Pennsylvania Genealogy Search at a Glance
Visit publicrecordcenter.com to discover your ancestors and family history in Pennsylvania, start a family tree query, browse ancestry, genealogy search, census records and more PA sources online
1Pennsylvania Genealogy
Pennsylvania statewide genealogy links
- Pennsylvania State Archives Links to Additional Research Siteswww.phmc.pa.govGenealogical Sites
- Pennsylvania Department of Health Division of Vital Recordswww.health.pa.govVital Records Search
- Birth and Death Records Prior to 1906www.health.pa.govBirth and Death Records
- Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commissionwww.phmc.pa.govHistorical and Museum Commission
- Land Records at the Pennsylvania State Archiveswww.pa.govLand Records
- The Genealogical Society of Pennsylvaniagenpa.orgGenealogical Society
- PAGenWeb Archives and Special Projectswww.pagenweb.orgSearch the State GenWeb Project
- Pennsylvania Rootswww.pa-roots.comGenealogy Research Resources
2Federal & National Authoritative Sources
These federal and national sources complement Pennsylvania's state-level records. They are the authoritative sources you should cross-check when Pennsylvania state records are incomplete or out-of-state activity matters.
The federal government's primary archive. Holds the U.S. census (1790, 1950), ship passenger lists, naturalization records, military service files, and land entry files.
https://www.archives.gov/research/genealogy (archives.gov)
Free online genealogy platform operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Digitized microfilm copies of many county and state records worldwide.
https://www.familysearch.org/ (familysearch.org)
The LoC's research guides, city directories, newspapers, and Civil War records, most accessible free online through loc.gov.
https://guides.loc.gov/genealogy (loc.gov)
Pennsylvania Genealogy Search, FAQ
Is the 1950 census released?
Yes. Under the 72-year rule, the 1950 U.S. Census was released by NARA on April 1, 2022 and is free to search on archives.gov and familysearch.org.
How do I request a military service record?
NARA's National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis holds military service records. Requests use SF-180 and are free for the veteran or next of kin.
Do I need a paid subscription to do genealogy?
No. FamilySearch, Archives.gov, the Library of Congress, and most state archives provide substantial free access. Commercial services (Ancestry, MyHeritage) add convenience and private trees but not exclusive records.
Where are vital records for the 1800s kept?
Before state-level vital registration (roughly 1890, 1920 depending on state), most births, deaths, and marriages were recorded only by the county, the church, or the family Bible. State archives and FamilySearch are the primary starting points for that era.