the present through the Real Property Official Records Search at pa.uslandrecords.com. Records prior to 1962 are preserved on microfilm at the Union County Courthouse in Lewisburg. The index is free to view for all records in the online system, but downloading actual document images requires payment of the applicable image fee. The county's online system covers deeds, mortgages, releases, easements, subdivisions, restrictions, notary information, and military discharge papers.

Pennsylvania's race-notice recording statute at 21 P.S. § 351 protects buyers who record their deeds first. In Union County, as throughout Pennsylvania, recording your deed promptly after closing is the best protection against competing claims on the same property. The recorder's office concludes document recording at 4:15 PM each business day, even though the office remains open until 4:30 PM.

Union County Register and Recorder

Lisa A. Seward serves as the Union County Register and Recorder. The office is at the Union County Courthouse, 103 S. Second Street in Lewisburg. The office hours are 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday, with document recording concluding at 4:15 PM. The Register and Recorder also collects real estate transfer taxes on behalf of the state, townships, boroughs, and school districts within Union County. Military Service Discharges are accepted and recorded at no charge. The office can be reached at 570-524-8767 or 570-524-8762.

Searching Union County Deed Records

The statewide portal at pa.uslandrecords.com provides online access to Union County deed records from 1962 to the present. Select Union County from the dropdown and then search by grantor name, grantee name, document type, or recording date. The index is free to view. Document images are available for a fee. For records before 1962, contact the Register and Recorder's office in Lewisburg about accessing the microfilm collection at the courthouse.

The Union County Recorder of Deeds page at unioncountypa.org provides complete information about office hours, recording requirements, certified copy fees, and links to online search tools. This is the starting point for anyone who needs to file a document or request a copy.

The Pennsylvania Property Checker aggregates Union County deed, tax, and lien data. With 17,513 parcels in the county, this overview tool helps you identify properties and confirm basic ownership details before searching the full deed index.

The Union County Historical Society at unioncopahistory.com also holds grantor and grantee records and can assist with genealogical deed research. The Historical Society's records include deeds that may include information about the grantor's and grantee's spouses, prior residences, and neighboring landowners, which is valuable context for family history research in Union County.

Recording and Transfer Requirements

Documents submitted to the Union County Register and Recorder must meet Pennsylvania's standard recording requirements. A complete notary acknowledgment with the county, state, and date of signing is required, along with a clear notary signature and stamp showing the commission expiration date. A Certificate of Residence for the grantee is required. Re-recorded documents must include a new acknowledgment. Taxable transfers require a Form REV-183 Realty Transfer Tax Statement of Value. The recorder collects the state's 1% realty transfer tax plus any applicable local rate at recording.

Union County municipalities typically add a local realty transfer tax of 1%, making the combined rate 2% on most transfers. The county also collects transfer taxes on behalf of boroughs, townships, and school districts within its boundaries. Exemptions include family transfers, charitable conveyances, and corrective deeds. Use the PRODA fee calculator at padeeds.com to estimate your total costs. Under 16 P.S. § 9781, the recorder must maintain a complete searchable index of all instruments from 1813 to the present.

Note: Land records began in Union County in 1813, but online access through the county's digital system covers documents only from January 1, 1962 forward. Earlier records require a microfilm search at the courthouse in Lewisburg.