Search Philadelphia County, PA Property Records

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, operates under a consolidated city–county government, with different agencies responsible for maintaining various types of property records. Some agencies focus on legal documents and property valuations, while others handle zoning, permits, and tax-related information.

Examining the county’s records and housing trends reveals key information about the cost of living, income, and taxes. The area has a median home value of $236,700.00, median rent of $1,213.50, median household income of $59,269.50, and a median real estate tax rate of 0.95%.

Accessing property records in Philadelphia County, PA, can be done online, in person, by mail, or by email.

The primary tool for digital document retrieval is the Records Public Access Web system, the official database for the City of Philadelphia Department of Records. This system hosts deeds, mortgages, and other land-related documents. While the public can perform basic searches for free, a paid subscription is required to download official versions.

For those who prefer or require in-person assistance, the Department of Records provides physical copies for a per-page fee. The city also facilitates requests by mail, with written inquiries and payments sent to the Department of Records. Email inquiries are particularly helpful for confirming page counts or document IDs before purchase.

PropertyChecker can also aggregate data from multiple municipal sources and quickly cross-reference ownership and tax data across Pennsylvania counties.

Efficient searches require specific identifiers. While the physical property address is the most common starting point, the nine-digit Office of Property Assessment (OPA) account number can yield more precise results. Other helpful data points include the parcel or registry map number, the names of the grantor or grantee, and an approximate recording date.

Some limitations can affect the search process, most notably a potential recording lag that can delay new documents from appearing online for weeks. Privacy restrictions also apply.

Philadelphia County offers access to various types of property records, with different city agencies responsible for each. The sections below identify the categories and how to locate them.

Property Ownership and Title Information

For property ownership and title information, the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Records provides online access through the Records Public Access Web system. Users can search deeds, land titles, and transfer records by property address, grantor or grantee name, or document reference number.

Scanned images of deeds and other recorded documents from 1974 to the present are available. Documents predating 1974 are accessible through the Historical Land Records portal or physical microfilm at the City Archives.

Property Sales and Transaction History

Historical sales and transaction data for Philadelphia County are centralized through the Office of Property Assessment (OPA) and the Department of Records. On Property App, by entering an address or OPA account number, a researcher can access the Sales History section, which outlines previous transfer dates and purchase prices.

For comprehensive datasets, OpenDataPhilly offers a Real Estate Transfers repository containing transaction details for documents recorded since December 1999, including the specific realty transfer tax amounts paid during each exchange.

Property Tax Assessment and Payment Records

The Office of Property Assessment (OPA) determines the market value for every parcel in the county. Taxpayers can view current assessments and physical property details via Property App. For financial records, including tax bills, real-time payment history, and delinquencies, the Philadelphia Tax Center under the Department of Revenue serves as the primary municipal source.

Property Characteristics and Parcel Details

A researcher can perform a property parcel search through the Property App portal to retrieve technical specifications such as the total finished square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and the year the structure was built. This database also catalogs specific exterior details, including the building type and primary construction materials.

Meanwhile, PropertyChecker can enhance Property App data by tracking changes in square footage or bedroom count across assessment years. It may flag properties where current specifications differ from historical records, but there are no corresponding building permits.

Zoning, Land Use, and Planning Records

Official zoning and land use records for Philadelphia County are managed by the Department of Planning and Development. For a direct summary of a property’s “by-right” development potential and its base zoning district, individuals can utilize the Zoning Summary Generator to see a textual breakdown of permitted uses, dimensional standards, and required parking.

If a property has a history of zoning variances or special exceptions, the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) maintains these case files and hearing results, which can be tracked via the ZBA Appeals Calendar. Additionally, the Philadelphia City Planning Commission (PCPC) oversees long-range planning documents.

Legal Documents Affecting Property

In Philadelphia County, the most prevalent legal instruments affecting property rights are deeds, mortgages, and mortgage satisfactions, which users can verify through the Records Public Access Web system. Beyond land transfers, other critical legal encumbrances, such as liens and judgments, are maintained separately from the land records. These are managed by the Office of Judicial Records within the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.

Users can identify judgments, liens, and debts tied to a property owner. Additionally, if a property is part of a deceased person’s estate, the Register of Wills serves as the primary source for probate records, estate inventories, and inheritance tax filings, all of which establish a clear chain of title.

Building Permits, Inspections, and Construction Records

The Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) manages all construction records in Philadelphia County. To access permit histories, researchers can use the L&I Property History search or the eCLIPSE portal. These tools provide details on building, electrical, and plumbing permits, as well as contractor information and current application statuses.

For safety and compliance data, the L&I Property History search provides records of building code violations, including “unsafe” or “imminently dangerous” designations. Inspection results and enforcement actions are also tracked here. OpenDataPhilly also offers bulk datasets of building and zoning permits from L&I.

Maps and Visual Property Data

Atlas Philadelphia serves as the city’s official property explorer. By searching an address or registry map number, users can retrieve specific parcel details, including the land area, property dimensions, and building footprints. Technical researchers requiring raw geospatial files can access the Department of Records Property Parcels dataset via OpenDataPhilly.

Displayed here are charts summarizing the county's tax rates, accompanied by insights into median home values, income figures, and rent rates.

Median Rent

$1,213.50

Pennsylvania	$839.00
National	$840.25

• +44.6 %
  vs Pennsylvania
• +44.4 %
  vs National

Median Home Value

$236,700.00

Pennsylvania	$168,550.00
National	$173,750.00

• +40.4 %
  vs Pennsylvania
• +36.2 %
  vs National

Median Household Income

$59,269.50

Pennsylvania	$63,611.00
National	$65,108.00

• --6.8 %
  vs Pennsylvania
• --9.0 %
  vs National

Median Property Tax Rate

0.95%

Pennsylvania	1.3%
National	0.74%

• -26.9%
  vs Pennsylvania
• +28.4 %
  vs National

Unemployment Rate

4.68%

Pennsylvania	2.84%
National	2.87%

• +64.8 %
  vs Pennsylvania
• +63.1 %
  vs National

Renter Occupied Housing

46.45%

Pennsylvania	19.64%
National	21.81%

• +136.5 %
  vs Pennsylvania
• +113.0 %
  vs National

The Department of Records is the official custodian of land records in Philadelphia County, PA, and maintains an archive of deeds, mortgages, and ground rents. It operates the Records Public Access Web system for current documents and the Historical Land Records portal for records issued before 1974.

Recorded instruments serve as the legal foundation for other municipal functions. The Office of Property Assessment (OPA) uses these transfers to update ownership and valuation data, while the Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) reviews recorded deed restrictions and easements when evaluating zoning and land-use applications.

Beyond digital access, the public can obtain records by visiting the Public Reference Room in City Hall. For those unable to visit in person, requests for certified copies may be submitted by mail to the Department of Records.

The cost for these services is governed by a standard fee schedule. Copies of deeds are priced at $2 per page, with an additional $2 charge per document for official certification.

Philadelphia County operates as a consolidated city-county. Under the 1854 Act of Consolidation, all formerly independent townships, boroughs, and districts were annexed into the city. Consequently, there are no autonomous municipal offices or separate town websites for property records. All land evidence, tax data, and zoning regulations are centralized within city-wide departments.

While distinct neighborhood identities persist, official records for any location within the county must be sourced through the Department of Records for deeds or the Office of Property Assessment (OPA) for tax and valuation data.