Beaver County, PA Property Records

    The 2020 U.S. Census recorded Beaver County's population at 168,215, and the most recent Census estimates put that figure at approximately 165,540, placing the county 21st among Pennsylvania's 67 counties by population. Located in the southwest corner of the state, roughly 30 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, Beaver County is part of the Greater Pittsburgh metropolitan area. It is known for its Ohio and Beaver River communities.

    The typical home value in Beaver County is $194,407, up 3.9% over the past year. While this reflects meaningful appreciation, it remains well below the Pennsylvania statewide median of $275,155, making Beaver County relatively accessible compared with many other parts of the state.

    The county's housing market moves at a measured pace. Listings go to pending in around 43 days on average, and roughly 19.7% of homes sold above the asking price in recent months, suggesting selective competition rather than the bidding-war environment found in larger metro markets.

    According to Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED), approximately 26.8% of Beaver County households spend 30% or more of their income on housing (ACS 5-year estimate). Against a county median household income of roughly $70,143, affordability pressures exist primarily among lower-income renters rather than the broader owner-occupied market.

    Who Keeps the Official Land Records

    All official land records in Beaver County are maintained by the Beaver County Recorder of Deeds, a county-administered office located at the Beaver County Courthouse in the Borough of Beaver. The office is responsible for recording, preserving, and maintaining real property documents for every municipality and unincorporated area in the county. Records have been kept continuously since 1800, and all documents have since been fully digitized.

    The Recorder of Deeds provides two online access paths to its records. The first is a free grantor/grantee index hosted directly on the county's website, which covers instruments from 1800 to the present. The second is SearchIQS, a third-party platform that offers broader search capabilities (including by document group, date range, instrument number, and case number) on a subscription or pay-per-use basis.

    What Beaver County Property Records Include

    Beaver County property records encompass all official documents that establish ownership, financial interests, and encumbrances on real property within the county. These include deeds (in all forms), mortgages and satisfactions, assignments and releases of mortgage, mechanics' liens, judgment liens, easements and rights-of-way, installment land contracts, powers of attorney related to real estate, subdivision plans and plats, and notary oaths and bonds.

    Pennsylvania uses a recorded land title system, the same framework applied uniformly across all 67 counties in the state. Under this system, every instrument is recorded in the sequence it is received, assigned a book and page number, and indexed by grantor and grantee. The index provides constructive notice to subsequent buyers and lenders, forming the foundation of the chain of title.

    Because the Recorder's Office has digitized all records going back to 1800, Beaver County's archive is among the most complete and accessible in western Pennsylvania. According to the county, all records are available for public inspection, with the sole exception of Veterans' Discharge documents.

    How to Access Beaver County Property Records

    Beaver County property records can be accessed through several channels, including a free online index, in-person visits, phone inquiries, mail requests, and e-recording.

    Online Access (Free Index + Fee-Based Extended Search)

    The Recorder of Deeds provides a free online grantor/grantee index. This tool covers records from 1800 to the present and allows searching by party name, date range, book and page, and several other fields. It is a useful starting point for most research, though it is an index only; the Recorder recommends verifying any results against the physical, microfilmed, or imaged copy of the actual instrument.

    For more advanced research needs, SearchIQS offers subscription-based access to the county's records with additional filtering options, including by document description, document group, specific municipality, instrument number, and case number.

    In Person

    Visitors may come to the Recorder's Office at the Beaver County Courthouse to search records and request copies. Staff are available to assist members of the public in navigating the records system. Located at 810 Third Street, Beaver County Courthouse, Beaver, PA 15009. Copy fees: $0.50 per page for standard document copies; $10.00 per map or subdivision copy; $1.50 per document for certified copies.

    By Phone or Email

    You can reach the Recorder of Deeds at (724) 770-4560 for questions about recording procedures, fee schedules, and general record inquiries. Staff can provide guidance on search methods and document requirements, though they are not permitted to conduct searches on callers' behalf.

    By Mail/Overnight

    Documents for recording may be submitted by mail to the Recorder of Deeds at 810 Third Street, Beaver, PA 15009. Submissions should include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for the return of originals along with the exact fees. Three separate checks are required: one for the recording fee, one for the state transfer tax, and one for the local transfer tax.

    The office notes that in-person recordings typically take 10–15 minutes, while mail submissions have a turnaround time of 7–10 days. Overpayments are not refunded.

    E-Recording (Professionals)

    Beaver County supports e-recording for authorized business partners such as title companies, law firms, and lenders. For information on approved vendors and setup, contact the Recorder's Office directly at (724) 770-4560 or visit the Recorder of Deeds page on the county's website.

    What's Not at the Recorder's Office (But Matters for Property Research)

    The Recorder of Deeds is the authoritative source for recorded instruments, deeds, mortgages, liens, and related documents, but does not hold all the information you may need for a complete picture of a property. Assessed values, parcel characteristics, building details, exemption status, and tax payment histories are maintained by different offices.

    Property assessments for the entire county are handled by the Beaver County Assessment Office, also located at the Beaver County Courthouse. You can search parcel data by owner name, location, or parcel number through the county's assessment portal.

    Tax collection is carried out by individual municipal tax collectors throughout the county, and delinquent taxes are administered by the Assessment and Tax Claim Office.

    For statewide tax data and local government finance information, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) publishes millage rates, assessed values, and municipal finance statistics for all Pennsylvania counties.

    Step-by-Step: How to Pull a Deed Online

    Beaver County's free online index makes it straightforward to locate a deed without visiting the courthouse. Here is how to do it:

    • Go to the Beaver County Recorder of Deeds Internet Access to access the grantor/grantee index.

    • Enter at least one party's name (grantor or grantee) along with an approximate date range for the transaction. Additional search fields are available to narrow results by document type or other criteria.

    • Review the results and select the relevant entry to view document details, including book and page number, recording date, and instrument type.

    • To obtain a copy, you can visit the Recorder's Office in person or submit a written request by mail to 810 Third Street, Beaver, PA 15009. Copies are $0.50 per page; certified copies carry an additional $1.50 fee per document.

    For more advanced searching by document group, municipality, or instrument number, log into SearchIQS using a subscription or pay-per-use account.

    Cities & Towns in Beaver County (and Their Record Custodians)

    The Beaver County Recorder of Deeds is the sole official custodian of recorded property documents for all 54 incorporated municipalities in the county. This includes 2 cities, 29 boroughs, and 22 townships:

    • Cities: Aliquippa and Beaver Falls.

    • Boroughs: Ambridge, Baden, Beaver, Big Beaver, Bridgewater, Conway, Darlington, East Rochester, Eastvale, Economy, Fallston, Frankfort Springs, Freedom, Georgetown, Glasgow, Hookstown, Homewood, Industry, Koppel, Midland, Monaca, New Brighton, New Galilee, Ohioville, Patterson Heights, Rochester, Shippingport, South Heights, and West Mayfield.

    • Townships: Brighton, Center, Chippewa, Darlington, Daugherty, Franklin, Greene, Hanover, Harmony, Hopewell, Independence, Marion, New Sewickley, North Sewickley, Patterson, Potter, Pulaski, Raccoon, Rochester, South Beaver, and Vanport.

    All property documents affecting real estate in any of these municipalities are recorded with and retrievable from the single Recorder of Deeds office at the Beaver County Courthouse.

    City/Town Resources for Assessments & Taxes

    Unlike some states that assess property at the municipal level, Beaver County handles all real estate assessments through its centralized Assessment Office. This office determines assessed values for all parcels countywide and maintains records accessible to property owners and researchers alike.

    You can search parcel data, including owner name, assessed value, parcel number, and property location, through the county's online portal. For assessment-related questions or to file an appeal, contact the Assessment Office at the Beaver County Courthouse, 810 Third Street, Beaver, PA 15009.

    Property tax collection is handled by individual tax collectors in each municipality. Delinquent taxes fall under the jurisdiction of the Beaver County Tax Claim Bureau, also part of the Assessment Office. The Pennsylvania DCED is the go-to source for certified statewide millage rates and comprehensive local government finance data.

    Beaver County-Specific Nuances

    • Free online index dating to 1800. Unlike many Pennsylvania counties that rely exclusively on a fee-based platform like Landex, Beaver County provides a free grantor/grantee index on its own website, covering all records from 1800 to the present. This is a notable convenience for researchers and the public.

    • Fully digitized archive. The Recorder's Office states that all records have been digitized, making it one of the more thoroughly digitized county archives in western Pennsylvania. Physical copies remain available at the courthouse for verification.

    • Free Fraud Alert system. Property owners can sign up for the county's Fraud Alert service at beavercountypa-web.tylerhost.net/web/. The system sends a notification whenever a document is recorded in the county under your name, providing an early warning against unauthorized deed transfers or fraudulent filings.

    • Local transfer tax collected by the Recorder. Beaver County's local realty transfer tax totals 1% (split equally between the municipality at 0.5% and the school district at 0.5%). This local portion is collected by the Recorder of Deeds acting as agent for all municipalities and school districts, an administrative arrangement that simplifies the recording process.

    • Two incorporated cities plus the county seat borough. Beaver County has two third-class cities (Aliquippa and Beaver Falls) and a distinct county seat, the Borough of Beaver. All three are served by the same Recorder's Office despite their differing municipal classifications.

    • Pittsburgh metro proximity. The county's position in the Greater Pittsburgh region creates a two-tiered housing market: riverside communities and areas closer to Pittsburgh tend to command higher values, while more rural northern townships generally show more modest pricing.

    • Active county government. Beaver County's county government remains fully operational, with elected officials managing the Recorder of Deeds, Assessment, Tax Claim, and other functions from the central courthouse in the Borough of Beaver.

    Typical Contents of a Beaver County Property Record

    A Beaver County property record is a compilation of official documents that define ownership rights, financial encumbrances, and physical boundaries for a given parcel. A researcher reviewing the records can typically expect to find the following:

    • Deeds:

      • Grantor and grantee names.

      • Full legal description of the property.

      • Consideration amount (stated purchase price or nominal value).

      • Acknowledgment details, including notary information.

      • Prior book/page references linking back to earlier instruments.

      • Type of deed (warranty, quitclaim, trustee, personal representative, etc.).

    • Mortgages and Discharges:

      • Lender and borrower names.

      • Loan amount, interest rate, and repayment terms.

      • Book/page reference and recording date.

      • Satisfaction, discharge, or partial release (when the obligation is fulfilled).

      • Assignments of mortgage (when the loan is transferred to another lender).

    • Plans and Subdivision Maps:

      • Plan or plat number and subdivision name.

      • Lot dimensions, block references, and boundary details.

      • Map or subdivision copy (available for $10 from the Recorder's Office).

    • Encumbrances and Notices:

      • Easements and rights-of-way.

      • Mechanics' liens and judgment liens.

      • Lis pendens (notice of pending litigation affecting title).

      • Restrictive covenants and land use agreements.

      • Installment land contracts and related releases.

    Other instruments you may encounter include powers of attorney for real estate transactions, notary oaths and commissions, and various affidavits filed in connection with title matters.

    Recording Changes to Property Titles

    Any new deed, mortgage, lien, satisfaction, release, assignment, or other instrument that affects title to real property in Beaver County must be recorded with the Recorder of Deeds. The office accepts submissions in person, by mail, and through authorized e-recording vendors.

    For in-person submissions, the office is located at the Beaver County Courthouse, 810 Third Street, Beaver, PA 15009. All documents must meet standard formatting and content requirements, including a valid acknowledgment (with county, state, notary signature, notary stamp, and expiration date); all names printed or typed beneath signatures; and a complete legal description of the property. Documents printed on paper larger than 8.5 × 14 inches may be charged at twice the standard fee.

    Transfer tax totaling 2% of the stated consideration applies to most deed transactions (1% state and 1% local). Three separate checks are required: one for the recording fee, one for the state transfer tax, and one for the local transfer tax.

    A Pennsylvania Statement of Value form is required whenever the deed does not state the full consideration or when a transfer tax exemption is claimed. Overpayments are not refunded.

    For complete recording requirements, fee schedules, and e-recording information, visit the Recorder of Deeds page on the Beaver County website or call (724) 770-4560.

    Practical Research Flow (Checklist)

    The following steps provide a practical framework for researching property in Beaver County, PA:

    • Start with the free online grantor/grantee index. Visit beavercountypa.gov/departments/recorder-of-deeds/online-search and search by party name and approximate date. This index covers all instruments from 1800 to the present at no cost.

    • Note key reference numbers. Record the book and page number, instrument type, and recording date for each relevant document. These references are essential for tracing ownership history.

    • Trace the chain of title. Follow the prior book/page references listed on each deed backward through time to confirm all legal transfers and flag any gaps or potential title issues.

    • Review plans and encumbrances. Check for recorded subdivision plats, easements, mechanics' liens, lis pendens filings, and restrictive covenants that could affect the property's use or marketability.

    • Cross-reference with the Assessment Office. Use the county's parcel database at assessment.beavercountypa.gov to verify the assessed value, parcel number, ownership details, and tax status.

    • Consider SearchIQS for complex searches. If you need to search by document type, municipality, instrument number, or other advanced criteria, SearchIQS offers subscription and pay-per-use access to the county's full records database.

    Appendix A: Municipalities in Beaver County

    Beaver County, PA, has 2 cities, 30 boroughs, and 22 townships, totaling 54 incorporated municipalities.

    • Cities: Aliquippa and Beaver Falls.

    • Boroughs: Ambridge, Baden, Beaver, Big Beaver, Bridgewater, Conway, Darlington, East Rochester, Eastvale, Economy, Fallston, Frankfort Springs, Freedom, Georgetown, Glasgow, Hookstown, Homewood, Industry, Koppel, Midland, Monaca, New Brighton, New Galilee, Ohioville, Patterson Heights, Rochester, Shippingport, South Heights, and West Mayfield.

    • Townships: Brighton, Center, Chippewa, Darlington, Daugherty, Franklin, Greene, Hanover, Harmony, Hopewell, Independence, Marion, New Sewickley, North Sewickley, Patterson, Potter, Pulaski, Raccoon, Rochester, South Beaver, and Vanport.

    Municipality list per the Beaver County official website (beavercountypa.gov) and Wikipedia.

    Appendix B: Key Contacts & Portals