Cumberland County Recorder of Deeds: Search & Office

Cumberland County Recorder of Deeds

Recorder: Susan G. Turner
First Deputy: Jennifer Knight
Second Deputy: Brenda Miller

Address:
1 Courthouse Square
First Floor
Carlisle, PA 17013

Phone: 717-240-6370
Toll-free: 888-697-0371, extension 6370

Email: recorder@cumberlandcountypa.gov

Public hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:00 PM.

The county also provides in-office land-record research until 3:30 PM on regular office days.

Google Map and Directions

The Recorder’s Office is on the first floor of the Cumberland County Courthouse complex in downtown Carlisle.

Cumberland County uses LANDEX for remote land-record research.

Its database includes deeds dating to 1750, along with mortgage and miscellaneous document indexes.

Online research and image access may involve subscription or transaction-based fees, depending on the LANDEX service selected.

1. Open LANDEX.

   Use the provider linked by the official Cumberland County Recorder website.

   Open LANDEX Land Records
   After opening: Select LANDEX Webstore for occasional browser-based searches or LANDEX Remote for more frequent professional research.
2. Select Cumberland County.

   Choose Pennsylvania and Cumberland County in the applicable LANDEX search service.

3. Choose a record category.

   Search deeds, mortgages or miscellaneous instruments based on the document you need.

4. Search using names or references.

   Use grantor, grantee or other available indexed information. Include an approximate recording date when known.

5. Review matching documents.

   Compare parties, recording dates, document references and legal descriptions.

6. Obtain the document image.

   Follow LANDEX payment or account instructions for viewing or purchasing available copies.

How Far Back Do Records Go?

Older deed research may require historical names, deed books or other legacy references.

Contact the Recorder if you cannot locate a historical instrument through the available online indexes.

Recorded deeds are primarily researched through names, document references and legal descriptions.

If you only have a street address, start with the Cumberland County Property Mapper.

1. Open the county property mapping service.

   The mapper can help locate the property and identify its tax parcel.

   Open Cumberland County Property Mapping
   After opening: Select the Property Mapper, then use the available address or parcel lookup.
2. Identify the matching property.

   Check the municipality, street address and parcel identifier.

3. Note the owner information.

   Use current assessment information to identify names relevant to the deed search.

4. Return to LANDEX.

   Search for recorded conveyances and verify the deed’s legal description.

Cumberland County requires a Uniform Parcel Identifier (UPI) on most documents affecting real estate.

This requirement began in 2008 under county ordinance. The certification fee increased to $20 per parcel on January 1, 2025.

Covered instruments must identify the appropriate parcel number on the first page.

Which documents generally require UPI certification?

• Real estate deeds and other conveyances.
• Mortgages affecting real estate.
• Subdivision plans.
• Agreements or instruments affecting real-property interests.
• Other documents covered by the county’s UPI ordinance.

The county identifies exceptions, including wills, general powers of attorney and certain municipal road dedications.

How UPI certification works

1. Identify the tax parcel number.

   Use the county Property Mapper or Assessment records.

2. Place the UPI on the first page.

   Include the applicable parcel identifier near the top of the instrument.

3. Present the document for certification.

   The Tax Assessment Office verifies the identifier before recording.

4. Receive the certification.

   A barcode or other county certification is applied after successful validation.

5. Submit the certified document.

   The Recorder accepts the instrument for recording if other requirements and fees are satisfied.

Where Is UPI Certification Handled?

The county identifies Tax Assessment, Room 110 in the historic courthouse as the UPI certification location.

For questions involving UPI rejection or parcel mapping, contact: propertymapping-upi@cumberlandcountypa.gov .

The Recorder accepts eligible documents that meet Pennsylvania law and county recording requirements.

The office records instruments but does not determine whether an ownership transfer is legally valid or whether the deed form is appropriate.

1. Prepare the correct deed.

   Include the relevant parties, legal description, signatures and acknowledgment.

2. Check the parcel identifier.

   Confirm the property’s UPI and ensure it appears where the county requires it.

3. Arrange UPI certification.

   Have the applicable parcel identifiers certified by Tax Assessment.

4. Prepare transfer-tax documentation.

   Determine whether Pennsylvania realty transfer tax applies and whether a Statement of Value is necessary.

5. Confirm recording fees and payment.

   Use the current county fee schedule, including page, name, parcel and any other applicable charges.

6. Submit the instrument.

   Arrange an in-person appointment, mail the completed recording package or use an approved eRecording vendor.

Mailing a deed for recording

Mail completed documents to the Cumberland County Recorder of Deeds, 1 Courthouse Square, Carlisle, PA 17013.

Confirm the required payment, return instructions and whether the document needs additional certification before mailing.

The county warns that mailed documents with incorrect payments may be returned without recording.

Cumberland County’s current published Recorder fee schedule became effective November 17, 2025.

It reflects an increase in the County Judicial Education Assessment fee under Pennsylvania Act 45 of 2025.

Additional published charges

• Release: $37.
• Assignment of mortgage: $78.25.
• Agreement of sale: $78.25.
• Mortgage modification: $37.
• General power of attorney: $17.
• Power of attorney with parcel number: $37.
• Statement of Value: $1.
• Additional mortgage reference: $2 when applicable.

Example: one standard deed

Credit card payment fee

Credit-card payments are processed through Value Payment Systems.

The county lists a 2.25% convenience fee, with a $2.50 minimum per transaction.

Checks should be payable to Recorder of Deeds.

August 2026 e-filing update

Effective August 1, 2026, the Recorder announced a charge of $0.50 per page for trust documents attached to deeds when electronically filed.

This is a targeted e-filing charge. It should not be applied to unrelated recordings.

Pennsylvania generally imposes a 1% state realty transfer tax on taxable conveyances.

Local realty transfer tax may apply in addition to the state tax. The combined amount depends on the municipality and the transaction.

Some transfers are exempt or require tax calculations based on adjusted assessed value rather than stated consideration.

When is a Statement of Value needed?

Pennsylvania uses a Statement of Value for certain transfers where the stated consideration does not fully establish the applicable taxable value.

Examples may include certain exempt transfers, nominal-consideration deeds and other transfers covered by Pennsylvania’s realty transfer-tax rules.

The Recorder maintains permanent land records and provides access through LANDEX and office research.

If you need a copy for a lender, court or other institution, first ask whether an ordinary copy is sufficient.

1. Locate the recorded document.

   Use LANDEX or the Recorder’s in-office search system.

2. Confirm the instrument.

   Check the names, recording date and reference to avoid requesting the wrong document.

3. Choose the copy type.

   Determine whether you need a regular image, printed copy or an officially certified document.

4. Arrange payment and delivery.

   Follow LANDEX instructions or contact the Recorder for staff-assisted copy requests.

Historical deed research

Cumberland County’s deed records date to 1750.

Historical deed books were transferred to the County Archives for preservation, while the Recorder provides online research access.

If you need historical materials outside the land-record index, contact the Archives to identify the correct collection.

Cumberland County accepts electronically submitted documents through approved recording providers.

The Recorder lists three authorized eRecording services.

Electronic filing does not eliminate UPI certification, proper acknowledgment or transfer-tax requirements.

The county’s August 2026 trust-attachment fee also matters when e-filing deeds with attached trust documents.

Cumberland County offers a free property-record notification system through LANDEX.

Registered users can receive text or email alerts when a new document is recorded against a monitored parcel number.

The service is funded through the Recorder of Deeds Record Improvement Fund.

How to sign up

1. Open the official notification page. Records Notification System
2. Follow the LANDEX registration link.

   Choose Cumberland County if the service requires county selection.

3. Register the parcel.

   Enter the parcel number and contact information requested by the alert service.

4. Review future notifications.

   If an unfamiliar instrument appears, verify it through the Recorder before drawing conclusions.

Property-related services are divided among several Cumberland County offices.

Use the correct office to avoid delays and unnecessary payments.

• Only have a street address? Use Property Mapping to locate the parcel and ownership information before searching LANDEX.
• Unable to locate an older deed? Try historical names, alternative spellings and older book references.
• Unexpected LANDEX charge? Check whether you selected Webstore or Remote and review the service’s billing rules.
• Document rejected for UPI? Verify the parcel number and contact Tax Assessment or Property Mapping.
• Recording payment is incorrect? Use the November 2025 fee schedule and account for all additional parcels.
• Need an in-person appointment? Email or call the Recorder before visiting the courthouse.
• Unsure of transfer tax? Verify the municipality, consideration and any applicable exemption.
• Need a certified deed copy? Contact the Recorder with the instrument reference and ask about certification.
• Received a suspicious record alert? Verify the instrument before treating the notification as evidence of fraud.

These official resources support the office, record-search, fee, UPI and filing information in this guide.

Independent Information and Public Records Notice

This is an independent informational guide. It is not the official website of Cumberland County, the Recorder of Deeds or any Pennsylvania government office.

Recording fees, UPI requirements, office hours, online access and other county procedures can change.

Confirm current details with the appropriate government office before submitting an original document or making a payment.

Recording a deed does not guarantee clear title, establish that a transfer is legally valid or resolve an ownership dispute.

For deed preparation, estates, trusts, realty transfer-tax exemptions or title defects, consult a qualified Pennsylvania attorney or title professional.

Public-record information must not be used for employment screening, tenant screening, credit, insurance or other decisions regulated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Editorial review: October 17, 2026. Sources include Cumberland County Recorder of Deeds, Tax Assessment, county public-records resources, LANDEX and the official Recorder fee schedule.