Recording a deed in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Everything you need to get a deed on file in Allegheny County. The office that records it, the formatting it checks, what it costs, and the three ways to submit.
- Recording office
- Recorder of Deeds
- Witnesses
- Notary only
- Transfer tax
- 1% state
- First-page margin
- 3″ top
- Recording fee
- ~$200 per document
- E-recording
- Approved submitters
Recording a deed in Allegheny County
Deeds affecting property in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania are recorded with the Division of Real Estate. Recording is what puts the world on notice of your ownership and fixes the priority date. An unrecorded deed can still transfer title between the parties, but it leaves you exposed to anyone who records first.
The recording rules the office applies come from 21 Pa. Stat. § 351. Deeds themselves are governed by 21 Pa. Stat. § 1.
Worth knowing
Allegheny County records deeds at its Division of Real Estate, County Office Building, Room 101, 542 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh. The standard fee to record a deed is $200, and the Division does not accept personal checks, debit or credit cards.
Worth knowing
Before recording, the county's Certification Clerk reviews the grantors, the legal description and the certificate of residence addresses and assigns parcel numbers, at no charge. The certificate of residence must be typed and give both the owner's mailing address and the tax bill mailing address, even if they are the same. Deedly's certificate prints both, using the grantee's address for tax bills (the life tenant's on a life estate deed). If a mortgage company or agent pays the taxes, the tax bill address must name it instead: contact Deedly support to change that line before you print.
Worth knowing
Allegheny County wants the legal description to name the municipality, and the ward for property in the City of Pittsburgh, and the deed to carry the block and lot number.
Worth knowing
The City of Pittsburgh's combined realty transfer tax is 5% (3% city, 1% Pittsburgh School District, 1% state).
What to bring
- The original signed and notarized deed. Recorders do not record photocopies handed over the counter.
- A completed notarial acknowledgment, with the date, the place where you signed, and the commission expiry all filled in.
- Realty Transfer Tax Statement of Value (Form REV-183, filed in duplicate for a gift, an exempt transfer, or a deed that does not state the full price), which Pennsylvania requires alongside the deed.
- Payment for the recording fee, about $200 per document. Many offices do not take personal checks.
Formatting
- Deedly's layout, which suits this office: 8.5 × 11 inch paper, a 3-inch clear space at the top of page one for the recording stamp, 1-inch margins on the other edges, and type no smaller than 10 point. Deedly formats every document this way automatically.
- A legal description. A street address alone is not enough.
- A 'when recorded, return to' block so the stamped original comes back to you.
How to file
- In personTake the original to the Division of Real Estate in Pittsburgh. This is the fastest route. You usually walk out with the recording information the same day.
- By mailSend the original with a check or money order for the fee and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Allow one to three weeks for the stamped original to come back.
- E-recordingTitle companies, attorneys, and other approved submitters file electronically through services such as Simplifile, CSC, or ePN. Some offices accept filings from the public through those services; check the office's website. If you prepared the deed yourself, in person or by mail is usually simpler.
Confirm the address before you post anything
Offices move and hours change. Search for "Allegheny County Pennsylvania Division of Real Estate" and use the official county website, not a directory listing, which is often years out of date.
Formatted to Pennsylvania requirements, with Allegheny County filing instructions included.
Common questions
With the Division of Real Estate, located in Pittsburgh. Deeds are always recorded in the county where the property sits, not where the owner lives.
Around $200 per document. Pennsylvania also charges realty transfer tax at 1% state, plus local (typically 1%, but Philadelphia's combined rate is 4.578% and Pittsburgh's is 5%), though transfers between spouses, parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren, and siblings are excluded, and a gift to anyone else is taxed on the property's computed value. Confirm current fees with the office before you mail anything; they change.
Usually only through an approved e-recording submitter, such as a title company or attorney, using a service like Simplifile, CSC, or ePN. Some offices accept filings from the public through those services; check the office's website. Otherwise, record in person or by mail.
Keep reading
Deedly is not a law firm
Its software and documents are not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. We provide self-help software and state-specific deed 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.