Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site on September 23, 2026.
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, has about 563,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). The title to a parcel in Lancaster County is in the deed records of the Recorder of Deeds and its taxable value is set by the Assessment Office; what is built on it is a matter for the city or the county. This guide says who keeps each record and where the page for each office is.
This guide covers deeds, assessed values, directory links, city permits, evictions and court cases, records requests and common questions.
Related guides: Lancaster County public records, Lancaster County arrest records, Lancaster County warrants, Lancaster County inmate search, Lancaster County police reports, Pennsylvania arrest records and Pennsylvania inmate search.
Deeds, Mortgages and Liens in Lancaster County
Who owns a parcel in Lancaster County and what it sold for are in the deed records of the Recorder of Deeds, with every lien or mortgage against the land.
SearchSystems opened and checked the Recorder of Deeds' page at co.lancaster.pa.us/193/Historical-Indexes (page title: Historical Indexes | Lancaster County, PA), phone 717-299-8319, 150 N. Queen St. Suite 10 Lancaster, PA 17603, Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Assessed Values and the Tax Roll in Lancaster County
The Assessment Office sets the value each parcel in Lancaster County is taxed on and keeps the parcel maps. Pennsylvania counties set assessments in a base year and reassess rarely, so assessed values can be decades old; the county publishes a ratio to convert them to market value.
More Official Property and Land Records Pages for Lancaster County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Lancaster County and Pennsylvania. These property pages and recorded document pages from its Lancaster County listing were opened again on October 2, 2026 and each one still answers:
- GIS Division (lancastercountypa.gov)
- REAL ESTATE UNIT (lancastercountypa.gov)
- Pennsylvania Counties (lancastercountypa.gov)
Permits and City Records in the Cities of Lancaster County
Building permits, zoning and code cases inside a city are the city's own records. The cities in Lancaster County with a SearchSystems guide to their offices, with the city page SearchSystems verified:
- Columbia: the city clerk's page SearchSystems verified is at columbiamontourcourts.com/prothonotaryclerk-of-courts, phone 570-389-5600 (verified September 25, 2026).
Evictions and Court Cases About Land in Lancaster County
An eviction is a court case in the Magisterial District Courts, and so is a foreclosure, a lien dispute or a quiet title suit, in the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas; the court file is public unless sealed.
Asking a County Office for a Record
Under the Right-to-Know Law a county office must answer a request within 5 business days, with a 30-day extension, and it may charge copying at 25 cents a page. The county records request page SearchSystems verified is at lancastercountypa.gov/FormCenter/Open-Records-9/County-of-Lancaster... (page title: Form Center, County of Lancaster Open Records Request Form).
Frequently Asked Questions
Who records deeds in Lancaster County?
The Recorder of Deeds, at co.lancaster.pa.us/193/Historical-Indexes, phone 717-299-8319. Deeds, mortgages and liens on land in Lancaster County are filed there.
Who sets the assessed value of a property in Lancaster County?
The Assessment Office.
Where are evictions from Lancaster County filed?
In the Magisterial District Courts. The file is public unless the court seals it.
How is property assessed in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania counties set assessments in a base year and reassess rarely, so assessed values can be decades old; the county publishes a ratio to convert them to market value.
Is this the official Lancaster County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.