Scranton Property Records Search

Scranton property records are maintained through Lackawanna County, which handles all real estate recording and assessment for the county seat and surrounding municipalities. Scranton is the largest city in northeastern Pennsylvania and serves as the county seat of Lackawanna County. Deeds, mortgages, liens, ownership data, and assessment records for Scranton properties are all held at county offices in the Scranton Electric Building. The City of Scranton also maintains its own records related to permits and zoning. This page explains how to find and access Scranton property records.

Where to Find Scranton Property Records

Lackawanna County maintains two property record offices in the Scranton Electric Building at 135 Jefferson Avenue, Scranton, PA 18503. The Lackawanna County Assessor's office, which handles property tax and assessment records, can be reached at (570) 963-6728. The Lackawanna County Recorder of Deeds, which records and stores all real estate instruments, is located in Suite 800 of the same building and can be reached at (570) 963-6775. Both offices are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The City of Scranton maintains records related to zoning, building permits, and code enforcement at city offices. Visit scrantonpa.gov to access city departments and find contacts for permit and zoning records. City records provide important context for understanding a Scranton property's use history and any improvements made under permit.

Note: The Assessor's and Recorder's offices are both in the Scranton Electric Building but serve different functions. The Assessor handles valuations and tax data; the Recorder handles deed and mortgage recording. Contact the correct office based on what type of Scranton property record you need.

How to Search Scranton Property Records

Lackawanna County offers a free property tax and assessment records search on its county website. Users can search Scranton properties by address, parcel PIN number, or owner name. Search results provide ownership information, assessed values, property characteristics, and tax data. Access the online search at lackawannacounty.org and navigate to the assessor's search section.

The Lackawanna County Recorder of Deeds also provides a paid search service for recorded documents. This covers land records, maps, military discharges, notaries, and UCC filings. The paid system provides full access to deed and mortgage images for Scranton properties. For those who only need index information, free public terminals are available in the office during business hours.

The statewide portal at pa.uslandrecords.com provides access to Lackawanna County recorded documents through grantor and grantee indexes. This system is useful for tracing Scranton ownership chains across multiple years and transactions. The Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System at pacourts.us/public-records covers court records including foreclosure cases and judgment liens that may affect Scranton property titles.

Property Documents in Scranton

The Lackawanna County Recorder of Deeds holds all recorded real estate documents for Scranton properties. These include warranty deeds, quit claim deeds, sheriff's deeds, executor's deeds, and other transfer instruments. Mortgage instruments, assignments, and satisfactions are also recorded here. Other document types include easements, rights-of-way, subdivision plans, mechanic's liens, municipal liens, federal tax liens, notary commissions, military discharge papers, and UCC filings.

All documents recorded with the Lackawanna County Recorder are assigned a sequential identifying number, assigned a book and page number, and scanned into the recording system. Images are available at public terminals in Suite 800 of the Scranton Electric Building. The county assessor maintains separate records of property valuations and physical characteristics for all Scranton parcels. Assessment records include land value, building value, total assessed value, and property class.

For historical Scranton property research, the Pennsylvania State Archives maintains colonial-era land warrants and patents for Lackawanna County-area properties. The PA State Archives land records overview provides guidance on accessing these early land records. For UCC filings tied to Scranton real property, use the Pennsylvania Department of State at dos.pa.gov.

Pennsylvania Property Law and Open Records

Scranton property records are public under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law (RTKL) at 65 P.S. § 67.301. All records held by public agencies are presumed accessible. Lackawanna County and the City of Scranton must demonstrate an exemption before withholding any property record from a requester. No reason is required to make a records request.

The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records at openrecords.pa.gov provides oversight of the RTKL and processes appeals for denied requests. If a request for Scranton property records is denied by either the county or the city, the requester has 15 business days to appeal to the OOR. The OOR provides the standard RTK Request Form that all Pennsylvania agencies must accept. Advisory opinions from the OOR clarify what records must be made available.

The Pennsylvania Land Title Association at plta.org provides resources on professional title search practices for Pennsylvania properties, including those in Scranton. The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue at revenue.pa.gov oversees state-level property tax programs and tax lien records that may affect Scranton property titles.

Scranton Property Assessment Records

Lackawanna County assesses all Scranton properties for local tax purposes. The assessment office at 135 Jefferson Avenue maintains records of land value, building value, total assessed value, and property class for every parcel in Scranton. These records drive the calculation of annual property tax bills. Assessment data is searchable through the county's free online system using the address, PIN, or owner name.

Scranton property owners who believe their assessment is incorrect may appeal to the Lackawanna County Board of Assessment. The appeal process requires a formal application supported by evidence of market value. This typically means a recent property appraisal or comparable sales data from similar properties in the area. Contact the Lackawanna County Assessor at (570) 963-6728 for appeal procedures and annual deadlines.

The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue at revenue.pa.gov administers the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program, which may benefit qualifying Scranton property owners based on income and taxes paid. Visit the Department's website for eligibility requirements and application procedures.

Getting Copies of Scranton Property Records

Copies of Scranton property records are available in person at the Scranton Electric Building, through the paid online search service, and by mail. In-person visits to 135 Jefferson Street, Suite 800, Scranton, PA 18503 allow access to recorded document images at public terminals. Staff can assist with locating specific instruments. Office hours run Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Mail requests for deed copies should be sent to the Lackawanna County Recorder of Deeds at the Scranton Electric Building address. Include the property address, names of parties, the document type, and payment for copy fees. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Call (570) 963-6775 to confirm current fees and page count before mailing payment.

Online access through the county's paid search service provides full document access for Scranton deed and mortgage records. The statewide pa.uslandrecords.com portal provides free index searches and fee-based document images. For assessment data and basic property information, the free county search system is the quickest option for most Scranton property record requests.

Lackawanna County Property Records

Scranton property records are maintained through Lackawanna County. For full county recorder details, deed search tools, and additional resources, visit the Lackawanna County property records page.

View Lackawanna County Property Records

Nearby Pennsylvania Cities

These nearby cities also have property records maintained through their respective county recorder offices.

View Major Pennsylvania Cities