Warren County, PA Property Records

There is a refinery in Warren that has been running since 1902. United Refining Company is one of the last independent petroleum refiners in the United States, and it is still here, processing crude oil from local wells in a county that was once, like its neighbor Venango, at the center of everything the American oil industry meant. That was a long time ago. The population is now roughly 37,400, making Warren the 56th most populous of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, and it is falling at about 0.8% annually.

The median property value is approximately $127,500, less than half the Pennsylvania statewide average of $286,351. Homes sell after roughly 92 days on the market, when they sell at all. The Allegheny National Forest covers much of the county. The Kinzua Dam is there. Things persist.

According to Federal Reserve Economic Data, an estimated 28–31% of households are cost-burdened. The median household income is approximately $59,000. 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 Warren County is the combined Register, Recorder, and Clerk of the Orphans' Court (6th-class county). The elected official is Lisa A. Burkhouse. The office is located at the Warren County Courthouse, 204 Fourth Avenue, Warren, PA 16365.

Online deed records from 1985 to the present are accessible through Landex (Remote and Webstore). Public access terminals are available in the office. The current fee schedule is governed by the Acts 40 and 44 of 2017 base schedule, plus a $15.00 Blight Demolition Fund surcharge on deed and mortgage recordings, effective April 1, 2024 (per County Commissioner Resolution #3264, implementing Act 152 of 2016). Documents presented after 3:30 p.m. will be recorded the following business day.

What Warren County Property Records Include

The Recorder of Deeds maintains all instruments affecting real property within the county. Recorded document types include deeds, tax claim deeds, corrective deeds, mortgages, easements, rights of way, land leases, liens, agreements, assignments, maps (mining plans, subdivisions, surveys), sewage permits, UCC financing statements (UCC-1 and UCC-3), and other instruments about land in Warren County. The Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court functions are also combined in this office, handling wills, estates, inheritance tax, adoptions, and marriage licenses.

Pennsylvania uses a recorded land title system statewide. Documents are indexed by grantor/grantee name and book and page reference. Warren County's records date from 1800. Online Landex access covers 1985 to the present. Records before 1985 must be researched in person at the courthouse.

Warren County's proximity to and partial overlap with the Allegheny National Forest means that title chains for a large proportion of the county's rural parcels involve federal land boundaries, NFS road easements, pipeline rights-of-way, oil and gas leases within the national forest (surface rights owned by USFS but subsurface mineral rights often privately held), and US Army Corps of Engineers reservoir easements around the Allegheny Reservoir. These instrument types should be routinely searched in title research for forested or rural Warren County parcels.

How to Access Warren County Property Records

Records can be accessed online via Landex (1985–present), in person at the courthouse (full records back to 1800), by written mail request, or via e-recording.

Online Access

Warren County uses Landex for online deed access from 1985 to present, Landex Webstore pay-per-document, no subscription required; and Landex Remote subscription-based for attorneys, title companies, and abstractors. Public access terminals are also available at the courthouse.

In Person

Address: Warren County Courthouse, 204 Fourth Avenue, Warren, PA 16365. Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Recording accepted until 3:30 p.m. Documents received after 3:30 p.m. are recorded the next business day. Records before 1985 are available in person only (physical records back to 1800).

Copies: $5.00 per page for certified copies; $0.50 per page viewing fee online; printing from the system is free.

By Mail

Submit a written request (no phone or email requests for document copies accepted) with a $5.00 fee per document and a SASE to Register & Recorder's Office, 204 Fourth Ave., Warren, PA 16365. Requests are processed in the order received, generally within a few business days.

E-Recording

E-recording is available. Contact the office at (814) 728-3432 to confirm current vendors and eligible document types.

What's Not at the Recorder's Office

The Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphans' Court functions are consolidated with the Recorder of Deeds under Lisa Burkhouse's office. Probate, estate administration, inheritance tax, adoptions, and marriage licenses (applicants must appear before 3:00 p.m.) are handled through the same office and address.

Property assessments are administered by the Warren County Assessment Office (accessible through warrencountypa.gov). County zoning applies to 12 specific municipalities; properties within those 12 are under county planning, accessible through the Planning and Zoning Department (814) 728-3512.

For the remaining municipalities, contact the local planning authority. The Allegheny National Forest (forest supervisor's office in Warren) holds easements, right-of-way instruments, and oil and gas lease data for national forest lands; the USFS oil and gas program is particularly important for land in or adjacent to the ANF where surface rights are federal but subsurface mineral rights may be private. The Tax Claim Bureau handles delinquent county property taxes.

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

Warren County uses Landex for online deed access (1985–present):

Go to the Landex Webstore at landex.com/webstore. Select Pennsylvania, then Warren County.
Search by grantor/grantee name, book and page, or date range.
For records prior to 1985, visit the courthouse in person at 204 Fourth Ave., Mon–Fri 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. (recording) / 4:30 p.m. (office close).
For national forest parcels: search for USFS easements, Corps of Engineers reservoir easements, oil and gas lease instruments, and pipeline rights of way in addition to standard deed/mortgage chains.
For certified copies, submit a written request with $5.00/document + SASE to the office. No phone or email copy requests accepted.

Cities & Towns in Warren County

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

County Seat City: Warren.
Key Boroughs: Youngsville Borough, Tidioute Borough, Sugar Grove Borough, Clarendon Borough, Lottville Borough.
Selected Townships: Pleasant Township, Conewango Township, Farmington Township, Pittsfield Township, Sheffield Township, Eldred Township, Elk Township, Glade Township, Limestone Township, Mead Township, Freehold Township, Columbus Township, Cherry Grove Township, Brokenstraw Township, Corydon Township, Deerfield Township, Kinzua Township, Triumph Township, Spring Creek Township, Southwest Township, Wetmore Township.
Kinzua Dam Allegheny Reservoir area: Kinzua Township, Cornplanter Township, reservoir lands along the Warren McKean county border.

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

City/Town Resources for Assessments & Taxes

Property assessments are administered at the county level by the Warren County Assessment Office (warrencountypa.gov). County zoning governs 12 municipalities—for those, contact the Planning and Zoning Department at (814) 728-3512. For other municipalities, contact the local authority. Delinquent taxes: Tax Claim Bureau (warrencountypa.gov). For statewide data, consult the Pennsylvania DCED.

Warren County-Specific Nuances

Recording cutoff is 3:30 p.m., one of the earliest. Although the office is open until 4:30 p.m., documents presented after 3:30 p.m. will be recorded the following business day. Additionally, marriage license applicants must appear before 3:00 p.m., a separate, even earlier deadline within the same office. Plan all submissions with these cutoffs in mind.
$15.00 Blight Demolition Fund surcharge on deeds and mortgages effective April 1, 2024. By County Commissioner Resolution, implementing Act 152 of 2016, Warren County added a $15.00 Blight Demolition Fund recording fee to all deed and mortgage recordings effective April 1, 2024. This surcharge is layered on top of the base recording fee from the Acts 40 and 44 of 2017 schedule, plus the standard JCS increases.

Before submitting, verify the current total fee for deeds and mortgages directly with the office at (814) 728-3432, as the combination of the base fee, blight surcharge, and subsequent JCS adjustments makes the current total less predictable than in counties with simpler, single-schedule fees.

Written requests only for document copies, no phone or email requests. The Warren County Register and Recorder's office does not accept phone or email requests for document copies. All copy requests must be submitted in writing, with a $5.00 fee per document and an SASE. Email or phone requests for copies are accepted.
Online Landex records start in 1985; physical records date to 1800. Landex covers 1985 to the present. Warren County's physical records date to 1800 (county organization), covering the period before and after formal establishment in 1819. Records from 1800 to 1984 must be researched in person at the courthouse. Public access terminals are available in the office for in-person research.
Allegheny National Forest inholdings and split-ownership mineral rights create complex title chains. The Allegheny National Forest presents a title research challenge unique to this region of Pennsylvania. The federal government purchased surface rights to much of the ANF in the early 20th century, but did not acquire subsurface mineral rights on many parcels, leaving private landowners holding oil and gas rights beneath federally owned surface.

This split-ownership pattern, sometimes called “private subsurface under federal surface,” means that title chains for ANF-adjacent and ANF-inholding parcels may include both USFS surface acquisition instruments and privately held oil/gas lease chains. The USFS Oil and Gas Program (headquartered in Warren) manages drilling permits on federal surface with private mineral rights.

Kinzua Dam reservoir easements and former Seneca treaty land in title chains. The Kinzua Dam (completed in 1965) flooded approximately 10,000 acres of land in Warren and McKean counties, including the Cornplanter Tract land that had been held by the Seneca Nation under federal treaty. The US Army Corps of Engineers acquired the land through condemnation and easement instruments recorded in Warren County's deed index.

Title chains for parcels in the Kinzua Township and former Cornplanter Tract area may include federal condemnation proceedings, Corps of Engineers flood pool easements, and Seneca Nation relocation instruments.

The County Planning and Zoning Department covers 12 municipalities. Warren County operates a county-level planning and zoning program for 12 specific municipalities. For properties within those 12 (contact the Planning and Zoning Department at (814) 728-3512 to confirm which they are), county zoning applies. Properties in other municipalities operate under local zoning or no zoning.
Oil and gas heritage in the northern county. Warren County shares the northwest Pennsylvania oil heritage with neighboring Venango and McKean counties. Recorded oil and gas lease chains, mineral rights severances, pipeline rights of way, and production agreements are part of the historical recording index throughout the county's rural townships, particularly in areas bordering the Allegheny National Forest and the Allegheny River corridor.

Typical Contents of a Warren County Property Record

When reviewing recorded instruments at the Warren 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, and loan terms.
- Satisfactions, assignments, releases.
Other Common Instruments:
- Easements and rights of way (including USFS access easements, Corps of Engineers reservoir easements).
- Oil and gas leases and assignments (including ANF split-ownership mineral rights instruments).
- Pipeline rights of way.
- Land leases of 30+ years duration.
- Mining plans, subdivision, and survey maps (18”×24”; separate fee).
- Sewage permits (flat charge; no per-page fee).
- UCC-1 and UCC-3 ($100.00 each).
- Federal condemnation instruments (Kinzua Dam area).
- Powers of attorney, notary bonds, and commissions.
- Military service discharges.

Recording Changes to Property Titles

All new deeds, mortgages, easements, and other instruments affecting real property in Warren County must be recorded with the Register and Recorder. Submissions may be made in person (before 3:30 p.m., Mon–Fri), by mail (with a written request, fee, and SASE), or via e-recording (contact the office for vendor information).

Pennsylvania's 2% Realty Transfer Tax (1% state + 1% local) applies to most deed transactions. Include a Statement of Value when claiming an exemption. Current base recording fee for deeds and mortgages: base rate per the Acts 40 and 44 of 2017 schedule, plus a $15.00 Blight Demolition Fund surcharge added April 1, 2024. Call (814) 728-3432 to confirm the current total fee before submitting. Additional pages: $2.00 each over 4. Additional names or parcels: $0.50 each. Marginal notation: $2.00. UCC-1: $100.00. Sewage Permit: flat charge.

Practical Research Flow (Checklist)

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

Search online via Landex Webstore (1985–present). Go to landex.com/webstore. Select Pennsylvania, then Warren County.
For records before 1985, visit the courthouse. Physical records available from 1800. Hours: 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. for recording, 4:30 p.m. office close.
For national forest parcels, search for USFS easements, Corps easements, and oil/gas instruments. ANF split-ownership parcels require checking both federal surface acquisition instruments and private mineral gas lease chains.
For Kinzua Dam Cornplanter Tract parcels, check for Corps of Engineers condemnation and flood pool easements.
For oil-region parcels, search for mineral rights severances and pipeline easements.
Verify parcel and UPI data. Contact the Assessment Office through warrencountypa.gov.
Verify zoning. For 12 county-zoned municipalities: Planning and Zoning Department (814) 728-3512. For others: local municipality.
Check delinquent taxes. Contact the Tax Claim Bureau through warrencountypa.gov.

Appendix A: Municipalities in Warren County

Warren County has 27 incorporated municipalities: 1 city, 5 boroughs, and 21 townships.

County Seat City: Warren.
Key Boroughs: Youngsville Borough, Tidioute Borough, Sugar Grove Borough, Clarendon Borough, Lottville Borough.
Selected Townships: Pleasant Township, Conewango Township, Farmington Township, Pittsfield Township, Sheffield Township, Eldred Township, Elk Township, Glade Township, Limestone Township, Mead Township, Freehold Township, Columbus Township, Cherry Grove Township, Brokenstraw Township, Corydon Township, Deerfield Township, Kinzua Township, Triumph Township, Spring Creek Township, Southwest Township, Wetmore Township.
Kinzua Dam Allegheny Reservoir area: Kinzua Township, Cornplanter Township, reservoir lands along the Warren-McKean county border.