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Franklin County, Pennsylvania public records

In Franklin County, deeds are recorded by the Register & Recorder; property values come from the Tax Services; court files are divided among the Prothonotary, the Clerk of Courts and the Clerk of Orphans' Court.

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Where to get each record
  2. Deeds and land records
  3. Property values, owners and tax bills
  4. Court records: which clerk keeps which case
  5. Marriage records
  6. Divorce records
  7. Birth certificates
  8. Death certificates
  9. Probate records and wills
  10. Historical records
  11. Good to know about Franklin County records
  12. Office addresses, phones and hours
  13. Records that are not online: public records requests
  14. Questions people ask
  15. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  16. Sources

Where to get each record

RecordOfficeSearch onlineFee
Deeds and land recordsRegister & Recorder2Search deeds23Fee charged$0.25 per page (copies of subdivisions $0.50 per page)2
Property values and ownersTax Services – Tax Assessment Office4Property search56Fee charged—
Property tax billsTax Services – Tax Claim Bureau7——
Court casesProthonotary8
Clerk of Courts9
Clerk of Orphans' Court10		Court of Common Pleas, 39th Judicial District (Franklin and Fulton counties) – civil/family division11
Magisterial District Courts12		Fees: clerk of courts copy: $0.25 per page; certified copy $10.00; record check $15.00 per docket13
Marriage recordsClerk of Orphans' Court10——
Divorce recordsProthonotary8—Divorce decree certified gold seal $10.00; regular certified court seal $5.0014
Birth certificatesArchives & Records Management16—State fee: $20 per certified copy (PA DOH)15
Death certificatesArchives & Records Management16—State fee: $20 per certified copy (PA DOH)17
Probate and willsRegister & Recorder2—$0.25 per page; certified copies of instruments $20.00; short certificates $5.002
Business names (DBA)Statewide: Fictitious names (DBAs) are registered with the PA Department of State, not the county (since early 1980s)18——

Deeds and land records

Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in Franklin County are recorded by the Register & Recorder (Recorder of Deeds and Register of Wills combined).2

Online search
landex.com/land-records-access.asp2Fee charged
Cost
Fee3
Who runs it
Landex (questions: 717-274-5890)2
Copy fee
$0.25 per page (copies of subdivisions $0.50 per page)2
Certified copy fee
$1.50 certification of document2
How to order
Search and order through Landex, or visit the Register & Recorder (272 North Second Street, Chambersburg); older deeds via Archives Public Research Request Form16
Recording fees
Deeds $92.75; Mortgages $92.75; Satisfaction of Mortgage $81.75; U.C.C. $100.00 (fees include one $20 UPI certification; priced at 4 pages and 4 names, $2.00 per extra page, $0.50 per extra name)2
UPI fee
$20.00 per UPI number certified5
Transfer tax
State realty transfer tax 1% plus local tax of the same; Common Level Ratio 13.89 (July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027)2
Electronic recording
Simplifile, CSC or EPN; also mail or in person2
Fraud alerts
Landex Record Alert: free notification when a document with your parcel number is recorded19

How deeds work in Pennsylvania

Property values, owners and tax bills

The Tax Services – Tax Assessment Office sets property values4; the Tax Services – Tax Claim Bureau (delinquent real estate taxes) bills and collects the tax7.

Property search
actdatascout.com/… (DataScout, linked by the county): public view with limited assessment data searchable by location or UPI; subscription required for the entire assessment and owner-name search56
Tax bill search
Current taxes: contact the local tax collector (list PDF on Tax Assessment page); delinquent taxes: Tax Claim Bureau, records also on DataScout7
Tax collector list
franklincountypa.gov/…20
Parcel map (GIS)
fcgis.franklincountypa.gov/taxparcelviewer (Parcel Mapper, county homepage link); GIS portal gisportal.franklincountypa.gov21
Appealing a value
Annual appeal deadline August 1 to the Tax Assessment Office (Board of Assessment); no filing fee20
Appeal fee
No fee20
Last reassessment
Last county-wide reassessment effective 196120
Copy fee
$0.25 per page20
Tax sales
Upset sale every September; judicial sale 2-3 months later; repository list online7
Assessor search public view
Public view DataScout: limited data, search by property location or UPI56

How property tax works in Pennsylvania

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

CourtCasesRecords kept byCase search
Court of Common Pleas, 39th Judicial District (Franklin and Fulton counties) – civil/family divisionCivil complaints, divorce, custody, judgments/liens, magisterial appeals, PFAProthonotaryujsportal.pacourts.us UJS Web Portal (statewide, free) – linked from the Clerk of Courts page; in-office at the Prothonotary11Free search
Court of Common Pleas, 39th Judicial District – criminal divisionCriminal cases, summary appeals, expungementsClerk of Courts (also Clerk of Orphans' Court) Two public computers at the Clerk of Courts; computer dockets from 1993, docket books before 1993; or UJS Portal9
Orphans' Court DivisionAccounts, adoptions, guardianships, minors' estates, small estates, trusts; marriage licensesClerk of Orphans' Court (marriage licenses, adoptions, guardianships, estates accounts) Records 1785 to present at the Clerk of Orphans' Court10
Magisterial District CourtsDistrict Court matters (per Open Records page, requested from each Magisterial District Court)—franklincountypa.gov/…12
Fees: prothonotary copy
$0.50 per photocopy; certification $5.00; exemplified record $22.0014
Fees: clerk of courts copy
$0.25 per page; certified copy $10.00; record check $15.00 per docket13
Fees: civil filing
Civil & Equity Complaint $116.0014
Fees: schedules
Prothonotary fee schedule effective January 2, 2026; Clerk of Courts fee schedule effective January 1, 202514

Criminal records and background checks

Public access
All criminal records except juvenile records are open9
Background check
Clerk does not provide certified record checks; contact the Pennsylvania State Police9
State fee
$22 per individual check22
Expungement fee
$265.25 total ($132.00 state + $133.25 county)13

How Pennsylvania courts keep their files

Marriage records

Kept by the Clerk of Orphans' Court (marriage licenses, adoptions, guardianships, estates accounts).10

Marriage license
$60.00 (both applicants in person at 14 North Main Street; online pre-application via Landex; at least 3 days before marriage; valid 60 days)10
Copies
Certified duplicates $10.00 each; request in person, by mail or online form lfweb.franklincountypa.gov/…10
Years held
1885-present; Archives holds marriage license applications 1885-2011 and returns/duplicates 1885-2020 (uncertified)16

Pennsylvania marriage records, statewide

Divorce records

Certified divorce decrees from the Prothonotary; Archives has decrees 1886-2018 downloadable from its online repository1623

Fee
Divorce decree certified gold seal $10.00; regular certified court seal $5.0014

Birth certificates

County Birth Register 1894-1906 and delayed birth registers (births 1864-1905) at Archives; from 1906, PA Department of Health Division of Vital Records16

State fee
$20 per certified copy (PA DOH)15

Ordering a Pennsylvania birth certificate

Death certificates

Death Registers 1852-1855 and 1893-1935 at Archives (uncertified); from 1906, PA Department of Health16

State fee
$20 per certified copy (PA DOH)17

Ordering a Pennsylvania death certificate

Probate records and wills

Kept by the Register & Recorder (Register of Wills function).2

Copy fee
$0.25 per page; certified copies of instruments $20.00; short certificates $5.002
Letters
Letters and probate fee by estate value: $30.00 (not exceeding $1,000) up to $80.00 ($75,001-$100,000), plus $35.00 per additional $100,000; plus Automation Fee $5.00 and JCP fee $41.252

Historical records

Archives
Archives & Records Management: catalog franklincountypa.catalogaccess.com; online repository; Public Research Request Form; nearly seven miles of records16
Naturalization
Naturalization dockets, indices and papers 1838-1991 at Archives16
Certification
Archives cannot certify documents16
Parent counties
Formed from Cumberland County in 1784; earlier records at Cumberland County Archives (and Lancaster County before 1750)24

Good to know about Franklin County records

  • The Register & Recorder is one combined office: recorder of deeds, register of wills (probate) and collector of state realty transfer and inheritance tax.2
  • Franklin County's last county-wide property reassessment took effect in 1961.20
  • Archives deed index books span 1784-2019; grantor indexes 1784-1985, grantee 1786-1898, mortgage books 1785-1994.16
  • Orphans' Court records run from 1785 to the present.10
  • Free Landex Record Alert notifies owners when a document with their parcel number is recorded.19
  • Clerk of Courts and Clerk of Orphans' Court are held by the same official.9

Office addresses, phones and hours

Register & Recorder (Recorder of Deeds and Register of Wills combined)

Address
Administration Building, 272 North Second Street, Chambersburg, PA 172012
Phone
717-261-3872 (fax 717-709-7211)2
Hours
M-F 8:30 am - 4:30 pm; probate by appointment only2

Register & Recorder (Register of Wills function)

Address
272 North Second Street, Chambersburg, PA 172012
Hours
Probate by appointment only2

Tax Services – Tax Assessment Office

Address
Administration Building, 272 North Second Street, Chambersburg, PA 172014
Phone
Tax Assessment 717-261-3801; Tax Claim 717-261-38844
Hours
M-F 8:30 am - 4:30 pm4

Tax Services – Tax Claim Bureau (delinquent real estate taxes)

Address
272 North Second Street, Chambersburg, PA 172014
Hours
M-F 8:30 am - 4:30 pm4

Treasurer (licenses, permits, hotel tax)

Address
272 North Second Street, Chambersburg, PA 1720125
Mail
Franklin County Treasurer, 272 N. Second Street, Chambersburg, PA 1720125
Hours
M-F 8:30 am - 4:30 pm; no sales after 4 p.m.25

Prothonotary

Address
Franklin County Judicial Center, 14 North Main Street, Chambersburg, PA 172018
Hours
M-F 8:30 am - 4:30 pm8

Clerk of Courts (also Clerk of Orphans' Court)

Address
Franklin County Judicial Center, 14 North Main Street, Chambersburg, PA 172019
Phone
717-261-3805 (fax 717-261-3896)9
Hours
M-F 8:30 am - 4:30 pm9

Clerk of Orphans' Court (marriage licenses, adoptions, guardianships, estates accounts)

Address
Clerk of Courts Office, 14 North Main Street, Chambersburg10
Mail
Franklin County Clerk of Courts, 14 North Main Street, Chambersburg, PA 1720110

Sheriff's Office

Address
14 North Main Street, Chambersburg, PA 1720126
Phone
717-261-3877; fax 717-261-3882 (the Open Records Officer uses the same number)26

Elections & Voter Registration

Address
272 North Second Street, Chambersburg, PA 1720127
Phone
Board of Elections 717-261-3812; Voter Registration 717-261-388627
Hours
M-F 8:30 am - 4:30 pm27

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Address
272 North Second Street, Chambersburg, PA 1720121
Hours
M-F 8:30 am - 4:30 pm21

Archives & Records Management

Address
340 North Second Street, Chambersburg, PA 1720116
Hours
Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri 9:00 am - 4:00 pm; appointment recommended16

Records that are not online: public records requests

Request page
franklincountypa.gov/… (form: wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Open-Records-Request-Form-032026.pdf)12
Where to send it
Becky Brackbill, Open Records Officer, [email protected]; court records must be requested from the court offices12
Fees
$0.25 per page; certification $1.00 per record28

How to write a public records request

Questions people ask

How do I get a copy of a deed in Franklin County?

The Register & Recorder (Recorder of Deeds and Register of Wills combined) keeps deed records. To order copies: Search and order through Landex, or visit the Register & Recorder (272 North Second Street, Chambersburg); older deeds via Archives Public Research Request Form. Plain copies: $0.25 per page (copies of subdivisions $0.50 per page). Certified copies: $1.50 certification of document.216

Can I search Franklin County land records online for free?

No, the official online search charges a fee. The official search: landex.com/land-records-access.asp32

Where do I get a divorce decree in Franklin County?

Certified divorce decrees from the Prothonotary; Archives has decrees 1886-2018 downloadable from its online repository.

How do I look up who owns a property in Franklin County?

Use the property search of the Tax Services – Tax Assessment Office: actdatascout.com/…

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Franklin County office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Other counties in Pennsylvania with a full guide: Adams County, Allegheny County, Beaver County, Berks County, Blair County, Bucks County, Butler County, Cambria County, Centre County, Chester County, Clearfield County, Crawford County, Cumberland County, Dauphin County, Delaware County, Erie County, Fayette County, Lackawanna County, Lancaster County, Lawrence County, Lebanon County, Lehigh County, Luzerne County, Lycoming County, Mercer County, Monroe County, Montgomery County, Northampton County, Northumberland County, Philadelphia County, Washington County, Westmoreland County, York County. Every county in the state: Pennsylvania county list. Looking for another Franklin County? Franklin County, Ohio; Franklin County, Washington.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureauchecked November 4, 2026
  2. Register & RecorderFranklin County, Pennsylvaniachecked November 4, 2026
  3. LANDEX Remote Services Online AccessLandexchecked November 4, 2026
  4. Taxes (Tax Services)Franklin County, Pennsylvaniachecked November 4, 2026
  5. Uniform Parcel Identifier ProgramFranklin County, Pennsylvaniachecked November 4, 2026
  6. Uniform Parcel Identifier Program -Franklin CountyFranklin County, Pennsylvaniachecked November 8, 2026
  7. Tax ClaimFranklin County, Pennsylvaniachecked November 4, 2026
  8. ProthonotaryFranklin County, Pennsylvaniachecked November 4, 2026
  9. Clerk of CourtsFranklin County, Pennsylvaniachecked November 4, 2026
  10. Clerk of Orphans' CourtFranklin County, Pennsylvaniachecked November 4, 2026
  11. Public Records | Unified Judicial System of PennsylvaniaUnified Judicial System of Pennsylvaniaarchived copychecked November 4, 2026
  12. Open Records InformationFranklin County, Pennsylvaniachecked November 4, 2026
  13. Clerk of Courts' FeesFranklin County, Pennsylvaniachecked November 4, 2026
  14. Prothonotary's Fee ScheduleFranklin County, Pennsylvaniachecked November 4, 2026
  15. Ordering a Birth CertificatePennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  16. Archives & Records ManagementFranklin County, Pennsylvaniachecked November 4, 2026
  17. Ordering a Death CertificatePennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Recordschecked November 4, 2026
  18. Fictitious NamesPennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizationschecked November 4, 2026
  19. Landex Record AlertFranklin County, Pennsylvaniachecked November 4, 2026
  20. Tax AssessmentFranklin County, Pennsylvaniachecked November 4, 2026
  21. Geographic Information Systems (GIS)Franklin County, Pennsylvaniachecked November 4, 2026
  22. Request a Criminal History Background CheckPennsylvania State Policechecked November 4, 2026
  23. Archives & Records Management -Franklin CountyFranklin County, Pennsylvaniachecked November 8, 2026
  24. Research ResourcesFranklin County, Pennsylvaniachecked November 4, 2026
  25. TreasurerFranklin County, Pennsylvaniachecked November 4, 2026
  26. SheriffFranklin County, Pennsylvaniachecked November 4, 2026
  27. Elections & Voter RegistrationFranklin County, Pennsylvaniachecked November 4, 2026
  28. Open Records Fee ScheduleFranklin County, Pennsylvaniachecked November 4, 2026
  29. County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureauchecked November 4, 2026