Wyoming County, PA Property Records

    With roughly 25,800 residents, Wyoming County ranks 60th among Pennsylvania's 67 counties by population and has shed nearly a tenth of its population since 2010. Yet the median household income stands at approximately $69,200, above many larger Pennsylvania counties, and rose by 8% in a single year. The explanation lies largely beneath the surface.

    The county sits atop some of Pennsylvania's most productive Marcellus Shale gas fields, and royalty payments to landowners continue to inflate measured incomes well above what the local labor market alone would support.

    The housing market is thin but not cheap. ACS-derived estimates place the typical property value around $213,000, and with only 16,900 occupied households among 21,000 total units, vacancy is substantial. The slack is partly seasonal, partly structural.

    According to Federal Reserve Economic Data, an estimated 27–30% of households are cost-burdened. The underlying economy, once the royalty payments are set aside, is modest. 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 Wyoming County is the combined Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds. The elected official is Dennis L. Montross, who has held the office since 1984. Deputies: Judy Murach and Valerie Valvano. The office is located at the Wyoming County Courthouse, 1 Courthouse Square, Tunkhannock, PA 18657.

    Online records, including deeds, mortgages, and all recorder instruments from 1842 to the present, are accessible through the GovOS system (online support: CFWebsiteSupport@govos.com or Live Chat). Register of Wills estate record images from 1990 to the present are now available online, effective October 23, 2025.

    A free FraudSleuth email alert program notifies property owners of any recording made in their name. No filings accepted after 3:45 p.m. The office accepts cash or check only, no credit or debit cards.

    What Wyoming County Property Records Include

    The Recorder of Deeds maintains all instruments affecting real property within the county. Recorded document types include deeds, mineral rights conveyances, mortgages, easements, rights of way, sewer easements, installment sales agreements, assignments, leases (including 30+ year leases), oil and gas leases, oil and gas assignments, declarations of pooling and unitization, oil and gas miscellaneous agreements, affidavits, assumption agreements, covenants and restrictions, declaration of taking or trust, decree/award of real estate, access covenants, agricultural easements, UCC financing statements, maps and subdivision plans, highway plans, highway occupancy permits, sewer/water permits, notary bonds and commissions, powers of attorney, and military discharges. The Register of Wills combines probate, wills, estate records, and inheritance tax administration in a single office.

    Pennsylvania uses a recorded land title system statewide. Before February 2007, Wyoming County was indexed by book and page. Since February 2007, the county has used instrument numbers. Searches that span the 2007 transition must use both systems. Records from 1842 (county inception) to the present are available through the GovOS online system.

    The Marcellus Shale gas industry has been a defining presence in the recording index since 2006. Wyoming County's fee schedule includes dedicated entries for Oil and Gas Lease ($18.50; SOV required), Assignment of Oil & Gas Lease ($18.50; SOV required), Assignment of Oil & Gas RTT ($59.75; SOV required), Declaration of Pooling and Unitization ($18.50), and Oil and Gas Miscellaneous ($18.50). A Statement of Value is required on all oil and gas leases and assignments of oil and gas leases.

    How to Access Wyoming County Property Records

    Records can be accessed online via GovOS (1842–present), in person at the courthouse, by phone, or by mail.

    Online Access

    Wyoming County provides online access through the GovOS system. Access the online search portal. For online support, use Live Chat on the site or email CFWebsiteSupport@govos.com. Search filters include name, legal description, recording date, document type, instrument number, and book page (pre-2007). Records from 1842 to the present.

    In Person

    • Address: Wyoming County Courthouse, 1 Courthouse Square, Tunkhannock, PA 18657. Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. No filings after 3:45 p.m. Cameras, cell phones, and image-capturing equipment are prohibited from photographing books or computer screens in the office. Computer use at courthouse terminals is free; printing: $0.25 per page; index pages: $0.50; maps: varies by size.

    By Phone

    Call (570) 996-2361 during office hours. Mail requests to Wyoming County Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds, 1 Courthouse Square, Tunkhannock, PA 18657. Include a SASE of sufficient size and postage. Cash or check only.

    What's Not at the Recorder's Office

    The Register of Wills function is combined with the Recorder of Deeds in this office. Marriage licenses, marriage certificates, and First and Final Accounts are not handled here; contact the Prothonotary Clerk of Courts Orphans Court office at (570) 996-2232. Birth and death certificates are not in this office; either contact the Pennsylvania Department of Health at 844-228-3516.

    Property assessments are administered by the Wyoming County Assessment Office (570) 996-2262, which maintains a dedicated Gas Industry section for Marcellus Shale parcels. Community planning and zoning guidance is available through the Wyoming County Office of Community Planning wyomingcountypa.gov. Thirteen of the county's 23 municipalities have no zoning ordinance. The Community Planning office provides county-level subdivision guidance for those. The Tax Claim Bureau handles delinquent taxes.

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

    Wyoming County uses GovOS for online records from 1842 to the present:

    • Go to the Register & Recorder page and click through to the ONLINE SEARCH DATABASES. For support, use Live Chat or email CFWebsiteSupport@govos.com.

    • For records from February 2007 to present, search by instrument number, grantor OR grantee name, document type, or recording date.

    • For records before February 2007, search by book and page number or grantor/grantee name.

    • For oil and gas properties, search specifically for leases, assignments (both SOV-required types), declarations of pooling and unitization, and oil and gas miscellaneous instruments in addition to standard deed and mortgage chains.

    • For Windham Township properties: note whether the SOV correctly identifies the school district.

    • Certified copies: $5.00 for the first 8 pages + $0.50 per page thereafter. Contact the office at (570) 996-2361.

    Cities & Towns in Wyoming County

    All recorded property documents for every municipality in Wyoming County are maintained by the single Wyoming County Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds in Tunkhannock.

    • County Seat: Tunkhannock Borough.

    • Boroughs: Factoryville Borough, Laceyville Borough, Meshoppen Borough, Nicholson Borough.

    • Key Townships: Washington Township, Clinton Township, Tunkhannock Township, Windham Township, Mehoopany Township, Eaton Township, Exeter Township, Falls Township, Lemon Township, Monroe Township, Northmoreland Township, Noxen Township, Braintrim Township, Forkston Township, North Branch Township, Meshoppen Township, Nicholson Township.

    City or Town Resources for Assessments & Taxes

    Property assessments are administered at the county level by the Wyoming County Assessment Office (570) 996-2262. The Assessment Office has a dedicated Gas Industry section for Marcellus Shale-related assessment questions.

    10 of the 23 municipalities have adopted zoning ordinances; for the 13 that do not, contact the Community Planning Office (wyomingcountypa.gov/board/). For subdivision and land development, Wyoming County administers its own SLDO for 19 municipalities; Clinton Township, Factoryville Borough, Overfield Township, and Washington Township administer their own. Tax Claim.

    Wyoming County-Specific Nuances

    • No filings after 3: 45 p.m.; cash or check only, no cards. The office closes at 4:00 p.m. but accepts no filings after 3:45 p.m., with a 15-minute recording cutoff before closing. Additionally, only cash or a check is accepted; no credit or debit cards. Checks must be payable to the Wyoming County Recorder of Deeds. Overpayments of $5.00 or less are retained; overpayments of $5.00 or more result in document return.

    • Instrument numbers replaced the book page in February 2007. Searches spanning this date need both systems. Before February 2007, Wyoming County was indexed by book and page. Since February 2007, the county has used instrument numbers.

    Any title chain that predates 2007 requires working in both indexing systems. The transition point is a practical research checkpoint: older deed references in documents will cite book and page; newer ones cite instrument number.

    • Marcellus Shale gas development has dominated recording activity since 2006. The county's own Recorder website explicitly states that Marcellus Shale development since 2006 has generated thousands of oil and gas leases, assignments, declarations of pooling and unitization, and related instruments.

    This is not a background consideration; it is the single most significant driver of recording volume in the county's recent history. Title research on any rural Wyoming County parcel should include a systematic search for oil and gas leases (SOV required); assignments of oil and gas leases (SOV required); declarations of pooling and unitization; and pipeline right-of-way instruments.

    • Statement of Value required on oil and gas leases and assignments. The fee schedule explicitly requires a Statement of Value for all Oil and Gas Leases and Assignments of Oil & Gas Leases. This is a distinct requirement separate from the standard SOV requirement on deeds. Submitting an oil/gas lease without an SOV will result in rejection.

    • Windham Township deeds require SOV to identify the correct school district. For deeds of property located in Windham Township, the Statement of Value must indicate the correct school district for the property. This is a township-specific requirement unique within the county and not found in any other Wyoming County municipality.

    • Claverack and Penelec utility easements require their own SASE. The county's recording requirements call out easements for Claverack and Penelec as requiring a separate self-addressed stamped envelope for return. These are utility company easements (Claverack Rural Electric Cooperative and Penelec FirstEnergy). This is in addition to the SASE required for all recordings generally.

    • Strict document quality standards: no color, no poor copies, no folded maps, and font size 9+ required. Wyoming County enforces detailed legibility standards. All documents must be legible and scannable; a font size of 9 or larger is required; a ½-inch margin across the top of every page is required. Colored documents are not acceptable for recording.

    Maps must be submitted on paper (not color, not topographical, not larger than 24×36 inches, not folded, not poor copies). Subdivision maps must show county, township, and/or borough approval and be signed by all owners and acknowledged.

    • Cameras and image-capture devices are prohibited in the office. Use of cameras, cell phones, or any image-capturing equipment to photograph or scan the contents of books or computer screens in the Register and Recorder's office is prohibited. This is an unusual policy in this series; researchers needing copies must request them through the office.

    • Records online from 1842, the full county history is available digitally. The GovOS system provides online access to Wyoming County records from the county's founding in 1842 to the present day. This is the deepest online historical record coverage in the series. Register of Wills estate record images from 1990 to the present became available online in October 2025.

    Typical Contents of a Wyoming County Property Record

    When reviewing recorded instruments at the Wyoming County Register of Wills and Recorder of Deeds, you will typically find:

    • Deeds:

      • Grantor and grantee names.

      • Complete legal description, including municipality and county.

      • Consideration amount, or Statement of Value if exempt.

      • For Windham Township deeds: SOV must identify the correct school district.

      • Uniform Parcel Identifier number.

      • Notarial acknowledgment.

      • Certificate of Residence for the grantee.

    • Mortgages and Related:

      • Lender borrower, property description, loan terms.

      • Satisfaction: $61.75; Assignment: $59.75; Release: $59.75; Supplemental: $59.75; Modification Amendment Subordination: $18.50.

    • Oil and Gas Instruments (major recording class since 2006):

      • Oil and Gas Lease ($18.50; SOV required).

      • Assignment of Oil & Gas Lease ($18.50; SOV required).

      • Assignment of Oil & Gas RTT ($59.75; SOV required).

      • Declaration of Pooling and Unitization ($18.50).

      • Oil and Gas Amendment/Extension/Release/Surrender ($18.50 each).

      • Oil and Gas Miscellaneous ($18.50).

    • Other Common Instruments:

      • Easements ($59.75); Sewer Easements ($59.75); Rights of Way ($59.75).

      • Mineral Rights Conveyances ($59.75).

      • Timber Conveyances ($18.50); Agricultural Easements ($18.50).

      • Claverack Penelec utility easements (require separate SASE).

      • Maps and Subdivision Plans ($29.00; paper only; no color; max 24×36”).

      • UCC Financing Statements ($100.00 all types).

      • Military discharges (no charge).

    Recording Changes to Property Titles

    All new deeds, mortgages, easements, and other instruments must be recorded with the Register and Recorder. Submissions may be made in person (before 3:45 p.m., Mon–Fri) or by mail. No e-recording is currently listed; contact the office to confirm current submission options.

    Pennsylvania's 2% Realty Transfer Tax (1% state + 1% local) applies to most deed transactions. All deeds must set forth true consideration or include a fully completed Statement of Value in duplicate. For property subject to two or more taxing authorities, the SOV must allocate the value to each taxing authority.

    SOV is also required on oil and gas leases and assignments. Cash or check only; no cards. Exact payment required (overage of $5.00 or less kept; over $5.00 causes return). SASE is required for all recordings.

    Base deed fee: $64.75. Mineral Rights Conveyance: $59.75. Mortgage: $64.75. Mortgage Satisfaction: $61.75. Mortgage Assignment Release Supplemental: $59.75. Easement ROW: $59.75. Oil and Gas Lease: $18.50 (SOV required). Oil and Gas Assignment: $18.50 (SOV required). Lease 30+: $59.75. UCC: $100.00. Subdivision Map: $29.00 (paper only). Military discharge: no charge. Additional pages over 4: $2.00. Additional names over 4: $0.50.

    Practical Research Flow

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

    • Search online via GovOS. Access through Register of Wills & Recorder of Deeds. Records from 1842 to the present. Support at CFWebsiteSupport@govos.com.

    • Note the February 2007 indexing transition. Pre-2007: book page. Post-2007: instrument number. Title chains spanning 2007 require both search methods.

    • For any rural parcel, systematically search for Marcellus Shale oil and gas instruments. Include leases, assignments (SOV required), declarations of pooling and unitization, and pipeline utility easements.

    • For Windham Township parcels: confirm SOV identifies the correct school district.

    • Verify parcel and gas-industry assessment data. Contact the Assessment Office at (570) 996-2262. Note the dedicated gas industry assessment section.

    • Verify zoning. Check with Community Planning for the 13 unzoned municipalities, or with the relevant township/borough for the 10 with zoning.

    • Check delinquent taxes. Contact Tax Claim.

    • Prepare recording documents. Deed $64.75; SASE required; cash/check only; exact amount; font 9+; ½” top margin; no color; no folded maps; filing cutoff 3:45 p.m.; Windham Township needs school district on SOV; oil and gas leases need SOV; Claverack/Penelec easements need extra SASE. Sign up for FraudSleuth.

    Appendix A: Municipalities in Wyoming County

    Wyoming County has 23 incorporated municipalities: 5 boroughs and 18 townships. No cities.

    • Boroughs: Tunkhannock, Factoryville, Laceyville, Meshoppen, Nicholson.

    • Townships: Braintrim, Clinton, Eaton, Exeter, Falls, Forkston, Lemon, Mehoopany, Meshoppen, Monroe, Nicholson, North Branch, Northmoreland, Noxen, Overfield, Tunkhannock, Washington, Windham.

    Appendix B: Key Contacts & Portals