Perry County, PA Property Records

Perry County sits just west of the Susquehanna River, across from Harrisburg, and derives much of its economic logic from that proximity. With roughly 46,000 residents, it functions largely as a commuter extension of the Harrisburg-Carlisle metropolitan area, a role reflected in an average commute time of 32 minutes and a homeownership rate of 81.8%, one of the highest in Pennsylvania.

The housing market is correspondingly tight. The average home value stands at $245,616, up 5.8% over the past year and sitting 14% below the Pennsylvania statewide average of $286,351. Listings go to pending in just 6 days, among the fastest in this series, and median sale prices reached approximately $262,500 in late 2024, up 8.2% year-on-year.

According to Federal Reserve Economic Data, an estimated 25–27% of households are cost-burdened, spending 30% or more of their income on housing. With a median household income of approximately $79,444, the county's affordability position is more comfortable than most, though accelerating prices are narrowing that margin.

Property records are maintained at the county level by the Recorder of Deeds, with assessments and tax data handled through separate county offices.

Who Keeps the Official Land Records

The official custodian of all land records in Perry County is the Perry County Register and Recorder, a combined office serving as Register of Wills, Recorder of Deeds, and Clerk of the Orphans' Court (6th-class county). The elected official is Wendy M. Welfley, 2nd Vice President of the Pennsylvania Recorders of Deeds Association (PRODA). The office is located at the Perry County Courthouse, 2 East Main Street, P.O. Box 223, New Bloomfield, PA 17068.

Online deed records are accessible through Landex (Remote and Webstore). Index searching is free on the Landex Webstore; a $5 charge applies for document downloads. E-recording is available through Simplifile, CSC, and EPN (since 2009). A free Record Alert service (name-based) is available via Landex.

What Perry County Property Records Include

The Recorder of Deeds maintains all instruments affecting real property within the county. Recorded document types include deeds (taxable and nontaxable), mortgages, mortgage satisfactions, releases, assignments, postponements and subordinations of mortgage, sales agreements, agreements dealing with real estate, 30-year and longer leases, powers of attorney (real estate), articles of incorporation, ordinances and restrictions, plans and subdivision plats, police commissions and oaths, UCC secured transactions, and military service discharges.

Pennsylvania uses a recorded land title system statewide. Documents are indexed by grantor/grantee name and book and page reference. Base fees cover 4 pages and 4 names; each additional page costs $2.00, and each additional name costs $0.50.

A UPI certification fee of $20.00 per parcel is charged separately from the deed base recording fee; it is not included in the $69.75 base. Two copies of the Statement of Value are required upon recording ($1.00 fee).

Perry County's rural, agricultural character means that a meaningful portion of recorded instruments involves farmland transfers, agricultural easements, and conservation easements, including instruments recorded under the Pennsylvania Agricultural Conservation Easement Program.

Properties along the Appalachian Trail corridor in the Blue Mountain range, and adjacent to the three state parks, may carry recorded trail easements, state access agreements, and scenic preservation instruments.

How to Access Perry County Property Records

Records can be accessed online via Landex (index-free), in person at the courthouse, by phone, by mail, or via e-recording.

Online Access

Perry County's records are available through the Landex platform. A notable feature: index searching is completely free on the Landex Webstore. You can search by party name, instrument number, or book and page without creating an account or paying anything. A $5 processing charge applies only when you purchase document images for download. Subscription-based Landex Remote is also available.

In Person

Address: Perry County Courthouse, 2 East Main Street, New Bloomfield, PA 17068. Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (closed holidays). Copies: $0.40/page. Certification: $1.50.

By Phone or Email

Call (717) 582-2131 or email wwelfley@perryco.org during office hours.

By Mail

Mail documents and payment to Perry County Register and Recorder, P.O. Box 223, New Bloomfield, PA 17068 (or 2 East Main Street for courier delivery). Include a self-addressed stamped envelope for the return of originals.

E-Recording

Perry County has offered e-recording since 2009, one of the earlier adopters. Three vendors are available: Simplifile (simplifile.com, 800-460-5657), CSC (erecording.com, 866-652-0111), and EPN E-Recording Partners Network (GOePN.com, 888-325-3365).

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

The Register of Wills function (probate, estates, inheritance tax) and the Clerk of the Orphans' Court (adoptions, guardianships, marriage licenses) are all handled by the same combined office under Wendy Welfley. Estate filings, marriage licenses ($60.00), and Orphans' Court matters are handled at the same location. Virtual probate is also available through the office. The Register of Wills & Clerk of O.C. fees, effective January 1, 2025, are posted separately on the county website.

Property assessments are administered by the Perry County Tax Assessment Office; assessment data is accessible through courthouseonline.com/AssessHome.asp. Delinquent taxes are handled by the Tax Claim Bureau.

Zoning is administered at the municipal level; the county's planning functions are carried out by the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission (tcrpc-pa.org), serving Perry, Cumberland, and Dauphin counties. For statewide financial data, consult the Pennsylvania DCED.

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

Perry County offers free index searching on Landex, making initial searches easy:

Go to landex.com/webstore. Select Pennsylvania, then Perry County. No account or payment is needed to search the index.
Search by grantor/grantee name or book and page reference. The index covers all Landex-computerized records.
Review index results to identify the relevant deed and note its book and page number. For document images, add to cart and pay ($5 processing fee per order plus per-page fees).
For pre-Landex records or in-person searches, visit the courthouse at 2 East Main Street, New Bloomfield, Mon–Fri 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Record all book and page references for the full chain: deed, mortgage, satisfaction, assignment, easement, and any UPI-related instruments.
For parcel data, search the assessment database.

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

All recorded property documents for every municipality in Perry County are maintained by the single Perry County Register and Recorder in New Bloomfield.

County Seat: New Bloomfield Borough.
Key Boroughs: Duncannon, Newport, Marysville, Millerstown, Landisburg, and Bloomfield.
Selected Townships: Juniata, Rye, Penn, Carroll, Jackson, Tyrone, Toboyne, Greenwood, Tuscarora, Spring, Oliver, Buffalo, Centre, Madison, Howe, Miller, Saville, and others.

Full municipality list at perryco.org/municipality-information/.

City/Town Resources for Assessments & Taxes

Property assessments are administered at the county level by the Perry County Tax Assessment Office. Public parcel data is available. Taxes are listed on the county's tax page. Current-year tax collection is administered at the municipal level; delinquent taxes are handled by the Tax Claim Bureau.

Zoning is administered at the municipal level in Perry County. The Tri-County Regional Planning Commission (tcrpc-pa.org) coordinates planning services for Perry, Cumberland, and Dauphin counties and can direct inquiries to the appropriate municipal zoning authority.

Perry County-Specific Nuances

UPI Certification is a separate $20.00 fee per parcel, not included in the deed base fee. These include one UPI in the base deed recording fee. Perry County does not charge the $20.00 UPI Certification fee. It is a separate charge per parcel, in addition to the $69.75 base deed fee. A deed conveying a single parcel costs $69.75 + $20.00 = $89.75 at a minimum. A deed conveying two parcels costs $69.75 + $40.00 = $109.75. Budget accordingly.
Free index searching on Landex Webstore, no account needed: Perry County's Landex Webstore offers completely free index searching by name, instrument number, or book and page. Unlike many other PA counties where even index results require a paid subscription or per-click charge, Perry County's index is open to all without registration or payment. The $5 processing charge applies only if you purchase document images for download.
Three e-recording vendors since 2009: Simplifile, CSC, and EPN. Perry County was an early adopter of e-recording, launching the service in 2009. All three major national vendors are accepted: Simplifile (simplifile.com), CSC/Corporation Service Company (erecording.com), and EPN/E-Recording Partners Network (GOePN.com).
Combined three-function office. Register of Wills, Recorder of Deeds, Clerk of Orphans' Court. As a 6th-class county, Perry County's single elected official, Wendy Welfley, serves all three functions under one roof. The same phone number (717-582-2131) and address (2 East Main Street) serve all three functions. Virtual probate is available; contact the office to schedule.
SOV is $1.00 for two copies (both due upon recording). Perry County's Statement of Value fee is $1.00, with two copies required at the time of recording.
No cities, boroughs, or townships only. Perry County has no incorporated cities, which is notable for a county of 46,000 people. All municipalities are boroughs or townships. New Bloomfield Borough, the county seat, has a population of approximately 1,223. This rural character influences the types of instruments commonly recorded: farmland transfers, agricultural easements, conservation easements, and rural residential deeds are the predominant recorded instrument types.
Harrisburg metro proximity shapes eastern borough values. Marysville Borough and eastern Perry County townships sit just across the Susquehanna River from the Harrisburg-Carlisle metro area. Properties in this eastern corridor attract buyers priced out of Cumberland and Dauphin counties.

This produces a west-to-east price gradient across the county, with eastern boroughs (Marysville, Duncannon, Newport) trading substantially higher than interior and western communities.

Appalachian Trail easements in the Blue Mountain corridor. The Appalachian Trail runs through Perry County along Blue Mountain. Properties adjacent to the trail corridor may have recorded trail access easements, National Park Service instruments, or Appalachian Trail Conservancy restrictions attached to them. Title researchers working on properties near the Blue Mountain ridgeline should search for easement instruments held by the NPS or ATC in addition to standard deed chains.

Typical Contents of a Perry County Property Record

When reviewing recorded instruments at the Perry County Register and Recorder, you will typically find:

Deeds:
- Grantor and grantee names (consistent throughout document).
- Complete legal description, including municipality and county.
- Consideration amount or Statement of Value ($1.00; two copies required).
- Certificate of Residence for the grantee.
- UPI Certification ($20.00 per parcel; charged separately from base fee).
- Notarial acknowledgment (acknowledgment date on or after execution date).
- For multi-municipality deeds: percentage transfer tax per municipality.
- For agricultural or conservation properties: references to any Clean and Green/Act 319 designation or easement.
Mortgages and Related:
- Lender/borrower names, property description, and loan terms.
- Assignments, releases, satisfactions, postponements, and subordinations.
Other Common Instruments:
- Easements (Appalachian Trail, state park access, agricultural conservation).
- Subdivision and land development plans (two copies required).
- Powers of attorney (real estate).
- Sales agreements and real estate agreements.
- UCC secured transactions ($100.00).
- Military service discharges (DD-214).
- Notary bonds and commissions.

Recording Changes to Property Titles

All new deeds, mortgages, easements, and other instruments affecting real property in Perry County must be recorded with the Register and Recorder. Submissions may be made in person (Mon–Fri 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.), by mail, or via e-recording (Simplifile, CSC, or EPN).

Include the UPI parcel number on all deeds; the $20.00 UPI Certification fee per parcel is charged separately from the base deed fee. Pennsylvania's 2% Realty Transfer Tax (1% state + 1% local) applies to most deed transactions. Include a Statement of Value in duplicate when required ($1.00; both copies due at recording). Include a SASE for mail returns.

Practical Research Flow (Checklist)

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

Search the index for free. Go to landex.com/webstore. Select Pennsylvania, then Perry County. Search by name or book, page number, or account or payment required for index results.
Purchase document images if needed. Add desired documents to the cart and pay the $5 processing fee plus per-page charges. Documents appear as PDFs immediately after payment.
Note all book page references. Collect references to the deed, mortgage, satisfaction, and easement for the full chain. Note any UPI numbers listed.
Check parcel data. Search the assessment database at courthouseonline.com/AssessHome.asp for parcel ID and assessed value.
For rural, agricultural properties, check for conservation easements. Search for instruments naming the Pennsylvania Agricultural Land Preservation Board or the county farmland preservation program as the grantee.
For Blue Mountain corridor properties, check for trail easements. Search for National Park Service, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, or Commonwealth of Pennsylvania instruments affecting the property.
Sign up for Record Alert. Free at landex.com/recordalert/?county=perry. Name-based email alerts.
Verify zoning. Contact the specific municipality. The Tri-County Regional Planning Commission (tcrpc-pa.org) can direct you to the correct local zoning authority.
Check delinquent taxes. Contact the Tax Claim Bureau through the county website at perryco.org/departments/tax-claim/.
Prepare recording documents. UPI fee $20.00, parcel (separate from $69.75 deed fee); SOV $1.00 in duplicate; SASE for mail; e-record via Simplifile, CSC, or EPN; office hours 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Mon–Fri.

Appendix A: Municipalities in Perry County

Perry County has no cities. Municipalities are only approximately boroughs and townships.

County Seat: New Bloomfield Borough.
Key Boroughs: Duncannon, Marysville, Newport, Millerstown, Landisburg, Bloomfield, Loysville, and others.
Selected Townships: Juniata, Rye, Penn, Carroll, Jackson, Tyrone, Toboyne, Greenwood, Tuscarora, Spring, Oliver, Buffalo, Centre, Madison, Howe, Miller, Saville, and others.