Juniata County, PA Property Records

    Juniata County is one of Pennsylvania's least populous, with approximately 23,243 residents. The county has lost roughly 0.2% of its residents per year over the last decade. Its county seat is Mifflintown Borough, one of the smallest county seats in Pennsylvania by population, situated along Pennsylvania Route 35 in the lower Juniata River valley.

    The county covers 394 square miles of farmland, forests, and valleys, with an average density of just 57 people per square mile. Tuscarora Mountain and Shade Mountain define the county's ridgelines, and the Juniata River, historically a canal and rail corridor linking central Pennsylvania to the east, remains the county's defining geographic feature.

    Agriculture and food processing are the primary economic drivers. The county's median household income is approximately $63,923, above that of several larger neighboring counties.

    The county's property record market reflects its rural character. Residential sales are modest in volume, farm and agricultural land transactions are common, and the absence of any cities keeps the overall pace deliberate.

    Who Keeps the Official Land Records

    The official custodian of all land records in the county is the Juniata County Recorder of Deeds, a function combined with the Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court into a single elected office. The current elected official is Alicia A. Seigler. The office is located at the Juniata County Courthouse, 1 North Main Street, Mifflintown, PA 17059, and the postal address is P.O. Box 68, Mifflintown, PA 17059.

    Online records are accessible through Landex (landex.com) via either a Remote subscription or the Webstore pay-per-document option. E-recording is not yet available for Juniata County; all documents must currently be submitted in person or by mail.

    What Juniata County Property Records Include

    The Recorder of Deeds maintains all instruments affecting real property within the county. Recorded document types include deeds (warranty, quitclaim, trustee, personal representative, and condemnation), mortgages, mortgage releases/satisfactions, assignments, partial releases, mortgage postponements and modifications, easement agreements, rights of way, installment agreements of sale, oil and gas leases, lease agreements, memoranda, powers of attorney, Clean and Green applications, notary commissions, subdivision plans and highway maps, UCC-1 financing statements, and boundary line agreements.

    Pennsylvania uses a recorded land title system statewide. Documents are indexed by grantor/grantee name, instrument number, and book and page reference upon recording. A Uniform Parcel Identifier (UPI) number must be certified and present on all documents before recording. The UPI certification fee is $20 per UPI number, not included in the base recording fee.

    In Juniata County, the agricultural economy means that Clean and Green (Act 319 preferential assessment) documents, agricultural easements, and farm-related deed restrictions appear regularly in the title record. Oil and gas lease memoranda, while less dominant than in the northwest Pennsylvania counties, do appear in the record for rural parcels.

    How to Access Juniata County Property Records

    Records can be accessed online via Landex, in person at the courthouse, by phone or email, or by mail. E-recording is not yet available.

    Online Access

    Juniata County uses Landex for remote access to deeds and land records at landex.com. Two tiers are available. Landex Remote is a Windows-based application for frequent searchers, billed on a time-and-page basis. Landex Webstore is the browser-based option for occasional users: index searching is free, and users pay per downloaded document image. Both options are available from the Landex website. The search interface mirrors the in-person terminals at the courthouse.

    In Person

    • Address: 1 North Main Street, Mifflintown, PA 17059. Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (closed holidays), Copies: $0.35 per page in office; $1.00 per page by mail or fax; certified copies $5.00. Include a self-addressed stamped return envelope for mail requests.

    By Phone

    Call (717) 436-7709 or email aseigler@juniataco.org during office hours. Marriage license and probate appointments must be scheduled through the same number.

    By Mail

    Mail documents and payment to Juniata County Register & Recorder, P.O. Box 68, Mifflintown, PA 17059 (or 1 North Main Street, Mifflintown, PA 17059). Include all required fees and a self-addressed stamped return envelope. The office states it does not make refunds.

    E-Recording

    E-recording is not yet available in Juniata County. The county's records vendor, Landex, has announced plans for e-recording availability, but as of early 2026, all documents must be submitted in person or by mail. Confirm current status with the office at (717) 436-7709 before assuming e-recording has launched.

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

    The Recorder of Deeds maintains recorded title instruments only. Property assessments, GIS parcel mapping, and UPI certification are handled by the Juniata County Assessment & GIS Office at 1 North Main Street, Mifflintown (phone: 717-436-7705; UPI email: upi@juniataco.org). Delinquent taxes are handled by the Juniata County Tax Claim Bureau.

    Court-filed liens, judgments, and other judicial encumbrances are maintained by the Prothonotary's Office. Note: Juniata County's district justice and domestic relations records are administered through the Perry County Courthouse in New Bloomfield, PA, a shared-services arrangement. This does not affect land records, which remain entirely at the Juniata County Courthouse.

    Zoning and land use regulations are entirely municipal in Juniata County. Contact the individual township or borough for zoning inquiries. The Juniata County Planning and Community Development Department maintains the county's comprehensive plan, municipal ordinances directory, and plan reviews, but does not administer zoning directly. For statewide financial data, consult the Pennsylvania DCED.

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

    Juniata County uses Landex for online access to deeds. Here are the steps:

    • Go to Landex and choose Landex Webstore (pay-per-document, browser-based) or Landex Remote (subscription, Windows application for frequent users).

    • Select Juniata County from the county list.

    • Search by grantor or grantee name, document type, recorded date, instrument number, or book and page reference.

    • Review index results. In the Webstore, index searching is free; a fee applies to downloading the full document image.

    • Notebook and page references for all instruments are located. Use these to search for related documents (assignments, releases, modifications).

    • For documents not available online, or for certified copies, contact the office at (717) 436-7709 or visit in person.

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

    All recorded property documents for every municipality in Juniata County are maintained by the single Juniata County Recorder of Deeds in Mifflintown.

    • County Seat Borough: Mifflintown.

    • Other Boroughs: Mifflin Borough, Norfolk Southern, Port Royal, and Thompsontown.

    • Selected Townships: Beale, Delaware, East Lack (also listed as East), Fermanagh, Greenwood, Lack, Milford, Monroe, Spruce Hill, Susquehanna, Turbett, Tuscarora, and Walker.

    Municipality list per Wikipedia and county sources. Confirm the full and current list at juniataco.org/departments/municipalities/.

    City/Town Resources for Assessments & Taxes

    Property assessments are administered at the county level by the Juniata County Assessment & GIS Office at 1 North Main Street, Mifflintown (phone: 717-436-7705). GIS mapping and parcel data are also managed through that office. The Juniata County Tax Claim Bureau handles delinquent taxes. For current millage rates by municipality, see the Tax Rates page on the county website.

    Zoning is entirely municipal. Contact individual townships and boroughs for land use, zoning, and building permit inquiries. The county planning department maintains a directory of municipal ordinances at juniataco.org/departments/planning/municipal-ordinances/.

    Note: Empire Kosher Poultry's operations are located in Fermanagh Township, not within Mifflintown Borough, though the two are effectively contiguous. Property transactions involving industrial parcels in Fermanagh Township are recorded at the same Juniata County Recorder's Office as all other county properties.

    Juniata County-Specific Nuances

    • E-recording is not yet available in person or by mail only. As of early 2026, Juniata County does not accept e-recorded documents. All instruments must be submitted in person at the courthouse or by mail. Deeds.com notes e-recording as “coming soon,” reflecting plans that have not yet been launched. Confirm current status directly with the office at (717) 436-7709 before assuming e-recording is available.

    • Landex Webstore vs. Landex Remote: two tiers, different use cases. Juniata County makes records available through two distinct Landex products. Landex Webstore is browser-based, requires no Windows software, and allows free index searching with a per-document charge for images suited for occasional or one-off searches.

    Landex Remote is a Windows desktop application with time-and-page billing, intended for title professionals and other frequent users who conduct many searches. Choose the tier that matches your expected volume before setting up an account.

    • The UPI fee is $20 per parcel, not included in the base fee. Juniata County charges $20 per UPI number for certification, payable separately from the base recording fee. For newly subdivided parcels, a minimum of two UPI numbers is required: one for the new parcel and one for the parent parcel from which it was split. New UPI requests can be initiated by emailing upi@juniataco.org or by visiting the Assessment Office counter at 1 North Main Street.

    • Certificate of Residence required on ALL deeds, mortgages, agreements, AND assignments. Juniata County's recording requirements extend the Certificate of Residence requirement beyond deeds to also cover mortgages, agreements, and assignments.

    This is broader than the standard PA requirement (which typically applies to deeds). Failure to include a completed and signed Certificate of Residence on any of these document types is a reason for rejection. Prepare the certificate before submission.

    • Poor copies and defective notary stamps are cause for rejection. The fee schedule explicitly states that “poor copy will be cause for rejection” and that “notary stamps which are too light or defective in any way will be cause for rejection.” These are quality-control standards enforced at submission. Documents submitted by mail that arrive with illegible notary stamps will be returned without recording.

    • No refunds. The office does not make refunds of recording fees. Prepare payments accurately before submission. The base fee for a deed is $59.75 (4 pages, 4 names); each additional page adds $2.00, and each additional name adds $0.50. The Statement of Value fee ($2.00) is separate, and the SOV page counts toward the total page count. If the state/local transfer tax is paid, add $2.00 for the receipt page.

    • UCC searches are not performed by the Recorder's Office. The fee schedule explicitly notes that the Recorder's Office does not perform UCC searches. UCC-1 financing statements can be recorded here ($100), but searches for UCC filings against a debtor must be conducted through other channels (typically the Pennsylvania Department of State for statewide UCC searches).

    • Shared judicial services with Perry County. Juniata County's district justice and domestic relations records are administered through the Perry County Courthouse in New Bloomfield, PA. This is a judicial services sharing arrangement and has no effect on land records or deed recording, which remain fully handled by the Juniata County Register & Recorder in Mifflintown. Researchers should simply be aware that calling the “Juniata County courthouse” for district court matters will redirect them to Perry County.

    Typical Contents of a Juniata County Property Record

    When reviewing recorded instruments at the Juniata County Recorder of Deeds, you will typically find:

    • Deeds:

      • Grantor and grantee names.

      • Complete legal description of the property.

      • Consideration amount or Statement of Value (original plus copy).

      • Certificate of Residence for the grantee.

      • UPI number (certified before submission).

      • Notarial acknowledgment (county, state, date, notary signature, legible stamp, expiration date).

    • Mortgages and Related:

      • Certificate of Residence (required on mortgages as well as deeds).

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

      • Satisfactions, releases, partial releases, assignments, postponements, and modifications.

    • Other Common Instruments:

      • Easement agreements and rights-of-way.

      • Installment agreements of sale.

      • Oil and gas lease memoranda.

      • Clean and Green (Act 319) documents.

      • Boundary line agreements.

      • Agricultural easements.

      • Subdivision plans and highway maps.

      • Powers of attorney.

      • UCC-1 financing statements.

    Recording Changes to Property Titles

    All new deeds, mortgages, easements, and other instruments affecting real property in Juniata County must be recorded with the Register & Recorder. Documents must be submitted in person or by mail; e-recording is not yet available. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope.

    Before submitting, obtain UPI certification from the Assessment Office (upi@juniataco.org or in person at 1 North Main Street) and include the UPI number on the document. Pay the $20 UPI certification fee per parcel (not included in base recording fee). Pennsylvania's 2% Realty Transfer Tax (1% state + 1% local) applies to most deed transactions.

    All deeds must include the true consideration or a Statement of Value (original plus copy). Ensure the Certificate of Residence is completed and signed on all deeds, mortgages, agreements, and assignments. Verify that copies are clear and that notary stamps are fully legible. Poor copy quality and defective stamps are explicit grounds for rejection. The office does not make refunds.

    The base deed recording fee is $59.75 for up to 4 pages and 4 names ($2.00 per additional page; $0.50 per additional name; $2.00 for transfer tax receipt page). Satisfactions and releases are $64.75; assignments and partial releases are $61.75. The fee schedule was updated on November 17, 2025. For newly created parcels, include both the new UPI number and the parent parcel's UPI number on the instrument.

    Practical Research Flow (Checklist)

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

    • Search online via Landex. Go to landex.com/land-records-access.asp. Use the Webstore for occasional searches or Landex Remote for frequent use. Select Juniata County and search by name, document type, instrument number, or book/page.

    • Notebook and page references. Collect references for all related instrument releases, assignments, modifications, and satisfactions.

    • Check for Clean and Green, agricultural easements, and oil/gas instruments. These appear in Juniata County title chains for rural and farm parcels and affect use rights and marketability.

    • Obtain UPI certification. Contact the Juniata County Assessment & GIS Office at 717-436-7705 or email upi@juniataco.org to confirm the UPI number(s) for the parcel.

    • Check assessment data. Contact the Assessment & GIS Office for parcel value, characteristics, and millage. Millage rates by municipality are posted.

    • Verify zoning with the municipality. No county zoning exists. Contact the relevant township or borough. Municipal ordinances are indexed.

    • Check delinquent tax status. Contact the Juniata County Tax Claim Bureau at the courthouse.

    • Confirm e-recording status before preparing for electronic submission. As of early 2026, e-recording is not available. Call (717) 436-7709 to verify before assuming it has launched.

    • Prepare recording documents. Include UPI certification and a $20/parcel fee; Certificate of Residence on deeds, mortgages, agreements, and assignments; SOV original plus copy if required; clear, legible copies; a fully legible notary stamp; and SASE for mail submissions. No refunds.

    Appendix A: Municipalities in Juniata County

    Juniata County has 18 incorporated municipalities: 13 townships and 5 boroughs. There are no cities.

    • County Seat Borough: Mifflintown.

    • Other Boroughs: Mifflin (across the Juniata River from Mifflintown, Norfolk Southern main line), Port Royal, Thompsontown, and one additional borough.

    • Townships: Beale, Delaware, East Lack, Fermanagh, Greenwood, Lack, Milford, Monroe, Spruce Hill, Susquehanna, Turbett, Tuscarora, and Walker.

    Municipality list per Wikipedia and county sources. Confirm the full and current list with the Juniata County Commissioners' Office at juniataco.org.

    Appendix B: Key Contacts & Portals

    • Juniata County Recorder of Deeds, Register of Wills & Clerk of Orphans' Court:

    • Landex Online Deed Search:

      • Webstore (occasional users, browser-based, pay per document): landex.com

      • Remote (frequent users, Windows application, time-and-page billing): same entry point at landex.com

    E-Recording: