Union County, PA Property Records

Union County is a small central Pennsylvania county built around two large institutions. About 42,000 people live there, ranking it 50th among Pennsylvania's 67 counties by population. The county seat is Lewisburg, home to Bucknell University and the Federal Correctional Institution Lewisburg, which sit within a mile of each other on the Susquehanna River. These two institutions together account for an outsized share of local employment and set the character of the county in ways that raw demographic figures do not fully capture.

Housing is more expensive here than in neighboring rural counties. The median property value runs around $222,900, with Lewisburg itself tracking closer to $295,000. Homes move quickly, averaging around 14 days on the market, driven partly by academic-year demand near Bucknell.

According to Federal Reserve Economic Data, an estimated 27–30% of households are cost-burdened. With a median household income of approximately $73,000, the county is reasonably comfortable by central Pennsylvania standards, though Bucknell's large student population pulls household income figures downward. 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 Union County is the combined Register and Recorder office (7th-class county), serving as Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds. The elected official is Lisa A. Seward. Chief Deputy: Jamie Putnam; Solicitor: Peter L. Matson, Esq.. The office is located at the Union County Courthouse, 103 South Second Street, Lewisburg, PA 17837.

Online deed records from 1962 to the present are accessible through the PA Real Property Official Records Search (US Land Records). Pre-1962 records are on microfilm at the courthouse. The office accepts e-recording; contact the office at (570) 524-8762 to confirm current vendors. Document recording concludes at 4:15 PM, 15 minutes before the 4:30 PM close.

What Union County Property Records Include

The Recorder of Deeds maintains all instruments affecting real property within the county. Recorded document types include deeds, deed restrictions, mortgages, releases, easements (rights of way), subdivision maps, restrictions, notary bonds and commissions, public and elected officer commissions, and military service discharge records. The office also collects real estate transfer taxes for the state, townships, boroughs, and school districts.

Pennsylvania uses a recorded land title system statewide. Documents are indexed by grantor/grantee name and book and page reference. Records from 1962 to the present are digitized and searchable through the PA Real Property Official Records Search. Records before 1962 are on microfilm and must be accessed in person at the courthouse. County records begin with Union County's formation in 1813. For properties in present-day Snyder County (carved out of Union County in 1855), all pre-1855 deed instruments are in Union County's records.

Union County's fee schedule has a distinctive two-tier structure: deeds and mortgages are filed at $70.25 with higher per-page ($4.00) and per-name ($1.00) rates, while easements and most other instruments are filed at $58.75 with lower overage rates ($2.00/page; $0.50/name). The SOV add-on fee also differs: $3.00 for deeds/mortgages vs. $1.50 for easements. Practitioners submitting mixed document packages should calculate fees carefully for each instrument type.

How to Access Union County Property Records

Records can be accessed online via the PA Real Property Official Records Search, in person at the courthouse (microfilm for pre-1962), by phone, by mail, or via e-recording.

Online Access

Union County uses the PA Real Property Official Records Search (US Land Records) for online deed access from 1962 to the present. Records prior to 1/1/1962 are on microfilm and available at the courthouse in person. The county's online records page links directly to this system.

In Person

Address: Union County Courthouse, 103 South Second Street, Lewisburg, PA 17837, Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Recording concludes at 4:15 p.m. Pre-1962 records: Microfilm readers and copiers are available at the courthouse for older deed books. Copies: Certified copies are $1.50 certification fee + $0.25 per document page; the office also charges for standard copies.

Note: South entrance off the parking lot; metal detector at entry.

By Phone

Call (570) 524-8762 (main) or (570) 524-8767 during regular office hours.

By Mail

Mail documents and payment to Union County Register and Recorder, 103 South Second Street, Lewisburg, PA 17837. A SASE is required; the office will not mail recorded documents without a provided envelope. Correct amount only; no refunds. Separate checks per document. $3.00 rejection fee for mailed documents returned for any reason.

E-Recording

E-recording is available. Contact the office at (570) 524-8762 to confirm current vendors and eligible document types.

What's Not at the Recorder's Office

The Register of Wills (probate, estate records, inheritance tax) is consolidated under the same office as the Recorder of Deeds. The Prothonotary (a separate office in the same courthouse) maintains civil court records, judgments, and liens. The Union County Historical Society is located in the courthouse hallway, adjacent to the Register and Recorder's office, and maintains genealogical and historical materials.

Property assessments are administered by the County Mapping Department and County Assessment Office (accessible through unioncountypa.org). Contact the County Mapping Department for UPI (Uniform Parcel Identifier) numbers, which must appear on all deeds and mortgages. Zoning is administered by individual municipalities. The county Planning and Economic Development Office handles county-level planning matters. For statewide data, consult the Pennsylvania DCED.

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

Union County uses the PA Real Property Official Records Search for online deed access (1962–present):

Go to the PA Real Property Official Records Search at pa.uslandrecords.com. Select Union County from the county list.
Search by grantor, grantee name, book and page, or date range.
For records prior to January 1, 1962, visit the courthouse in person to access microfilm records.
For Snyder County properties with pre-1855 history, search Union County's records for the original instruments (Union County territory encompassed present-day Snyder County before 1855).
For certified copies, contact the office at (570) 524-8762. Fee: $1.50 + $0.25 per page.
For parcel UPI numbers, contact the County Mapping Department.

Cities & Towns in Union County

All recorded property documents for every municipality in Union County are maintained by the single Union County Register and Recorder in Lewisburg.

County Seat: Lewisburg Borough.
Second Borough: Mifflinburg Borough.
Other Boroughs: New Berlin Borough, Hartleton Borough.
Largest Township: East Buffalo Township.
Selected Townships: Buffalo Township, Gregg Township, Kelly Township, Lewis Township, Limestone Township, Union Township, West Buffalo Township, White Deer Township.

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

City/Town Resources for Assessments & Taxes

Property assessments are administered at the county level through the County Mapping Department and Assessment Office (unioncountypa.org). Contact the County Mapping Department for UPI numbers. Tax delinquency is handled by the Tax Claim Bureau (unioncountypa.org).

Zoning is administered by individual municipalities. For county-level planning matters, contact the Planning and Economic Development Office through the county website.

Union County-Specific Nuances

Recording concludes at 4:15 PM, 15 minutes before the 4:30 PM office close. The Register and Recorder's office is open until 4:30 p.m., but recording concludes at 4:15 p.m. This 15-minute gap is explicitly noted on the county's website and is consistent across both the official county website and PRODA directory. Documents presented after 4:15 p.m. will not be recorded that day.
Two-tier fee structure for deeds, mortgages vs. easements, and different overage rates. Union County uses an uncommon two-tier fee structure. Deeds and mortgages: base $70.25 (4 pages, 4 names, 1 parcel); additional pages $4.00 each; additional names $1.00 each; additional parcels $1.00 each; SOV add-on $3.00. Easements (rights of way): base $58.75 (4 pages, 4 names, 1 parcel); additional pages $2.00 each; additional names $0.50 each; additional parcels $0.50 each; SOV add-on $1.50. Calculate fees separately for each instrument type submitted in a closing package.
Separate checks are required for each document AND for each realty transfer tax. Union County requires a separate check for each recorded document and, in addition, separate checks for the state and local realty transfer taxes. A typical deed recording thus requires at least three checks: one for the deed recording fee, one for the 1% state RTT, and one for the 1% local RTT. All checks are payable to “Union County Recorder of Deeds.” Correct amount required; no refunds. Blanket documents not accepted.
The SASE required office will not mail without one. A stamped, self-addressed envelope is required for the return of all documents. Additionally, a $3.00 rejection fee is charged on any mailed document returned for any reason.
Online records start on 1/1/1962 via the PA Real Property Official Records Search; pre-1962 records are on microfilm. Union County's digital records are hosted on the PA Real Property Official Records Search (US Land Records) at pa.uslandrecords.com, the same statewide system used by several other PA counties. This system covers 1962 to the present. Pre-1962 instruments are on microfilm and available for in-person research at the courthouse. The county's historical records date back to 1813 (the year of county formation).
Snyder County pre-1855 deeds are in Union County's records. Snyder County was carved out of the eastern portion of Union County in 1855. All land instruments for present-day Snyder County municipalities recorded before 1855 are in Union County's deed books, not Snyder County's. Researchers conducting title searches on Snyder County properties with pre-1855 history must cross-reference Union County's records.
Bucknell University and the Federal Prison Complex influence on the property market and deed chains. Two major institutional landholders shape Union County's property landscape. Bucknell University (est. 1846) occupies a significant footprint in Lewisburg Borough and has generated decades of recorded acquisition and easement instruments. The Federal Correctional Complex Lewisburg (the successor to the famous U.S. Penitentiary Lewisburg, which once housed Al Capone and Jimmy Hoffa) occupies a large federal parcel in Kelly Township.

Federal land acquisitions related to the prison complex were recorded in the county's deed index over many decades. Title researchers working near either institution should check for large-parcel federal or institutional conveyances in adjacent chains.

Mifflinburg, “Buggy Town,” and the Buffalo Valley Rail Trail as a recording consideration. Mifflinburg Borough's nickname of “Buggy Town” honors its 19th-century status as one of America's leading carriage-manufacturing centers. The Mifflinburg Buggy Museum preserves this heritage. The Buffalo Valley Rail Trail follows the former rail corridor through Mifflinburg and surrounding townships; trail access agreements and rail-trail easements are recorded with the Recorder. Properties adjacent to Penns Creek in Mifflinburg, West Buffalo, and Gregg townships may also carry streamside easements related to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

Typical Contents of a Union County Property Record

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

Deeds:
- Grantor and grantee names.
- Complete legal description, including municipality and county.
- Consideration amount, or SOV ($3.00 add-on, filed in duplicate) for exempt transfers or when full value not stated.
- Certificate of address for the grantee.
- Uniform Parcel Identifier number.
- Notarial acknowledgment.
- For multi-municipality deeds: percentage of local transfer tax per municipality stated.
Mortgages and Related:
- Lender/borrower names, property description, and loan terms.
- Certificate of address for mortgagee required.
- Satisfaction ($63.75 flat); Assignment ($60.75); Release ($60.75); Modification ($20.50); Subordination ($20.50).
Other Common Instruments:
- Easements and rights of way ($58.75; $2.00/additional page; $0.50/additional name; SOV $1.50 if required).
- Deed restrictions.
- Subdivision maps.
- Powers of attorney ($18.50–$20.50).
- Notary bonds and commissions.
- Military service discharges (DD-214).

Recording Changes to Property Titles

All new deeds, mortgages, easements, and other instruments affecting real property in Union County must be recorded with the Register and Recorder. Submissions may be made in person (Mon–Fri 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; recording concludes 4:15 p.m.), by mail, or via e-recording (contact the office for vendors).

Pennsylvania's 2% Realty Transfer Tax (1% state + 1% local) applies to most deed transactions. Three separate checks are typically required: one for the recording fee, one for state RTT, and one for local RTT, all payable to “Union County Recorder of Deeds.” Blanket documents not accepted. SASE required (office will not return documents without one). $3.00 rejection fee for mailed submissions. No refunds.

Deed recording fee: $70.25 (4 pages, 4 names, 1 parcel) + $4.00 additional page + $1.00 additional name + $1.00 additional parcel + $3.00 SOV if required. Mortgage: same rates as deed. Easement: $58.75 + $2.00 additional page + $0.50 additional name + $0.50 additional parcel + $1.50 SOV if required. Mortgage Satisfaction: $63.75 flat. Assignment Release of Mortgage: $60.75. Power of Attorney: $18.50–$20.50. Certified copies: $1.50 + $0.25 per page.

Practical Research Flow (Checklist)

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

Search online via PA Real Property Official Records Search. Go to pa.uslandrecords.com. Select Union County.
For pre-1962 records, visit the courthouse. Microfilm is available at 103 S. Second Street. Hours: 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (Recording concludes at 4:15 p.m.).
For Snyder County properties with pre-1855 history, search Union County records. Pre-1855 instruments for present-day Snyder County are in Union County's deed books.
Note all book and page references and instrument types.
Verify parcel UPI numbers. Contact the County Mapping Department (unioncountypa.org).
Verify zoning. Contact the specific municipality or the Planning and Economic Development Office.
Check delinquent taxes. Contact the Tax Claim Bureau through unioncountypa.org.
Prepare recording documents. Three checks (recording fee + state RTT + local RTT); SASE required; deed base $70.25 (different overage rates from easements); recording concludes 4:15 p.m.; $3.00 rejection fee; blanket documents not accepted; no refunds.

Appendix A: Municipalities in Union County

Union County has 14 incorporated municipalities: 4 boroughs and 10 townships. No cities.

County Seat: Lewisburg Borough.
Second Borough: Mifflinburg Borough.
Other Boroughs: New Berlin Borough, Hartleton Borough.
Largest Township: East Buffalo Township.
Selected Townships: Buffalo Township, Gregg Township, Kelly Township, Lewis Township, Limestone Township, Union Township, West Buffalo Township, White Deer Township.