Tioga County, PA Property Records

Tioga County is a rural county in north-central Pennsylvania, best known outside its borders for Pine Creek Gorge, a 47-mile canyon that locals call the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. About 41,000 people live there, making it the 51st most populous of Pennsylvania's 67 counties. The population has been falling at around 0.3% a year. Healthcare and manufacturing employ the most people. Mansfield University provides a modest institutional anchor, but the county has no large city and no obvious economic driver beyond outdoor tourism and natural gas.

Houses are cheap and do not move quickly. The ZHVI puts the typical home value at approximately $150,000, roughly 48% below the Pennsylvania statewide average of $286,351, and listings sit on the market for around 74 days before sale.

According to Federal Reserve Economic Data, an estimated 27–30% of households are cost-burdened. With a median household income of approximately $62,900, the county is neither acutely unaffordable nor prosperous. It is forested, thinly populated, and slowly losing people. 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 Tioga County is the combined Register of Wills, Recorder of Deeds, and Clerk of Orphan's Court (6th-class county). The elected official is Keriane Chaborek. The office is located at 116 Main Street, Wellsboro, PA 16901 (per the PRODA directory and the county's fee bill; the county website lists 118 Main Street; confirm the exact suite entrance by calling (570) 724-9260 before your first visit).

Online deed records are accessible through Landex (Remote and Webstore), including public access terminals at the courthouse. E-recording is available through Simplifile. The current fee schedule is effective December 1, 2025 (following the state-mandated JCS fee increase). Probate appointments are conducted in person or remotely via Zoom.

What Tioga County Property Records Include

The Recorder of Deeds maintains all instruments affecting real property within the county. Document types recorded include deeds, deed restrictions, mortgages, satisfaction pieces, releases, assignments, easements, rights of way, leases, survey maps, miscellaneous documents, bonds, and commissions for notaries and elected officials, and military discharge records. Military discharge records are closed to the public under the Veterans' Privacy Act; all other transactions are public records.

Pennsylvania uses a recorded land title system statewide. Documents are indexed by grantor/grantee name and book and page reference. Tioga County's large geographic area means that title chains for rural and forested parcels may include timber rights instruments, natural gas and oil leases, pipeline rights-of-way, and recreational access easements.

The county sits within the Marcellus Shale formation and has recorded gas lease activity, though at a lower intensity than neighboring Susquehanna County. Hunting and recreation property transactions are a routine part of the recording volume.

The fee schedule (effective December 1, 2025) includes a notable flat $18.50 fee for oil and gas leases, a distinctly lower rate than the deed ($59.75) or mortgage ($59.75) fee, and unlike counties that charge the higher instrument-class fee for leases with 30+ year terms. Verify the current treatment of long-term oil and gas leases with the office, as Pennsylvania transfer tax rules may affect whether an SOV is also required.

How to Access Tioga County Property Records

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

Online Access

Tioga County uses Landex for online deed access (Landex Webstore pay-per-document, no subscription required) and Landex Remote subscription-based for frequent users. Public access computer terminals are available at the courthouse for in-person online searches.

In Person

Address: 116 Main Street, Wellsboro, PA 16901 (confirm exact entrance suite at (570) 724-9260). Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. The office opens at 9:00 a.m., later than most PA recorder offices. Copies: $1.00/page (8½” × 14”); $2.00/page (11” × 17”); certification seal: +$1.50/document.

By Phone

Call (570) 724-9260 during regular office hours.

By Mail

Mail documents and payment to Tioga County Register and Recorder, 116 Main Street, Wellsboro, PA 16901. Include a SASE for the return of documents. Contact the office for exact-amount requirements.

E-Recording

E-recording is available through Simplifile (simplifile.com, (800) 460-5657). Contact the office at (570) 724-9260 to confirm any additional vendors.

What's Not at the Recorder's Office

The Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court are consolidated with the Recorder of Deeds under the same office. Probate appointments are available in person or remotely via Zoom. The probate process is initiated by emailing documents to Keriane Chaborek. Adoption and guardianship matters are handled through the Orphans' Court function of the same office.

The Tioga County Assessment Office (118 Main St.; (570) 724-9117; 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. M–F) maintains parcel valuation and assessment records, accessible via computer terminals in the courthouse. The County Planning Commission (570) 723-8251 handles zoning verification. The Tax Claim Bureau handles delinquent taxes. For statewide data, consult the Pennsylvania DCED.

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

Tioga County uses Landex for online deed access:

Go to the Landex Webstore. Select Pennsylvania, then Tioga County.
Search by grantor or grantee name, book and page, instrument number, or date range.
For forested, hunting, or natural gas parcels, also search for oil and gas lease assignments, pipeline easements, timber rights instruments, and access easements in the chain.
For certified copies, contact the office at (570) 724-9260. Copies $1.00/page (8½”×14”); certification +$1.50/document.
For parcel data, contact the Assessment Office at (570) 724-9117.

Cities & Towns in Tioga County

The single Tioga County Register and Recorder in Wellsboro maintains all recorded property documents for every municipality in Tioga County.

County Seat: Wellsboro Borough.
Other Key Boroughs: Blossburg, Elkland, Knoxville, Lawrence, Liberty, Mainesburg, Roseville, Tioga Borough, Troy, and Westfield.
Grand Canyon area Pine Creek communities: Galeton Borough, Cedar Run, Blackwell, and Cammal.
Selected Townships: Bloss, Charleston, Chatham, Clymer, Covington, Deerfield, Delmar, Duncan, Elk, Farmington, Gaines, Hamilton, Jackson, Lawrence, Liberty, Middlebury, Morris, Nelson, Osceola, Putnam, Richmond, Rutland, Shippen, Snowshoe, Sullivan, Ward, Westfield, and others.

Full list at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tioga_County,_Pennsylvania.

City/Town Resources for Assessments & Taxes

Property assessments are administered at the county level by the Tioga County Assessment Office (118 Main St, Wellsboro; (570) 724-9117; 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. M–F; public assessment records accessible via computer terminals at the courthouse).

Tax delinquency is handled by the Tax Claim Bureau through the county website (tiogacountypa.us). Zoning is administered by individual municipalities; contact the Planning Commission at (570) 723-8251 for county-level guidance.

Tioga County-Specific Nuances

Office opens at 9: 00 a.m., which is later than most PA recorder offices. The Register and Recorder's office opens at 9:00 a.m. (not the 8:30 a.m. start common to most PA recorder offices) and closes at 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Plan in-person visits and courthouse deliveries accordingly. Documents delivered before 9:00 a.m. will not be received, and those arriving at the end of the day should allow for processing time before the 4:30 p.m. close.
Oil and gas leases were recorded at a flat $18.50, a significantly lower fee than the deed class. Tioga County's fee schedule lists Oil & Gas Lease at $18.50, the same as an affidavit or power of attorney, and well below the $59.75 deed/mortgage fee. This flat fee structure for gas leases is unusual.

However, under Pennsylvania law, oil and gas leases with 30+ year terms are subject to the Realty Transfer Tax and may require a Statement of Value. Confirm with the office how long-term gas leases are classified and whether an SOV add-on is required for specific lease terms.

Military Discharge Records (DD-214) are closed to the public. Tioga County closes DD-214 military discharge records to public inspection under the Veterans' Privacy Act, which records but does not fully restrict access to DD-214s. Only the veteran or authorized representatives may access the records.
Probate appointments available remotely via Zoom. Tioga County offers probate appointments by Zoom in addition to in-person. The estate-opening process is initiated by emailing the required probate documents to Keriane Chaborek's office. To explicitly advertise remote probate via video conferencing.
The Pennsylvania Grand Canyon generates a distinct recording environment. The 47-mile Pine Creek Gorge, known as the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon, runs through a large portion of the county's interior within the Tioga State Forest.

Large tracts along the canyon rim and Pine Creek Rail Trail corridor carry PennDOT highway permits, pipeline easements, conservation easements, hiking trail access agreements, state forest boundary instruments, and hunting club access grants.

Title chains for properties bordering state forest lands should check for these instruments. The canyon itself is largely public land, but boundary parcels frequently carry mixed-use easements and access restrictions.

The New England Yankee title tradition is distinct from the PA German counties to the south. Tioga County was settled almost entirely by Yankee colonists from New England and upstate New York, giving it a cultural and legal character distinct from PA German counties. This New England influence extended to naming patterns, community organization, and even the structure of early land conveyances.

Researchers tracing 19th-century title chains here may encounter conveyancing conventions and deed language more characteristic of New York or New England practice than the Pennsylvania German norm.

Wellsboro's Gas Light Town status generates tourism-related property interests. Wellsboro's famous gas-lit Main Street and its position as the gateway to the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon make it the county's premier destination community.

Properties in and around Wellsboro Borough may carry Historic District easements, facade restrictions, and deed covenants tied to the borough's historic character. Search the recording index for preservation-related instruments when conducting title work on Wellsboro Borough properties near Main Street.

4th largest PA county by land area, with significant variation in property character across the county. At 1,137 square miles, Tioga County spans a wide range of terrain and land use. Properties in the northern townships near the New York border are predominantly agricultural and residential; central and southern areas encompass state forest, timber, and recreation land; the canyon corridor is primarily state forest with private inholdings. Title research requirements vary considerably by location within the county.

Typical Contents of a Tioga County Property Record

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

Deeds:
- Grantor and grantee names.
- Complete legal description, including municipality and county.
- Consideration amount or Statement of Value for exempt transfers.
- Certificate of Residence for the grantee.
- Uniform Parcel Identifier number.
- Notarial acknowledgment.
Mortgages and Related:
- Lender/borrower names, property description, loan terms.
- Satisfaction Piece: $61.75; Release of Mortgage: $61.75; Assignment of Mortgage: $61.75.
Other Common Instruments:
- Oil and Gas Leases ($18.50 flat; verify transfer tax implications for 30+ year terms).
- Easements and Rights of Way ($59.75).
- Survey and Subdivision Maps.
- State Highway Maps ($15.00 + $3.00/additional page).
- Deed Restrictions.
- Leases under 30 years ($18.50); Leases 30+ years ($59.75).
- Powers of Attorney ($18.50).
- Notary bonds and commissions ($33.50).
- Military Discharge Records (closed to the public per Veterans' Privacy Act).

Recording Changes to Property Titles

All new deeds, mortgages, easements, and other instruments affecting real property in Tioga County must be recorded with the Register and Recorder. Submissions may be made in person (Mon–Fri 9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.), by mail, or via e-recording (Simplifile).

Pennsylvania's 2% Realty Transfer Tax (1% state + 1% local) applies to most deed transactions and to leases and easements with 30+ year terms (other than public utility). Include a Statement of Value when claiming a transfer tax exemption or when full consideration is not stated. Current fee schedule effective December 1, 2025.

Base deed mortgage easement ROW fee: $59.75 (4 pages, 4 names, 1 parcel). Satisfaction Piece: $61.75. Assignment of Mortgage: $61.75. Release of Mortgage: $61.75. Oil & Gas Lease: $18.50 (flat; verify transfer tax treatment for 30+ year terms). Assignment Release: $20.50. Notary: $33.50. State Highway Map: $15.00 + $3.00 additional page. Copies: $1.00/page (8½”×14”); $2.00/page (11”×17”); certification: +$1.50/document.

Practical Research Flow (Checklist)

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

Search online via Landex Webstore. Go to landex.com/webstore. Select Pennsylvania, then Tioga County. Note the office opens at 9:00 a.m. for in-person visits.
For natural gas, oil, timber, or recreation parcels: search for oil and gas leases, pipeline easements, timber rights, and access hunting easements.
For canyon-corridor and state forest boundary parcels: check for PennDOT permits, conservation easements, and state forest boundary instruments.
For Wellsboro Borough properties near Main Street: check for Historic District easements and deed covenants.
Verify parcel data. Contact the Assessment Office at (570) 724-9117.
Verify zoning. Contact the specific municipality or the Planning Commission at (570) 723-8251.
Check delinquent taxes. Contact the Tax Claim Bureau through tiogacountypa.us.
Prepare recording documents. Base deed mortgage fee $59.75; oil & gas lease flat $18.50 (confirm transfer tax treatment); office opens 9:00 a.m.; e-record via Simplifile; military discharges closed to public; probate by appointment (in person or Zoom).

Appendix A: Municipalities in Tioga County

Tioga County has approximately 36 or more incorporated municipalities: boroughs and townships; no cities.

County Seat: Wellsboro Borough.
Key Boroughs: Mansfield, Blossburg, Elkland, Knoxville, Lawrence, Liberty, Mainesburg, Roseville, Tioga, and Westfield.
Selected Townships: Bloss, Charleston, Chatham, Clymer, Covington, Deerfield, Delmar, Duncan, Elk, Farmington, Gaines, Hamilton, Jackson, Lawrence, Liberty, Middlebury, Morris, Nelson, Osceola, Putnam, Richmond, Rutland, Shippen, Snowshoe, Sullivan, Ward, and Westfield.
Notable Communities: Cedar Run, Blackwell, Galeton, Cammal, and Ansonia.