Delaware County Public Records /Delaware County Property Records

Delaware County Property Records

How To Search Property Records in Delaware County in 2026

DelawarePARecords.us provides access to publicly available information related to property records in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Members of the public may find ownership history, recorded deeds, tax assessment data, mortgage filings, lien notices, and parcel identification details. Record availability and completeness may vary depending on the source and the age of the document.

Property records in Delaware County are maintained across several official offices and may be searched through the following primary resources:

Delaware County Recorder of Deeds – recorded instruments including deeds, mortgages, and liens
Delaware County Board of Assessment – property valuation and assessment data
Delaware County Treasurer's Office – property tax bills, payment history, and tax claim information
Delaware County GIS Portal – parcel mapping and spatial property data

Access Methods Available:

Members of the public may access Delaware County property records through four primary channels:

Online searches – the most convenient method, available at no cost for basic record viewing
In-person visits – required for certified copies and access to older, non-digitized records
By mail – written requests submitted to the appropriate county office with applicable fees
Through professionals – title companies, real estate attorneys, and licensed appraisers conduct comprehensive searches as part of real estate transactions

1. Property Assessment Records – Board of Assessment

The Delaware County Board of Assessment maintains property valuation records, homestead status, and real estate tax data for all parcels within the county. Members of the public may search assessment records by property address, owner name, or parcel identification number.

Information available through the Board of Assessment includes:

Current owner name and mailing address
Parcel identification number
Assessed land and improvement values
Homestead and farmstead exemption status
Property classification and land use code
Tax bill mailing address requests

How to search:

Navigate to the Board of Assessment page on the Delaware County official website
Select the preferred search parameter (address, owner name, or parcel number)
Enter the search criteria and submit
Review the results list and select the relevant parcel
View the full property card, including assessed values and exemption status

Delaware County Board of Assessment
Government Center, Ground Floor
201 W. Front St., Media, PA 19063
Phone: (610) 891-4893
Board of Assessment

2. Recorder of Deeds – Recorded Document Search

The Delaware County Recorder of Deeds maintains the official index of all recorded instruments affecting real property. Pursuant to 42 Pa. C.S. § 21101, recording fees and procedures for Pennsylvania counties are governed by state statute. The Recorder's office provides two online search platforms: Recorder of Deeds Online Records and Recorder of Deeds Cloud Search, both accessible through the county's public access sites.

Documents available through the Recorder of Deeds:

Warranty deeds and quitclaim deeds
Mortgages and deeds of trust
Mortgage satisfactions and releases
Mechanic's liens and judgment liens
Easements and declarations of restrictions
Subdivision plats and surveys
Powers of attorney affecting real property
Lis pendens filings
HOA declarations and amendments

How to search recorded documents:

Visit the Recorder of Deeds public access sites page
Select either the Online Records portal or the Cloud Search platform
Choose a search type: grantor name, grantee name, document type, or recording date range
Enter the applicable search criteria
Review the results and select the relevant instrument
View document images where available; note the book and page or instrument number for certified copy requests

Delaware County Recorder of Deeds
Government Center, Room 107
201 W. Front St., Media, PA 19063
Phone: (610) 891-4152
Recorder of Deeds

3. Treasurer's Office – Tax Records and Property Sales

The Delaware County Treasurer's Office administers property tax collection, the Tax Claim Bureau, and property sales resulting from delinquent tax proceedings. Members of the public may access current and back-year tax information, payment history, and delinquency status through the Treasurer's online portal.

Information available through the Treasurer's Office:

Current year and prior year tax bills
Tax payment history and outstanding balances
Tax Claim Bureau delinquency records
Property sales resulting from tax proceedings
Homestead status verification

How to access tax records:

Navigate to the property taxes section of the Treasurer's website
Select the appropriate search option (current year taxes or back year taxes)
Enter the property address or parcel number
Review the tax account details, payment status, and any outstanding amounts
Use the online payment portal to remit current or delinquent taxes if applicable

Delaware County Treasurer's Office
Government Center, Ground Floor
201 W. Front St., Media, PA 19063
Phone: (610) 891-4273
Treasurer's Office

4. GIS Mapping and Parcel Data

Delaware County maintains an interactive GIS portal that allows members of the public to search parcels visually by map location, address, or parcel number. The system displays property boundaries, aerial photography, zoning overlays, flood zone designations, and links to associated assessment and recorded document data.

By Mail Requests:

Members of the public who are unable to conduct in-person or online searches may submit written requests by mail to the relevant office. Requests to the Recorder of Deeds should specify the document by book and page number, instrument number, or property address with an approximate recording date range. Requests to the Board of Assessment should include the property address or parcel identification number. Payment for applicable copy fees must accompany all mail requests.

Through Professionals:

Title companies conduct comprehensive title searches and produce abstracts of title identifying all recorded interests in a property. Real estate attorneys provide legal title opinions and assist with complex ownership or encumbrance issues. Licensed appraisers access assessment and sales data as part of property valuation engagements.

Search Tips:

When searching by owner name, attempt both last-name-first and full-name formats, and consider name spelling variations
When searching by address, try entries with and without directional prefixes (N, S, E, W)
Very recent transactions may not yet appear online due to recording processing delays
Records predating county digitization efforts may require an in-person visit to the courthouse

What Is Delaware County Property Records

Property records in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, are official legal documents related to real property — encompassing land and any improvements affixed to it — maintained by county government offices and accessible to the general public. These records constitute the authoritative source for establishing legal ownership, documenting the chain of title, recording encumbrances, and supporting property tax administration.

Types of property records maintained in Delaware County include:

Ownership Records:

Warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, and special warranty deeds
Life estate deeds and trust documents affecting real property
Transfer records and ownership history constituting the chain of title

Encumbrance Records:

Mortgages, deeds of trust, and assignments of mortgage
Mechanic's liens, judgment liens, and tax liens
Easements, deed restrictions, and restrictive covenants
Lis pendens filings and HOA declarations

Tax and Assessment Records:

Annual property tax assessments maintained by the Board of Assessment
Tax bills, payment history, and delinquency records administered by the Treasurer's Office
Homestead and farmstead exemption designations
Tax Claim Bureau records for delinquent properties

Legal Descriptions and Plat Records:

Recorded subdivision plats and re-plats
Survey plats and condominium declarations
Lot and block information and metes and bounds descriptions

Building and Permit Records:

Building permits and certificates of occupancy
Zoning classifications and land use designations
Code enforcement records

Who Maintains Property Records in Delaware County:

The Recorder of Deeds maintains all recorded instruments affecting title, including deeds, mortgages, liens, and easements. The Board of Assessment maintains property valuation records, assessment rolls, and exemption data. The Treasurer's Office administers tax collection and delinquency records. The Delaware County Planning Department maintains zoning, land use, and subdivision records.

Legal Framework:

Under Pennsylvania's Real Estate Recording Law, 21 P.S. § 351, instruments affecting title to real property must be recorded with the county Recorder of Deeds to provide constructive notice to subsequent purchasers and encumbrancers. The recording system is the legal mechanism by which property interests are made public and enforceable against third parties.

Are Property Records Public Information in Delaware County?

Property records in Delaware County are public information. Under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law, 65 P.S. § 67.301, records in the possession of a Commonwealth agency or local agency are presumed to be public unless a specific exemption applies. Property records maintained by the Recorder of Deeds, Board of Assessment, and Treasurer's Office are subject to this presumption of public access.

As the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records has stated, "The Right-to-Know Law creates a presumption that records are public and places the burden on the agency to prove that a record is exempt from disclosure."

Why Property Records Are Public:

The public nature of property records serves several essential functions:

Transparency in ownership – the public has a recognized interest in knowing who owns real property within a community
Constructive notice – recording provides legal notice to all subsequent parties of existing interests in a property
Tax accountability – assessment and tax records enable public scrutiny of property taxation
Real estate market function – title searches, appraisals, and lending depend on open access to recorded instruments
Fraud prevention – public recording deters fraudulent transfers and secret conveyances

What Property Information Is Freely Accessible:

Current and historical ownership names
Legal descriptions and parcel identification numbers
Sale prices and transfer dates
Recorded mortgage amounts and lender names
Lien filings and releases
Tax assessments and payment status
Property characteristics (size, year built, building type)
Recorded document images through the Recorder of Deeds

Privacy Considerations:

Under current Pennsylvania law, Social Security numbers and financial account numbers must be redacted from documents before recording or upon request. Certain individuals — including law enforcement officers, judges, and domestic violence victims — may be eligible for address confidentiality protections under applicable state programs. Homestead exemption applications may contain personal financial information that is not fully subject to public disclosure; members of the public should contact the Board of Assessment directly regarding the scope of exemption application disclosures.

Who May Access Property Records:

Any member of the public — regardless of residency, ownership status, or stated purpose — may access Delaware County property records. No special authorization, business justification, or court order is required. Common users include prospective buyers, real estate agents, title companies, lenders, appraisers, attorneys, investors, genealogical researchers, journalists, and property owners reviewing their own records.

How Much Does It Cost to Get Property Records in Delaware County?

Members of the public may view property assessment data and basic tax information online at no cost through the Delaware County Treasurer's Office and Board of Assessment portals. The Recorder of Deeds provides free online search access through its public access sites; however, fees apply for viewing document images and obtaining copies.

Current fee structure for the Delaware County Recorder of Deeds:

Service	Standard Fee
Recording a deed (first two pages)	$107.25
Each additional page	$3.00
Certified copy of a recorded document	$1.50 per page + $5.00 certification fee
Non-certified copy (in-office)	$1.00 per page
Online document image viewing/download	Fee may apply per document
Search fee (in-office staff-assisted)	No separate search fee

Recording fees in Pennsylvania are governed in part by 42 Pa. C.S. § 21101, which establishes the statutory framework for recorder fees across Commonwealth counties. Fees are subject to change; members of the public should confirm current amounts directly with the Recorder of Deeds prior to submitting requests.

Accepted payment methods at the Recorder of Deeds office include cash, check, and money order. Online payment options may be available through the county's digital portals.

What is available at no cost:

Online viewing of assessment records through the Board of Assessment
Online tax account lookup through the Treasurer's Office
Basic parcel search through the county GIS system
Online document index searches through the Recorder of Deeds public access sites

Fee waivers are not broadly available for property record requests; however, government agencies and certain nonprofit organizations may be entitled to reduced or waived fees under applicable Pennsylvania law.

What's Included in a Delaware County Property Record

A complete Delaware County property record draws from multiple county offices and may include the following categories of information:

Ownership Information:

Legal owner name(s) as recorded on the current deed
Ownership type (individual, joint tenants, tenants in common, tenants by entirety, trust, LLC, or corporation)
Acquisition date and deed book/page or instrument number
Mailing address on file for tax bill delivery
Chain of title reflecting prior owners, transfer dates, and historical deed references

Property Identification:

Site address and mailing address (if different)
Parcel identification number and tax account number
Legal description including lot and block, subdivision name, plat book and page reference, and metes and bounds description where applicable

Physical Characteristics:

Lot size in square feet or acres, lot dimensions, and frontage
Total living area, year built, number of stories, and building type
Construction type, exterior wall material, roof type, and foundation
Number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and total rooms
Additional features including garage, pool, porch, fireplace, and HVAC systems
Water source and sewer system designation

Valuation Information:

Assessed land value and assessed improvement value
Total assessed value and estimated market value
Historical assessed values for prior years

Tax Information:

Current year tax amount, taxable value, and applicable millage rates
Breakdown by taxing authority (county, school district, municipality, and special districts)
Payment status, due dates, and prior year payment history
Exemptions applied (homestead, farmstead, senior, veteran, disability)

Sales History:

Sale dates, sale prices, and deed document numbers for recent transfers
Grantor and grantee names for each transaction
Sale type designation (arms-length, quitclaim, foreclosure, tax deed, inheritance)

Encumbrances and Liens:

Recorded mortgages with original amounts, lender names, and recording dates
Active liens including tax liens, judgment liens, mechanic's liens, and HOA liens
Easements, deed restrictions, and lis pendens filings

Legal and Regulatory Information:

Zoning classification and permitted uses
Land use code and future land use designation
School district, fire district, and special taxing district assignments
FEMA flood zone designation

Maps and Visual Information:

Aerial photograph and GIS parcel boundary map
Property sketch or building footprint
Plat map reference

How Long Does Delaware County Keep Property Records?

Property records in Delaware County are maintained permanently. Recorded instruments affecting title to real property — including deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, plats, and all related documents — are never destroyed. This permanent retention is both a legal requirement and a practical necessity, as the chain of title for any parcel depends on an unbroken historical record extending back to the original conveyance.

Pennsylvania's records retention framework, established under the Commonwealth's general records management statutes, requires that recorded instruments be preserved indefinitely. The Recorder of Deeds maintains original documents or certified digital images of all instruments recorded since the office's establishment, with Delaware County records dating to the county's formation in 1789.

Format and Storage of Historical Records:

Records from the 18th and 19th centuries exist in handwritten deed books stored in climate-controlled vault facilities
Early-to-mid 20th century records are available on microfilm
Records from approximately the 1980s onward have been digitized and are accessible through the Recorder of Deeds online portals
All digital records are maintained with off-site backup systems to ensure preservation

Online Availability by Time Period:

Time Period	Availability
Recent (last 20–30 years)	Fully online; immediate access
Moderate age (30–50 years)	Partially online; microfilm available in-office
Historical (50–100 years)	In-office access; microfilm or original books
Very old (100+ years)	Archive storage; staff retrieval; advance notice helpful

Assessment and Tax Records:

The Board of Assessment maintains property assessment rolls permanently. Online property cards reflect current and recent historical assessed values; older assessment history is available through in-office requests. The Treasurer's Office retains tax payment records for a minimum of seven years in accessible format, with permanent retention for tax deed records and Tax Claim Bureau proceedings.

Accessing Historical Records:

Members of the public seeking records not available through online portals may contact the Recorder of Deeds directly. Staff can retrieve documents from vault storage, microfilm archives, or digital systems. For very old records, advance notice is recommended to allow for retrieval from archive storage.

Delaware County Recorder of Deeds
Government Center, Room 107
201 W. Front St., Media, PA 19063
Phone: (610) 891-4152
Recorder of Deeds

Digitization of historical records is an ongoing effort in Delaware County. Members of the public conducting genealogical or historical title research may also consult the Delaware County Historical Society, which maintains supplementary historical land records and maps.

How To Find Liens on Property in Delaware County

Liens on property in Delaware County are recorded instruments and are therefore searchable through the Recorder of Deeds' official records system. A lien is a legal claim against real property that must be satisfied before clear title can be conveyed; common types include mortgage liens, judgment liens, mechanic's liens, federal and state tax liens, and municipal claims.

Step-by-step process for searching liens:

Access the Recorder of Deeds public access sites and select either the Online Records portal or the Cloud Search platform
Search by the property owner's name as grantee or grantor, or by the property address if the system supports address-based searches
Filter results by document type — select lien-related categories such as "Mechanic's Lien," "Judgment," "Federal Tax Lien," or "Municipal Claim"
Review all results for the relevant time period and note instrument numbers, recording dates, and lien amounts
For each active lien identified, check whether a corresponding release or satisfaction has been recorded by searching for the lienholder as grantor

Types of liens searchable through the Recorder of Deeds:

Mortgage liens – recorded at origination; releases recorded upon payoff
Mechanic's liens – filed by contractors or suppliers for unpaid construction work under Pennsylvania's Mechanics' Lien Law
Judgment liens – entered against a property owner following a court judgment; searchable through both the Recorder of Deeds and the Court of Common Pleas
Federal tax liens – filed by the IRS against a taxpayer's property; recorded with the Recorder of Deeds
State tax liens – filed by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue
Municipal claims – filed by municipalities for unpaid assessments, utilities, or code enforcement costs

For judgment liens specifically, members of the public should also search the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas docket, as judgments are docketed with the court before being indexed as liens against real property.

For delinquent property tax liens, the Delaware County Tax Claim Bureau — administered through the Treasurer's Office — maintains records of properties with unpaid county and municipal real estate taxes. The Tax Claim Bureau's records are accessible through the Treasurer's online portal and in person at the Government Center.

Delaware County Court of Common Pleas
Delaware County Courthouse
201 W. Front St., Media, PA 19063
Phone: (610) 891-4370
Delaware County Courts

Title companies and real estate attorneys conduct comprehensive lien searches as part of standard title examination procedures, reviewing all recorded instruments and court dockets to identify encumbrances that must be resolved prior to closing.

What Is Property Owner Rule in Delaware County

The property owner rule in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, refers to the body of legal principles governing who may hold title to real property, how ownership interests are established and transferred, and what rights and obligations attach to property ownership within the county. These principles derive from Pennsylvania state law, common law traditions, and applicable federal regulations.

Establishment of Ownership:

Legal ownership of real property in Delaware County is established through a recorded deed. Under Pennsylvania recording law, a deed must be executed by the grantor, acknowledged before a notary public or other authorized officer, and recorded with the Delaware County Recorder of Deeds to provide constructive notice of the transfer. An unrecorded deed may be valid between the parties but is not enforceable against subsequent bona fide purchasers or encumbrancers who record without notice of the prior transfer.

Forms of Ownership Recognized in Pennsylvania:

Sole ownership – title held by a single individual or legal entity
Joint tenancy with right of survivorship – two or more owners hold equal shares; upon the death of one owner, the surviving owner(s) take the deceased's interest automatically
Tenancy in common – two or more owners hold undivided interests that may be unequal; each owner's interest passes through their estate upon death
Tenancy by the entireties – available exclusively to legally married couples in Pennsylvania; provides protection from individual creditors of either spouse and includes right of survivorship
Trust ownership – title held by a trustee for the benefit of named beneficiaries
Entity ownership – title held by a corporation, LLC, partnership, or other legal entity

Property Owner Rights and Obligations:

Property owners in Delaware County hold the right to use, lease, encumber, and convey their property subject to applicable zoning regulations, deed restrictions, easements, and state and local law. Owners are obligated to pay annual real estate taxes assessed by the county, school district, and municipality. Failure to pay real estate taxes subjects the property to proceedings before the Tax Claim Bureau under the Pennsylvania Real Estate Tax Sale Law.

Homestead Protections:

Pennsylvania does not provide a homestead exemption from creditors in the same manner as some other states; however, property held as tenants by the entireties is protected from the individual debts of either spouse. The homestead designation available through the Board of Assessment relates to a reduction in assessed value for school district tax purposes under the Homestead/Farmstead Exclusion program, not creditor protection.

Transfer of Ownership:

Property transfers in Delaware County are subject to the Pennsylvania Realty Transfer Tax, currently imposed at a combined rate of 2% of the sale price or assessed value (whichever is greater), with 1% payable to the Commonwealth and 1% to the local taxing authority. Certain transfers — including transfers between spouses, transfers to or from government entities, and certain trust transfers — are exempt from realty transfer tax under applicable Pennsylvania statutes.

Adverse Possession:

Under Pennsylvania law, a party who openly, continuously, exclusively, and notoriously possesses another's property for a period of 21 years may acquire legal title through adverse possession. Such claims must be adjudicated through the Court of Common Pleas, and a court order quieting title must be recorded with the Recorder of Deeds to establish the new ownership of record.

Eminent Domain:

The county, municipalities, school districts, and authorized state agencies retain the power of eminent domain — the authority to acquire private property for public use upon payment of just compensation — pursuant to Pennsylvania's Eminent Domain Code. Property owners subject to condemnation proceedings have the right to contest the taking and the compensation offered through the Court of Common Pleas.