Pennsylvania, county records

Chester County, Pennsylvania Public Records

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Find the right office in Chester County. Court cases, deeds and parcels, sheriff and jail records, vital records and county filings, each linked to the office that keeps them.

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Most requested Chester County records

Every card below goes to the government office responsible for that record. Use the category buttons to narrow the list.

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Showing 12 official sources

Official

Property records

Chester Recorder of Deeds

Chester Recorder of Deeds, the office that records deeds, mortgages and land documents, with its index and copy rules as published.

chesco.org
Open official site Chester Recorder of Deeds
Official

Police & jail

Sheriff of Chester County

Sheriff of Chester County, the elected county law enforcement office, with incident reports, warrants and jail information as the office publishes them.

chesco.org
Open official site Sheriff of Chester County
Official

Vital records

Chester County Death Records

Chester County Death Records, the office that issues these certificates, with the application, identification and fee rules it publishes.

health.pa.gov
Open official site Chester County Death Records
Official

Federal

Chester County U.S. Census

United States Census Bureau figures for Chester County, Pennsylvania, with population, housing, income and business counts from the latest estimates.

census.gov
Open official site Chester County U.S. Census

Everything else, organized

More official Chester County record sources

36 more Chester County sources not listed above.

More county sources

Local record guide

About public records in Chester County

County profile

Chester County at a glance

State
Pennsylvania
County seat
West Chester
Population
534,413
Area
759 sq mi
Founded
1682
Cities and towns
53

Chester County offices and records

Sheriff & Law Enforcement. Chester County Sheriff's Office is responsible for law enforcement in the unincorporated areas of Chester County. The office is also involved in community outreach programs and has specialized divisions such as the K-9 unit and a warrant enforcement team.

Police Departments. Chester County is served by several law enforcement agencies, including Chester County Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments such as the West Chester Police Department, Downingtown Police Department, and Coatesville Police Department. Each department has jurisdiction over its respective county, while the Sheriff's Office covers unincorporated areas.

Law Enforcement & Arrests. Chester County Sheriff's Office, located at 201 West Market Street in West Chester, PA 19380 (phone: 610-344-6890), provides law enforcement services including court security, warrant service, prisoner transport, and civil process execution. Chester County operates Chester County Prison at 500 Thomas Road, Pocopson, PA 19366 (phone: 610-383-8400), which houses pre-trial detainees and sentenced inmates. Municipal police departments operate independently throughout Chester County's 73 municipalities, including the West Chester area Police Department, Phoenixville Police Department, Coatesville Police Department, Downingtown Police Department, Kennett Square Police Department, and the Tredyffrin Township Police Department, among many others. Arrest records in Chester County are public records under Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law (65 P.S. §§ 67.101-67.3104), which grants citizens access to government records with certain exceptions. The Pennsylvania Criminal History Record Information Act (18 Pa.C.S. § 9101 et seq.) governs access to criminal history information.

Arrest Records. They are maintained by the arresting agency, primarily the County Sheriff's Office and municipal police departments.

Chester County's court system is part of Pennsylvania's Unified Judicial System and operates from Chester County Justice Center at 201 West Market Street, West Chester, PA 19380. The Court of Common Pleas (phone: 610-344-6000) serves as Chester County's trial court of general jurisdiction, hearing civil cases over $12,000, criminal felonies and misdemeanors, family law matters, and orphans' court (probate) cases. Property tax assessment information is maintained by Chester County Assessment Office at 601 Westtown Road, Suite 310, West Chester, PA 19380 (phone: 610-344-6105). Chester County Department of Community Development at 601 Westtown Road (phone: 610-344-6285) handles certain county business permits and provides economic development resources. Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry (chestercountychamber.org, phone: 610-725-9100) is a resource for business networking and economic information. Business records and licensing in Chester County, Pennsylvania, are maintained through multiple agencies depending on the record type. The Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations (phone: 717-787-1057) maintains the primary business entity database for corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships.

Abandoned mine records

Old mine workings in Chester County

Where the workings are, and the office that holds the mine maps.

From the old mine records

What is on record in Chester County

Old mine sites
87
Sites with no status in the records
1
Still producing
10
Worked underground, in the mine records
19
Main minerals
Iron; Chromium; Lead
Holes drawn on the old survey maps
41
Shafts and tunnels
0
What they are
gravel/borrow pit - undifferentiated, open pit mine or quarry, quarry, open pit mine
Maps surveyed
1953 to 1999
Records behind them
145 records for 139 sites, the rest are the same working written down more than once
Sources
USGS mineral file and USGS topographic mine features

Is an old working under a property here?

The mine records hold 98 named mine sites inside the county, 87 of them worked out or abandoned; the old survey maps add 41 holes drawn inside the county, 0 of them shafts or tunnels. The minerals the records name are Iron; Chromium; Lead.

A point in either file is a location, not a property line: the sheet shows the opening on the surface, not the rooms under it. The record that shows what runs under a parcel is the mine map. The OSMRE National Mine Map Repository holds scanned underground mine maps and answers requests for a named mine or an area. DEP has an address lookup for mine subsidence risk at gis.dep.pa.gov/msiRisk where you enter a street address: if the site falls in a gray Underground Mining Area it is over or near a known mined area. The PHUMMIS inventory of historic underground mine maps sits at www.ahs.dep.pa.gov/Phummis and is linked from the DEP Act 54 maps page.

Delaware County Lancaster County Montgomery County Phoenixville Nottingham Exton Lionville Chadds Ford Downingtown Toughkenamon Oxford N 20 miles
Chester County: the boundary from the Census Bureau, and one dot for each old mine or hole on record inside it. The purple dots come off the old survey maps and the darkest of those are shafts and tunnels; the red, green and orange ones are mine records. The small open circles with a name are the towns and the pale shapes around the edge are the neighbouring counties, both from the Census Bureau. Hover a dot for its name.
Pennsylvania mine map and abandoned mine records
Named workings recorded in Chester County (94 shown, 41 unnamed on the map)

Disclaimer: The mine information here is for general information only. Old mine records can be incomplete, outdated or wrong, and finding nothing here does not mean there is nothing there. Check with the mine map office named here before you rely on it, and have a qualified engineer look at any ground you are worried about. PublicRecordCenter.com assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions, or consequences arising from the use of this information.

Chester County recording cutoffs, marriage archive boundaries and certification choices

Chester maps and ordinary documents have different same-day deadlines

The Recorder office directory lists ordinary same-day recording until 4 p.m., large exhibits such as maps until 3 p.m., and the Search Library until 4:15 p.m. The general office remains open until 4:30 p.m.

Plan around the particular service, not the building closing time. A large subdivision exhibit can miss its processing cutoff even when ordinary recording is still open. Identify any required parcel references and supporting documents before the visit.

Chester recording payments are separate from transfer-tax payments

The current fee service lists a deed at $94.75 with its stated page, name, notation and parcel allowances. It requires separate state and municipal transfer-tax checks and prohibits paying those taxes with cash or a credit card. Personal and estate/trust checks are not accepted.

The payment method accepted for recording or copying does not automatically apply to tax. Use the transaction category and municipality when obtaining a total, rather than treating the listed deed amount as inclusive of every tax or excess-page charge.

A newly recorded Chester document can precede its searchable publication

The Recorder copy FAQ says web publication usually follows recording within 48 hours and directs researchers to the displayed proof date. Mail copies cost $5 per page plus $1.50 certification, with the listed payment restrictions.

If a recent filing is absent online, compare its recording date with the proof date before requesting a duplicate filing. Keep the receipt or instrument reference so staff can locate the accepted document without relying only on a name search.

Chester historical marriage records and current certifications split at 1931

The Archives marriage collection covers historical series including 1885 to 1930 and directs 1931 onward to the Clerk of Orphans Court. It warns that many historical marriage records remain undigitized even when indexes are online.

The current marriage-copy service requires the officiant return before certification. Its extended Wednesday appointment hours are for new-license applications, so they should not be advertised as general evening record-research service.

Chester offers distinct certified and exemplified marriage products

The Orphans Court fee list prices a certified marriage record at $20 and exemplification at $40. These are separate from the fee for a new marriage application or a certification of no marriage.

Ask the recipient whether it needs the ordinary certification, an exemplified application or further state authentication. A richer historical application may contain family details absent from a short certificate, but additional information and additional authentication are different reasons to select a product.

Where to go

Chester County offices that hold the records

Each office below was read on its own site. A field the office does not publish is left out rather than filled in from a directory.

Chester County Recorder of Deeds

Land instruments and copies.

Address
313 W. Market Street, Suite 3302, West Chester, PA 19380
Phone
610-344-6330
Hours
Office 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; ordinary same-day recording ends 4 p.m.; large exhibits 3 p.m.; Search Library 4:15 p.m.

Office page: chesco.org

Chester Marriage License Department

Current certified and exemplified marriage records.

Address
Chester County Justice Center, 201 W. Market Street, Suite 2200, West Chester, PA 19380-0989
Phone
610-344-6335

Office page: chesco.org

Straight answers

Chester County public-records FAQs

Open only the answer you need.

Where can I find mugshots or booking photos in Chester County, Pennsylvania?

Booking photos are kept by the agency that made the arrest, such as the Chester County Sheriff's Office or a city police department in Chester County. Ask that agency for its record.

How do I get a criminal background check in Chester County, Pennsylvania?

The Pennsylvania criminal history record comes from the Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History (PATCH). Run a name based PATCH check online at epatch.pa.gov or send a mail in PATCH request. Fee: $22.00 for each PATCH check; online card payments add a 2% fee.

How can I look up sex offenders in Chester County, Pennsylvania?

Search the Pennsylvania State Police Megan's Law Website, or every state at once on the National Sex Offender Public Website run by the U.S. Department of Justice.

How do I register to vote in Chester County, Pennsylvania?

Register with the county voter registration office (county board of elections) or through the Pennsylvania Department of State. You can also register online with the state online registration. You must register at least 15 days before the election.

How do I look up property records in Chester County, Pennsylvania?

Deeds and other recorded land documents in Chester County are kept by the Chester County recorder of deeds. Property values are set by the county assessment office, and tax bills come from the local elected tax collector; county treasurer in some counties. Source: official state page.

How do I get a birth or death certificate in Chester County, Pennsylvania?

Certified birth and death certificates for Pennsylvania come from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records. The Department of Health runs six Vital Records public offices across the state for in person requests. Online through VitalChek at mycertificates.health.pa.gov, the state's only authorized vendor, by mail to Division of Vital Records, Birth Certificate Processing Unit, PO Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103, or in person at a Vital Records public office. Fee: $20 for each birth certificate; online orders add a $10 processing fee.

How do I find business license records in Chester County, Pennsylvania?

Business entity filings are searched with the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations. There is no general business license that all Pennsylvania businesses must obtain; licensing depends on the business activity and location, and owners contact their locality about local business licenses.

Can a Chester large exhibit be submitted at the ordinary same-day recording cutoff?

The office schedule ends same-day large-exhibit recording earlier, at 3 p.m.

Can Chester transfer tax be paid with the card accepted for recording fees?

The payment instructions exclude cash and cards for transfer-tax payments.

Why might a recorded Chester deed be absent from an immediate online search?

The publication FAQ describes a publication delay and advises checking the proof date.

What does Chester charge for mailed recorded-document copies?

The mail instructions list $5 per page and $1.50 for certification.

Does the Chester Archives hold the marriage series through 1930?

The collection description lists the historical series and directs 1931 onward to the Clerk of Orphans Court.

Does an online Chester marriage index mean the complete application is digitized?

The digitization note says many historical marriage records remain undigitized.

Can Chester certify a marriage before the officiant returns the completed record?

The certification requirements say the duplicate certificate must first be returned.

Are Chester Wednesday evening marriage appointments general historical-copy appointments?

The hours notice limits the extended appointments to applying for a marriage license.

Same county

Cities, towns and neighboring counties

Use the city page when a record was created by a municipal police department or city office; use the county page for courts, deeds, vital records and jail custody.

NorristownKing Of PrussiaPottstownWest ChesterPhoenixvilleCoatesvilleLandenbergDowningtownChester SpringsLionvilleExtonPaoliKennett SquareOxfordThorndaleParkesburgBerwynSpring CityMalvernWest GroveLincoln UniversityDevonNottinghamElversonAvondaleAtglenPomeroyToughkenamonGlenmooreSadsburyvilleUnionvilleModenaCochranvilleKimbertonBirchrunvilleBrandamoreChathamDevaultImmaculataKeltonLancaster CountyMontgomery CountyCecil County, MarylandDelaware CountyNew Castle County, DelawareBerks County