Pennsylvania life estate deed
A life estate deed lets you name who inherits your Pennsylvania property without probate, while you keep full ownership and the right to change your mind. Here is exactly what Pennsylvania requires, what it costs, and where to file it.
- Recording office
- Recorder of Deeds
- Witnesses
- Notary only
- Transfer tax
- 1% state
- First-page margin
- 3″ top
- Recording fee
- ~$65 first page
- E-recording
- Generally available
What a life estate deed does in Pennsylvania
A traditional life estate deed splits ownership across time. You, the life tenant, keep the right to live in and use the property for the rest of your life. The remaindermen you name own everything after that, and their interest vests the moment the deed is recorded. Because their interest is real and present, you can't sell, refinance, or undo the deed without their signatures. That permanence is the whole difference between this and a lady bird deed.
Less common in Pennsylvania
Life estate deeds are valid here but used less often than in other states. Read the limitations below carefully before choosing one.
When Pennsylvania homeowners use a life estate deed
- Pass a home to children while reserving the right to live there for life
- Start the Medicaid look-back clock on a transfer (state rules vary)
- Avoid probate on the property with a simple, long-established instrument
- Provide for a surviving spouse or partner with the remainder going to your own children
What Pennsylvania requires on the deed
These are the execution and formatting rules recorders of deeds enforce. Getting any of them wrong is the usual reason a deed comes back in the mail.
| Requirement | What Pennsylvania says |
|---|---|
| Recording office | Recorder of Deeds |
| Notarization | Required. Every signature must be made in the notary's presence. |
| Witnesses | None required. A notarial acknowledgment is enough. |
| Legal description | Required, copied exactly from the prior recorded deed. A street address is not sufficient. |
| Grantee's address | Must appear on the face of the deed. |
| Return address | A 'when recorded, return to' block is required. |
| Preparer statement | Not required, but customary. |
| Prior deed reference | Not required, though it keeps the chain of title clean. |
| Page setup | 8.5 × 11 in, 3-inch top margin on the first page, 1-inch elsewhere, 10pt minimum type. |
| Accompanying form | Statement of Value (Form REV-183) for non-arm's-length transfers |
| Timing | Must be recorded before the owner's death. Recording it afterwards has no effect. |
How to complete and record it in Pennsylvania
- Find your current deedYou need the legal description from it, word for word. If you can't find your copy, the Recorder of Deeds can provide one, usually for a few dollars.
- Identify everyone by full legal nameNames must match the current deed and government ID exactly, middle names included. A mismatch creates a gap in the chain of title that shows up years later at closing.
- Complete the deedDeedly builds it with Pennsylvania's statutory language, the correct notary block, and the 3-inch first-page margin recorders of deeds expect.
- Sign in front of a notaryBring photo ID. Do not sign in advance. The signature has to be made in the notary's presence.
- Complete Statement of Value (Form REV-183) for non-arm's-length transfersPennsylvania requires this alongside the deed, including for exempt transfers. Your filing packet explains which boxes apply to your situation.
- Record it with the Recorder of DeedsFile in the county where the property is located and pay the recording fee. Most offices in this state also accept e-recording, which is usually same-day. Keep the stamped receipt. It fixes your priority date.
- Tell your beneficiaries where it isAfter your death they will need the recorded document plus a certified death certificate, and in most states an affidavit of death, to complete the transfer.
What it costs in Pennsylvania
| Cost | Typical amount |
|---|---|
| Recording fee | About $65 for the first page |
| Transfer tax | Realty transfer tax: 1% state, plus local (typically 1%, but Philadelphia's combined rate is about 4.278% and Pittsburgh's about 5%) |
| Notary | Typically $5–$25 per signature; often free at your bank |
| Deedly | $69, one time |
| Attorney (for comparison) | $300–$1,200 for the same statutory document |
Pennsylvania charges a realty transfer tax of 1% state, plus local (typically 1%, but Philadelphia's combined rate is about 4.278% and Pittsburgh's about 5%). It is customarily paid by the negotiated. Cities and counties may add their own on top, so check the municipality rather than just the county.
Exemptions that commonly apply to a transfer like this: transfers between spouses, transfers between parent and child, grandparent and grandchild, or siblings, transfers to or from a revocable living trust, and gifts within the exempt family relationships. You have to claim the exemption. The recorder won't apply it for you.
Where to record it in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania deeds are recorded with the Recorder of Deeds in the county where the property sits, not where you live. There are 67 counties in Pennsylvania.
Most Pennsylvania recording offices accept e-recording through vendors such as Simplifile, CSC, or ePN, which is usually same-day. Check your county's website for the list it works with.
Recording offices we cover in Pennsylvania: Philadelphia, Allegheny, Montgomery, Bucks, Delaware, Lancaster, Chester, York, Berks, Westmoreland. See all Pennsylvania recording offices.
What a life estate deed does NOT do
Being honest about the limits is more useful than a sales pitch. Every one of these catches somebody out.
- It is not revocable. Once recorded, you can't sell or mortgage the property without every remainderman signing.
- A remainderman's divorce, bankruptcy, or judgment creditor can attach their interest in your home while you're still living in it.
- The remaindermen may lose the full step-up in basis that a lady bird deed or a TOD deed would have preserved.
- It is usually treated as a divestment for Medicaid purposes, unlike a lady bird deed. Get advice before using it for that purpose.
Quirks of Pennsylvania law that catch people out
- Pennsylvania's family exemptions from realty transfer tax are among the broadest anywhere: spouse, parent/child, grandparent/grandchild, and sibling transfers are all exempt. A Statement of Value (REV-183) claims the exemption.
- Philadelphia's combined realty transfer tax is about 4.278% and Pittsburgh's is about 5%, far above the 2% typical elsewhere in the state.
- Pennsylvania does not recognize transfer-on-death deeds.
- A conveyance to a married couple creates a tenancy by the entirety automatically, which is strong creditor protection.
$69, one time. Your finished deed appears in full before you pay, with Pennsylvania's witness rules, margins, and recording instructions already applied.
Common questions
No. Pennsylvania has no requirement that an attorney prepare a deed. What matters is the correct statutory language, an accurate legal description, proper notarization, and recording with the Recorder of Deeds. Deedly produces all of that for $69, versus roughly $300–$1,200 for an attorney to draft the same document. If ownership is disputed, the current owner has died without probate, or the transfer is tax-sensitive, use an attorney.
Expect around $65 for the first page. Pennsylvania also charges realty transfer tax of 1% state, plus local (typically 1%, but Philadelphia's combined rate is about 4.278% and Pittsburgh's about 5%), though gifts and family transfers are often exempt. Typical figure. Counties set their own fees. Confirm with your recorder before mailing.
No. Pennsylvania requires only that the grantor's signature be acknowledged before a notary public. Forms that show witness lines are usually generic templates borrowed from another state.
With the Recorder of Deeds in the county where the property is located, not where you live, and not where the buyer lives. Pennsylvania has 67 counties. Most offices also accept e-recording through a submitting service.
No. Once a life estate deed is recorded, the remaindermen hold a present interest and you can't sell, mortgage, or undo it without every one of them signing. If you want to keep control, look at a living trust instead.
Yes, for this property. On death the property passes directly to the people you named, outside probate, once they record proof of death with the Recorder of Deeds. It doesn't avoid probate for anything else you own, it doesn't clear the mortgage, and it doesn't protect the property from your creditors.
Keep reading
- Pennsylvania quitclaim deedTransfers whatever interest you have in a property, with no promises about the title.
- Pennsylvania general warranty deedTransfers ownership with the strongest title guarantees the law allows.
- Pennsylvania special warranty deedTransfers ownership, but only guarantees the title for the period you owned it.
- Pennsylvania gift deedTransfers property to someone as an outright gift, for no payment.
- All deed rules for PennsylvaniaRecording offices, transfer tax, witness rules, and fees.
- Pennsylvania recording officesWhere to file in each county.
Deedly is not a law firm
We provide self-help software and state-specific statutory forms; you make your own decisions about your property. Using Deedly does not create an attorney-client relationship, and nothing here is legal advice. If your situation is complex or contested, talk to a licensed attorney in your state.