Huntingdon County, PA Property Records

    Approximately 43,359 residents call Huntingdon County home, and the county seat is Huntingdon Borough, a community of about 6,827 along the Juniata River. The borough sits roughly 32 miles east of Altoona on Norfolk Southern's main freight line.

    The defining geographic feature of Huntingdon County is Raystown Lake, a 28-mile-long flood-control reservoir managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that covers approximately 29,000 acres. Raystown is the largest lake wholly within Pennsylvania and is among the state's most popular outdoor recreation destinations, drawing boaters, anglers, campers, and hikers from the broader region.

    The county also contains portions of Rothrock and Tuscarora state forests, Trough Creek and Greenwood Furnace state parks, and Lincoln Caverns. This recreational draw adds a vacation and second-home property market dimension to the county's real estate landscape that is not present in many other central Pennsylvania counties.

    Borough shows an estimated typical home value of approximately $185,274, up 7.1% over the past year. Countywide, ACS data and property record aggregators suggest a median home value in the range of $160,000–$165,000.

    The market has two distinct segments, including year-round residential properties in the boroughs and townships, and recreational/lakefront parcels near Raystown Lake and state forest lands. Median household income countywide is approximately $65,429. All recorded property documents for Huntingdon County's 48 municipalities are maintained by a single office. That office also serves as Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court.

    Who Keeps the Official Land Records

    The official custodian of all land records in Huntingdon County is the Huntingdon County Register & Recorder, a triple-function combined office serving as Recorder of Deeds, Register of Wills, and Clerk of Orphans' Court. The Acting Register & Recorder is Kelsey Dunn. The office is located in the courthouse at 223 Penn Street, Huntingdon, PA 16652.

    Land records date from 1787, the year Huntingdon County was created, to the present. The office also holds birth and death records from 1894 through 1905. The online Infocon County Access system provides remote deed access from 1982 forward, with an Old Book Inquiry section for records predating 1982.

    Note on UPI certification: Huntingdon County's UPI certification is handled not by the Register & Recorder but by the separate Mapping Department at 233 Penn Street, in the same building as the Register & Recorder. Walk-in UPI certification is processed there, and the UPI number must appear as the first line on the document, below the 2-inch top margin, before the document can be submitted for recording.

    What Huntingdon County Property Records Include

    The Huntingdon County Register & Recorder (Recorder of Deeds function) maintains all instruments affecting real property within the county. Recorded documents include deeds, mortgages, satisfaction of mortgages, releases, subdivision plans, agreements, easements, highway maps, and secured transactions (UCC filings). All documents are public record except military discharge papers (DD-214s), which are recorded but confidential.

    Pennsylvania uses a recorded land title system statewide. Documents are indexed by grantor/grantee name and assigned a book and page reference upon recording. The Infocon online system covers 1982 forward. For the county's earlier records covering the period from 1787 through 1981, Infocon provides an Old Book Inquiry section. For the full 238-year record span from 1787 to the present, the Register & Recorder's office holds the complete archive.

    The county's recreational and agricultural land market means that title chains here routinely include easements related to Raystown Lake access, Army Corps of Engineers flowage easements, and timber rights. Vacation cabin properties near state forest lands or lake shorelines may carry restrictive covenants or perpetual easements that are not obvious from a grantor/grantee index search alone.

    How to Access Huntingdon County Property Records

    Records can be accessed via Infocon County Access online, in person at the courthouse, by phone, or by mail. Confirm e-recording availability with the office.

    Online Access (Infocon County Access Fee-Based)

    Huntingdon County uses Infocon County Access. Records from 1982 to the present are searchable under the Recorder of Deeds Inquiry; records before 1982 are available under the Old Book Inquiry section. Both are available through the same Infocon subscription.

    In Person

    • Address: Courthouse, 223 Penn Street, Huntingdon, PA 16652. Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Copies: $0.50 per page | Certification: $1.50 per document.

    By Phone

    Call (814) 643-2740, ext. 244, or email regrec@huntingdoncounty.net during office hours. For UPI questions, contact the Mapping Department separately at (814) 643-7818 or upi@huntingdoncounty.net.

    By Mail

    Mail documents for recording to Huntingdon County Register & Recorder, 223 Penn Street, Huntingdon, PA 16652. Include three separate checks (recording fee, state RTT, local RTT) and a self-addressed envelope for return. Mail-in documents are received by the Recorder and forwarded to the Mapping Department for UPI certification, then returned for recording within 1 business day.

    E-Recording

    E-file submissions are referenced in the county's UPI certification workflow, suggesting e-recording is available. Confirm current vendors and procedures directly with the Register & Recorder at (814) 643-2740, ext. 244.

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

    The Register & Recorder (Recorder of Deeds function) maintains recorded title instruments only. Property assessment values and GIS data are maintained by the Huntingdon County Assessment Office and the Mapping Department (also at 233 Penn Street). The county's GIS and mapping portal.

    Zoning in Huntingdon County is administered at the local municipal level. The Huntingdon County Planning and Development Department (205 Penn Street, Suite 3, Huntingdon, PA 16652 | (814) 643-5091) handles county-level planning and land development review. For statewide data, consult the Pennsylvania DCED.

    Army Corps of Engineers Raystown Lake flowage easements and project area regulations are federal matters administered by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Baltimore District. Properties adjacent to or within the Raystown Lake project area may have deed restrictions or easements that are recorded at the county Register & Recorder's Office, but operational and access matters should be confirmed with the Corps directly.

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

    Huntingdon County uses Infocon County Access. Here are the steps:

    • Go to infoconcountyaccess.com and select Huntingdon County.

    • Subscribe and log in. Infocon uses a setup fee plus ongoing usage fees.

    • For records from 1982 to present: search under the Recorder of Deeds Inquiry section by grantor/grantee name, document type, or book and page.

    • For records before 1982, use the Old Book Inquiry section within Infocon. Records from 1787 forward are archived in the office.

    • Note the book and page number from each result for use in follow-up filings (releases, assignments, satisfactions).

    • For records not accessible online or requiring certified copies, visit in person at 223 Penn Street during regular hours, or call (814) 643-2740 ext. 244.

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

    The Huntingdon County Register & Recorder is the single official custodian of all recorded property documents for all 48 municipalities in Huntingdon County, 18 boroughs, and 30 townships, with no cities.

    • County Seat Borough: Huntingdon (pop. 6,827; county seat; Juniata College; along the Juniata River and Raystown Branch of the Juniata).

    • Selected Other Boroughs: Alexandria, Birmingham, Broad Top City, Cassville, Coalmont, Dudley, Huntingdon, Mill Creek, Mount Union, Mapleton, Orbisonia, Rockhill Furnace, Saltillo, Saxton, Shirleysburg, Three Springs, and others.

    • Townships: Barree, Brady, Carbon, Cass, Clay, Coalmont, Cromwell, Dublin, Franconia, Henderson, Hopewell, Jackson, Juniata, Lincoln, Logan, Morris, Oneida, Penn, Porter, Providence, Shirley, Smithfield, Spruce Creek, Tell, Todd, Union, Walker, Warriors Mark, West, and Wood.

    Municipality counts per county, sources, and Wikipedia. Confirm the current full list with the county at huntingdoncounty.net.

    City/Town Resources for Assessments & Taxes

    Property assessments are administered at the county level by the Huntingdon County Assessment Office. GIS mapping and UPI parcel data are managed through the Mapping Department at 233 Penn Street, Huntingdon | (814) 643-7818. The county's mapping and addressing portal. Delinquent taxes are handled through the Tax Claim Bureau. For statewide data, consult the PA DCED.

    Zoning is administered locally in Huntingdon County. The County Planning and Development Department at (814) 643-5091 administers county-level planning. Contact individual boroughs or townships for zoning decisions on specific parcels.

    Huntingdon County-Specific Nuances

    • UPI certification is handled by the Mapping Department, not the Recorder, and has a 4:15 p.m. walk-in cutoff. In Huntingdon County, UPI certification is performed by the Mapping Department, a separate office from the Register & Recorder, both located at 233 Penn Street.

    Walk-in customers must arrive at the Mapping Department by 4:15 p.m. (not the Recorder's 4:30 p.m. close) to be processed that day. Mail-in and e-file UPI certifications are forwarded from the Recorder's Office to the Mapping Department, which processes them and returns them to the Recorder within 1 business day.

    • UPI format is specific: two digits, two to six digits (e.g., 12-34-56.78). The correct format for a Huntingdon County UPI is 12-34-56.78 (a two-digit district, two-digit map number, and two-to-six-digit parcel number that may contain a decimal).

    Mobile homes, cell towers, and buildings taxed separately from land may have additional letter suffixes (e.g., 12-34-56-78SF). Documents transferring a side lot addition require two UPI numbers; one for the parcel the lot came from and one for the parcel receiving it. The UPI number is not part of the legal description.

    • Three separate checks are required for deed recordings with transfer tax. Like Greene County, Huntingdon County requires three checks when recording a deed with Realty Transfer Tax: (1) recording fee, (2) state RTT (1%), and (3) local RTT (school/municipality, 1%). All checks are made payable to “Recorder of Deeds.” The UPI fee ($20) can be included in the check prepared for the county recording fee.

    • Infocon for Huntingdon County offers two search modes: the standard Recorder of Deeds Inquiry (1982–present) and an Old Book Inquiry for records prior to 1982. This dual-mode access within one platform provides deeper online reach than most Infocon counties.

    • Records extend to 1787, 238 years of archives. Huntingdon County's records date from 1787, the year of the county's formation. For properties with title chains predating 1787, earlier records would be at the Bedford County Recorder (for the portion carved from Bedford County) or the Cumberland County Recorder (for the eastern Big Valley/Tuscarora Valley addition).

    • Raystown Lake flowage easements and Army Corps restrictions. Properties adjacent to Raystown Lake or within the Army Corps of Engineers project area may be subject to flowage easements granted to the United States government in connection with the lake's construction (1968–1973).

    These easements are recorded in the county's deed records and must be reviewed as part of any title search near the lake. The Corps also imposes operational and shoreline use restrictions that are not always reflected in recorded instruments; confirm with the Corps' Baltimore District for current operational rules.

    • SCI Huntingdon inflates the male-to-female ratio in census data. State Correctional Institution at Huntingdon, located in Huntingdon Borough, contributes to the county's unusually high male-to-female ratio (114:100 at the 2020 census). This affects the interpretation of population-based housing metrics. The actual civilian residential population and transaction volume are both modestly lower than raw census figures suggest.

    • 2-inch top margin is required; UPI appears as the first line below the margin. All documents require a minimum 2-inch top margin on the first page. The UPI number must appear as the first line on the document in the space just below the top margin. This placement is strictly required by the Mapping Department's certification process; documents with UPI numbers placed elsewhere on the first page may be rejected.

    Typical Contents of a Huntingdon County Property Record

    When reviewing official property records at the Huntingdon County Register & Recorder's office, you will typically find instruments containing:

    • Deeds:

      • Grantor and grantee names.

      • Legal description of the property and municipality.

      • Consideration amount (or Statement of Value for exempt or unstated transactions).

      • Certificate of Residence for the grantee.

      • UPI number as the first line below the 2-inch top margin.

      • Notarial acknowledgment.

    • Mortgages and Related:

      • Lender/borrower names, loan terms, and property description.

      • Satisfactions, releases, and assignments of mortgage.

    • Other Instruments:

      • Subdivision plans.

      • Easements and agreements (including flowage easements and recreational access easements).

      • Highway maps.

      • Secured transactions (UCC filings).

    Recording Changes to Property Titles

    All new deeds, mortgages, easements, and other instruments affecting real property in Huntingdon County must be recorded with the Register & Recorder. Before submitting, the document must be certified by the Mapping Department (UPI certification).

    For walk-in UPI certification, arrive at the Mapping Department at 233 Penn Street by 4:15 p.m. (closing time). For mail-in or e-file submissions, the Recorder's Office routes documents to the Mapping Department, which certifies and returns them within 1 business day.

    After the UPI certification, the document is recorded. Prepare three separate checks payable to “Recorder of Deeds”: recording fee (which can also include the $20 UPI fee); 1% state RTT; 1% local RTT. Include a self-addressed envelope for document return.

    Documents must be original, signed, dated, acknowledged before a notary, legible, on white standard-weight paper (8.5" × 11" to 8.5" × 14"), and must have a 2-inch top margin with the UPI number as the first line below that margin. All documents must meet imaging legibility requirements.

    Practical Research Flow (Checklist)

    A practical approach for researching property records in Huntingdon County, PA:

    • Search online via Infocon. Go to the INFOCON County Access System. Use the Recorder of Deeds Inquiry for 1982–present; the Old Book Inquiry for pre-1982 records.

    • Search for flowage easements near Raystown Lake. Properties near the lake may have flowage easements or other Army Corps instruments recorded in the deed records.

    • Review vacation/recreational property instruments. Search for deed restrictions, perpetual easements, and covenants that commonly appear in recreational parcels near state forest lands and Raystown Lake.

    • Obtain the UPI number. Contact the Mapping Department at (814) 643-7818 or find it at huntingdon-county-mapping-department-huntingdonco.hub.arcgis.com.

    • Check assessment data. Contact the Huntingdon County Assessment Office.

    • Verify municipal zoning. Contact the specific borough, township, or the County Planning Department at (814) 643-5091.

    • Check delinquent tax status. Contact the Huntingdon County Tax Claim Bureau.

    • Prepare recording documents. UPI on first line below 2-inch margin; three separate checks; documents must be original, legible, and on proper paper.

    Appendix A: Municipalities in Huntingdon County

    Huntingdon County has 48 incorporated municipalities: 18 boroughs and 30 townships, with no cities.

    • Boroughs: Alexandria, Birmingham, Broad Top City, Cassville, Coalmont, Dudley, Huntingdon, Mapleton, Mill Creek, Mount Union, Orbisonia, Rockhill Furnace, Saltillo, Saxton, Shirleysburg, Three Springs, and others.

    • Townships: Barree, Brady, Carbon, Cass, Clay, Coalmont, Cromwell, Dublin, Franconia, Henderson, Hopewell, Jackson, Juniata, Lincoln, Logan, Morris, Oneida, Penn, Porter, Providence, Shirley, Smithfield, Spruce Creek, Tell, Todd, Union, Walker, Warriors Mark, West, and Wood.

    Municipality list per county, sources, and Wikipedia. Confirm the full list at huntingdoncounty.net.

    Appendix B: Key Contacts & Portals