Recording a deed in Berks County: fees and transfer tax

To record a deed in Berks County you file it with the Recorder of Deeds, on the 3rd floor of the Berks County Services Center at 633 Court Street in Reading. Two costs come with it: a recording fee that starts at $88 and a realty transfer tax that in most of the county is 2% of the property’s value, split between the state and your municipality and school district. The office records the deed but does not write it, so most people have an attorney or title company prepare the document first.

Recording is the step that makes a property transfer part of the public record. Once the Recorder stamps and files the deed, it becomes the official evidence of who owns the parcel, and anyone can look it up. Recording is separate from signing: a deed can be signed and delivered privately, but until it is recorded there is no public record of the sale.

Who prepares the deed

The Recorder of Deeds accepts and files deeds. It does not draft them. The county’s own guidance points people who need a deed prepared, such as adding or removing a name, to an attorney. A deed with a wrong legal description or a missing signature can be rejected or can cloud the title later, so most transfers go through an attorney or a title company. If you are buying a home with a mortgage, the title company usually handles preparing and recording the deed as part of closing.

Before you file: what the deed needs

Berks will not record a deed that is missing certain items. Have these ready:

1. A UPI (parcel number) for the property. Berks requires the Uniform Parcel Identifier on every document that references real estate. It is at least 14 digits, or 17 for a condominium. You can look it up free on the county’s parcel search; our guide to looking up a Berks County property record walks through it. If the deed creates a new parcel or splits or combines existing ones, that must be noted on the deed.
2. The property location: street address, municipality, and school district. For a Wyomissing Borough property, the deed must state whether it is in the Wyomissing or Wilson school district.
3. The names of the people transferring the property (the grantors) and receiving it (the grantees).
4. A Statement of Value (state form REV-183) when one is required (see below).

The realty transfer tax

Pennsylvania and your local governments tax most real estate transfers. The state’s share is fixed; the local share is set by your municipality and school district, so the total is not the same everywhere in the county.

• The state rate is 1% of the property’s value, collected by the Recorder and sent to the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue.
• In most Berks municipalities the total is 2%: the 1% state tax plus a combined 1% local tax shared by the municipality and the school district.
• The City of Reading is the exception, at 5% total, per the county fee schedule. Confirm your own municipality’s and school district’s rate before you assume 2%.

The buyer and seller are jointly responsible for the tax under state law, so which of them pays it is a term of the sale. On a $250,000 home in a 2% municipality, the transfer tax is $5,000.

When you need a Statement of Value

The Statement of Value (form REV-183) tells the county and the state what a transfer is worth and why. File it in duplicate with the deed when any of these is true:

• The deed does not state the full price or consideration.
• The transfer is a gift or has no consideration.
• You are claiming an exemption from the transfer tax.

If a transfer is fully exempt, the form is not strictly required, but the state recommends attaching one anyway. Leaving it out or filling it in wrong can lead the Recorder to refuse the deed.

Transfers that are exempt

Some transfers owe no realty transfer tax. Common exempt categories include property passing by will or intestate succession (when there is no will), transfers into or out of a living trust, and transfers between certain family members, such as between spouses or between a parent and child. The full list of family-relationship exemptions is set in state regulation at 61 Pa. Code §91.193. If you think a transfer qualifies, claim the exemption on the Statement of Value and keep documentation of the relationship.

How to record: three ways to file

1. In person. Bring the signed, notarized deed to the Recorder of Deeds, 3rd floor, 633 Court Street, Reading, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Staff review it over the counter and record it.
2. By mail. Send the deed with payment and the transfer tax to the office. Because the fee depends on the page count and the tax depends on the value, call 610-478-3380 first to confirm the exact total.
3. Electronically (e-recording). If an attorney, title company, or settlement agent is handling the transfer, they can file through one of the county’s e-recording vendors: Simplifile, CSC Ingeo, EPN, or Indecomm. Most closings use this route.

What it costs

Item	Fee
Deed recording, base fee (up to 4 pages, one tax parcel)	$88.00
Each additional page over 4	$4.00
Each additional tax parcel	$15.00
State realty transfer tax	1% of value
Local realty transfer tax (municipality + school)	usually 1% (5% total in the City of Reading)
Certified copy at the counter	$2.00 certification + 50 cents per page

The $88 base is a single recording fee that already folds in the state and county charges tied to recording; the county does not bill those as separate line items. A Statement of Value counts as an added page. These figures come from the Recorder of Deeds fee schedule dated November 14, 2025; call the office to confirm the current amounts before you send payment.

Make checks payable to “Berks County Recorder of Deeds.” The office does not accept cash or personal checks for the transfer tax, and it will not accept a check dated 180 days or older.

Where to go

Berks County Recorder of Deeds, Berks County Services Center, 3rd floor, 633 Court Street, Reading, PA 19601. Phone 610-478-3380, open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The office also stores every recorded deed, so once yours is filed you can get a copy anytime; see our guide to getting a copy of a deed in Berks County. To understand which county offices do what, see how Berks County government works.

FAQ

How much does it cost to record a deed in Berks County?

The base recording fee is $88 for a deed of up to four pages covering one parcel, plus $4 for each additional page and $15 for each additional parcel. Separate from that fee, most transfers owe realty transfer tax of 2% of the property’s value (1% state and 1% local), or 5% total in the City of Reading. Figures are from the county fee schedule effective November 14, 2025.

Who pays the transfer tax, the buyer or the seller?

Pennsylvania makes the buyer and seller jointly responsible, so both can be pursued if it goes unpaid. In practice, who pays is negotiated in the sale, and it is common to split it evenly. The Recorder collects the full tax when the deed is recorded.

Can I prepare and record my own deed?

You can record a deed yourself, but the county will not prepare one for you, and it must meet legal requirements to be accepted and to hold up later. A deed with a flawed legal description or a missing UPI can be rejected or can create title problems, so most people use an attorney or title company. Recording it yourself is possible; drafting it correctly is the hard part.

Do I owe transfer tax if I add my spouse or child to the deed?

Transfers between spouses and between a parent and child are generally exempt from realty transfer tax under state regulation (61 Pa. Code §91.193), but you still record a new deed and file a Statement of Value claiming the exemption. Adding or removing a name requires a newly prepared deed, not an edit to the existing one. An attorney can make sure the exemption is claimed correctly.

How long does it take to record a deed?

An over-the-counter or e-recorded deed is usually recorded promptly once it passes review; mailed deeds take longer because of transit and processing. There is no waiting period to record after signing. The sooner a deed is recorded, the sooner the transfer is on the public record and protected against competing claims.