Search Dauphin County Property Records
Dauphin County property records are held by the county offices in Harrisburg, the state capital of Pennsylvania. The Tax Assessor and Recorder of Deeds work together to maintain a full picture of every parcel in the county. Records include deeds, mortgages, assessment values, and tax data going back many decades. You can search these records online through the statewide portal or the county's own assessment system. In-person visits to the Harrisburg offices give you direct access to staff and original documents.
Dauphin County Quick Facts
Dauphin County Property Records Office
The Dauphin County Administration Building sits at 2 South Second Street in Harrisburg. The Tax Assessor's office on the second floor handles property assessment records for all parcels in the county. Dauphin County was formed in 1785, and the offices in Harrisburg have maintained land records since that time. The county seat serves as both the county government center and the state capital, which means property records here draw interest from researchers, title professionals, and individual owners alike.
The county provides free online access to property tax and assessment records. You can search by owner name, property address, or parcel number. Results show ownership information, assessed values for both land and building, tax data, property characteristics, and sales history. The GIS mapping system adds a spatial layer, letting users view parcel boundaries, aerial photography, and tax district overlays. This combination of assessment data and mapping makes Dauphin County's online tools among the more complete in the region.
The statewide PA USLandRecords portal covers recorded deed documents for Dauphin County and all 66 other Pennsylvania counties. Use it to find deed images and grantor-grantee index entries from home or office.
| Office | Dauphin County Tax Assessor |
|---|---|
| Address | 2 South Second Street, 2nd Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17101 |
| Phone | (717) 780-6101 |
| Hours | Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM |
| Website | dauphincounty.org |
Note: Dauphin County's online assessment search is free to use and does not require a login or account creation.
How to Find Dauphin County Property Records
Start your search with a name or property address. The county's free assessment portal lets you search any of those fields and returns full property details. For deed images and recorded documents, the PA USLandRecords portal is your best online source. This statewide system holds grantor-grantee index data and document images for Dauphin County deeds and mortgages.
The GIS mapping system on the county website connects parcel boundaries to assessment data. You can click any parcel on the map to pull up ownership details, lot dimensions, and assessed values. This works well when you know the general location of a property but do not have a precise address or parcel number. The map view also shows tax district lines, which matter when calculating local property taxes.
In-person visits to the Harrisburg offices are available Monday through Friday. Staff can help you locate specific records by name or parcel ID, and you can request copies during your visit. For title searches requiring a full chain of ownership, working with a licensed title professional familiar with Dauphin County records is advisable. The county seat location means the offices are well-staffed and experienced with high-volume records requests.
The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records oversees public access rights across all state and county agencies, including the Dauphin County property offices.
Property Documents in Dauphin County
Dauphin County property documents cover a wide range of recorded instruments. Deeds are the primary record of ownership transfer and date back to the county's formation. Mortgages and mortgage satisfactions document the borrowing and repayment of funds secured by real property. Easements and rights-of-way record legal arrangements that allow others to use portions of a parcel for specific purposes.
Additional document types include subdivision plans, which show how larger tracts were divided into individual lots. Liens against property, both tax liens and judgment liens, are recorded here as well. Uniform Commercial Code filings for fixture financing affecting real property appear in the county record. For UCC filings that span multiple locations or involve personal property, the Pennsylvania Department of State maintains a statewide UCC search system.
- Warranty deeds and sheriff's deeds
- Mortgages and mortgage satisfactions
- Easements and rights-of-way
- Subdivision plans and lot descriptions
- UCC filings on fixtures
- Tax and judgment liens
Court-related property records such as foreclosure filings and judgment dockets are available through the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System portal.
Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law and Property Records
Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law (RTKL) is codified at 65 P.S. § 67.301. It states that all records held by public agencies are presumed to be public. The burden falls on the government agency to show that a record should be withheld, not on you to explain why you want it. Dauphin County property records held by the Tax Assessor and Recorder of Deeds are fully public under this standard.
The Pennsylvania Office of Open Records (OOR) enforces the RTKL and handles appeals when agencies deny records requests. If your request is denied, you have 15 business days to file an appeal with the OOR. The OOR issues binding decisions and can compel agencies to release records that meet the public access standard. The OOR's mailing address as of November 2025 is 555 Walnut Street, Suite 605, Harrisburg, PA 17101.
Section 708 of the RTKL lists specific exemptions, including certain personal identification data and security-sensitive information. The core ownership and transfer data in Dauphin County deeds is public, regardless of your reason for requesting it. Pennsylvania has no residency requirement for accessing property records.
Note: You are not required to state why you are requesting property records under Pennsylvania law.
Dauphin County Assessment and Tax Records
The Dauphin County Tax Assessor maintains property valuation data for every parcel in the county. Each parcel has an assessed value split between land and building. This assessed value drives the property tax calculation each year. Assessment records are public and searchable online at no charge.
Search results include the property owner's name, mailing address, property address, parcel ID, municipality, and tax district. You also get the assessed land value, building value, property class, and any exemptions or special designations. Sales history with prior sale dates and prices is part of the record as well. This makes the assessment database a useful starting point even when you are primarily looking for deed records.
The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue governs property tax regulations at the state level. The Department oversees tax lien records and administers the Property Tax and Rent Rebate Program. Dauphin County's local tax claim bureau handles delinquent taxes and tax sales under the Department's framework. Property owners with questions about assessment values can appeal through the county's formal appeal process.
Requesting Copies in Dauphin County
Copies of Dauphin County property records are available online, in person, and by mail. The statewide PA USLandRecords portal provides deed images you can view and print from home. For certified copies or documents not yet available online, contact the Recorder of Deeds office directly.
To request records by mail, write to the Dauphin County offices at 2 South Second Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101. Include the property address, parcel ID, owner name, and approximate document date. Include payment for copy fees and a self-addressed stamped envelope for return. In-person visits during regular business hours allow you to search and request copies on the same day.
The Pennsylvania State Archives holds original land warrant and patent records for parcels going back to the colonial period. These records document the earliest conveyances from William Penn's Land Office and are useful for deep historical title research that predates the county recorder system.
Nearby Counties
Properties near the Dauphin County border may have records in these neighboring county offices.