Overview
With the exception of the Revolutionary War years, the Land Office of the Commonwealth has operated continuously since William Penn arrived in Pennsylvania in 1682 and began to administer and sell land.
Commonwealth land records only document transactions between the Penns or the post-revolutionary Commonwealth and the first purchaser(s) of each tract of land. Deeds transferring land titles between private citizens, either after or during the patenting process, are maintained at the office of the Recorder of Deeds for the appropriate county.
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An application is a formal request for a warrant. It's also known as a “location.”
| Record | Notes | Finding aid | Digital images |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applications for Warrants, 1734-1952 | Arranged chronologically by date of warrant, except for the period 1762-1776. | Records of the Land Office (RG-17) | FamilySearch.org (accessible with a free account) Indexes: |
| Applications for Warrants, New Purchase 1769 | Arranged sequentially by application number. | Records of the Land Office (RG-17) | Indexes: New Purchase Register |
A warrant is a certificate authorizing a survey or acceptance of a survey of a tract of land. It initiates title of a property and provides the basis for legal settlement, but it doesn't convey all rights to the property.
| Record | Notes | Finding aid | Digital images |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original Warrants, 1682–1732 | Interfiled with loose original surveys and numbered by the volume, book, and page. | Records of the Land Office (RG-17) | Copied Survey Books (official copies of original surveys) Indexes: |
| Original Warrants, 1733–present | Grouped by county of jurisdiction at the time the warrant was granted and grouped thereunder alphabetically by the first letter of the last name of the warrantee, then arranged by warrant number. | Records of the Land Office (RG-17) | FamilySearch.org (accessible with a free account) Indexes: Warrant Registers |
| Original Warrants for the Last Purchase, 1785–1817 | Warrants granted between 1786 and 1817 for lands in the purchase of 1784 northeast of the Allegheny River and Conewango Creek. Arranged alphabetically by first letter of last name, then numerically by warrant numbers. | Records of the Land Office (RG-17) | FamilySearch.org (accessible with a free account) Indexes: Last Purchase Warrant Register |
| Original Warrants for Depreciation Lands, 1785–1819 | Warrants for tracts of lands auctioned for the redemption of Revolutionary War depreciation certificates. Arranged alphabetically by first letter of surname, then numerically by warrant number. | Records of the Land Office (RG-17) | FamilySearch.org (accessible with a free account) Indexes: Depreciation Land Registers |
A survey is a sketch of the courses and measurements of the boundaries of a tract of land with exact determination of total acreage.
| Record | Notes | Finding aid | Digital images |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original (Loose) Surveys, 1662-present | Arranged sequentially by the same numbering system as the copied survey books that reflect the order in which the surveys were copied. | Records of the Land Office (RG-17) | FamilySearch.org (only accessible at a FamilySearch Center or FamilySearch affiliate library) Indexes: |
| Copied Surveys, 1682-1912 | Copied surveys are numbered and filed by series and book as follows: A to Z, A-1 to A-89, B1 to B-23, BB-1 to BB-4, C-1 to C-234, and D-1 to 90. Original D-91 to D-114 have not been copied. | Records of the Land Office (RG-17) | PA State Archives – Copied Surveys images Indexes: |
A return of survey is a verbal description of property boundaries. Its function is similar to that of a patent. It's an internal document sent from Surveyor General to Secretary of the Land Office.
| Record | Notes | Finding aid | Digital images |
|---|---|---|---|
| Returns of Survey (Loose), 1675-1732 | Interfiled with loose original surveys and numbered by the volume, book, and page. | Records of the Land Office (RG-17) | Copied Survey Books (official copies of original surveys) Indexes: |
| Returns of Survey (Loose) 1733-1870 | Arranged chronologically by date survey was returned. Dates recorded in Warrant Registers. | Records of the Land Office (RG-17) | Digital images are not currently available online. Indexes: Warrant Registers |
A patent is a final, official deed from the Penns or the Commonwealth. It conveys clear title and all rights to the private owner.
| Record | Notes | Finding aid | Digital images |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patent Books, 1684-present | Arranged chronologically by date of entry. | Records of the Land Office (RG-17) | FamilySearch.org (accessible with a free account) Indexes: Patent Indexes |
Military Bounty Land and Connecticut Claims
The following records involve donations or transfers of land following the Revolutionary War. This includes claims for territory that was disputed between Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
| Record | Notes | Finding aid | Digital images |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donation Land Records | Records related to land donated to each Pennsylvania Line soldier and officer who served in Continental service to the end of the war. | Records of the Land Office (RG-17) | PA State Archives – Donation Land Series Indexes: Donation Land Register |
| Seventeen Townships: Claimant Papers, circa 1799-1810, 1825 | Applications, deeds, oaths, and miscellaneous papers filed by Connecticut claimants. Grouped by certified township, then by type of material, within which they are arranged alphabetically by surname of claimant. | Records of the Land Office (RG-17) | FamilySearch.org (accessible with free account) Indexes: Certified Townships: Luzerne County |
| Seventeen Certified Townships: Surveys and Certifications, circa 1800-1830s, 1895-1912 | Copies of re-surveys of all lots granted to qualified Connecticut claimants in the Seventeen Certified Townships. | Records of the Land Office (RG-17) | Digital images not currently available online. Indexes: Certified Townships: Luzerne County |
Deeds are recorded at the county level with each county's Recorder of Deeds.
The State Archives only holds surveys filed during the patenting process.
Any subsequent surveys, if recorded, would be recorded at the county level with each county's Recorder of Deeds.
