Westmoreland County Deed Records

Westmoreland County deed records are maintained by the Recorder of Deeds at the county courthouse in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Land records in Westmoreland County date to 1773, making this one of the oldest recorded deed archives in Pennsylvania. The county seat has been Greensburg since 1773. Searching Westmoreland County deed records gives you access to deeds, mortgages, surveys, warrants, sheriff's deeds, and other instruments spanning over 250 years of southwestern Pennsylvania property history. Online access is available through the statewide portal and through indexes that cover records from 1975 forward.

Westmoreland County Deed Records Overview

Westmoreland County was established in 1773 and is one of the original counties formed in western Pennsylvania. Land records in the county begin with that same year. The early indexes for part of Westmoreland County that later became Fayette County are also held here, reflecting the county's original larger boundaries. The FamilySearch catalog for Westmoreland County lists online land indexes covering deeds from 1773 to 1950, mortgages from 1784 to 1867, and a deed and mortgage index from 1773 to 1950. Fifty-nine microfilm reels cover this historical period. Sheriff's deed books from 1787 to 1875 and surveys and warrants from 1769 to 1900 are also part of the county's historical record collection.

Online access to the deed index runs from 1975 to the present, with image fees applying to records from 1988 onward. This means that documents recorded since 1975 can be located by name and date online, while document images are available for download for records from 1988 forward. The statewide portal at pa.uslandrecords.com connects to the Westmoreland County recording system and provides the standard Pennsylvania search interface for grantor names, grantee names, document types, and recording dates.

Under Pennsylvania's race-notice recording statute at 21 P.S. § 351, the first party to record a valid deed in good faith holds priority in Westmoreland County. With a large county population and active real estate market in the Pittsburgh region, recording your deed promptly after closing is essential to protect your ownership interest.

Westmoreland County Recorder of Deeds

The Westmoreland County Recorder of Deeds and Register of Wills office is located at the county courthouse in Greensburg. The office handles real estate recordings and estate matters for the county. Westmoreland County deed books are referenced by book and page number in the county's index. The courthouse in Greensburg holds the full collection of deed books from 1773 to the present, including historical volumes from the colonial era. Will books and Orphan's Court records are also maintained at the same office. For current contact information and office hours, check the county website at the Greensburg courthouse.

Searching Westmoreland County Deed Records

The statewide portal at pa.uslandrecords.com is the main online access tool for Westmoreland County deed records from 1975 to the present. Select Westmoreland County from the dropdown to begin searching by grantor name, grantee name, document type, or recording date. Document images are available for records from 1988 onward for a per-page fee. For records before 1975, in-person courthouse research at Greensburg is required.

Genealogy Trails hosts sample historical deed records from Westmoreland County covering the period 1869 to 1895. These transcribed deed book references and donated family records provide a window into the county's 19th-century property history and are useful for genealogical and title research.

The Pennsylvania Property Checker database aggregates deed, tax, and lien data for Westmoreland County parcels. This overview tool is a practical starting point for identifying property ownership and recorded encumbrances before searching the full deed index through the statewide portal.

For historical deed research spanning back to 1773, the FamilySearch library holds 59 microfilm reels of Westmoreland County land records. Surveys and warrants from 1769 to 1900 are also available for research and show the original Commonwealth grants that predate all subsequent private deeds. The Pennsylvania State Archives at pa.gov provides additional resources for tracing colonial-era land grants in Westmoreland County and throughout southwestern Pennsylvania.

Recording and Transfer Requirements

Documents submitted to the Westmoreland County Recorder must include a complete notary acknowledgment with the county and state of signing, the date, and a clear notary signature and stamp. A Certificate of Residence for the grantee is required. Taxable transfers require a completed Form REV-183 Realty Transfer Tax Statement of Value. The recorder collects the state's 1% realty transfer tax and any applicable local tax at the time of recording. Most Westmoreland County municipalities add a local realty transfer tax, making the combined rate typically 2% in most areas of the county.

Exemptions include family transfers, charitable conveyances, and corrections of prior deeds as defined under state realty transfer tax regulations. Under 16 P.S. § 9781, the Westmoreland County recorder must maintain a complete searchable index of all instruments. The PRODA fee calculator at padeeds.com helps you estimate your total recording fees before filing any deed in Westmoreland County.

Note: Westmoreland County's deed records extend back to 1773, giving researchers access to over 250 years of continuous property history in southwestern Pennsylvania, including records from the period when the county's boundaries extended into what is now Fayette County.