Philadelphia County Residents Directory
The Philadelphia County residents directory gives you access to a wide range of public records held by city and county offices. Philadelphia is a consolidated city-county, so one government serves the entire area. Over 1.6 million people live here. You can search court records, property files, vital records, and voter data through Philadelphia County offices. This guide walks you through each office, what records they hold, and how to request them. Use the tools on this page to start your Philadelphia County residents directory search right now.
Philadelphia County Quick Facts
Philadelphia County Department of Records
The Department of Records is a key office in the Philadelphia County residents directory. It serves as the Recorder of Deeds. The department manages real estate documents and gives the public access to land records. It also runs the City Archives, which hold historical files going back to the city's founding. The Commissioner of Records leads this office and oversees the records management program for all city departments.
You can visit the Property Research Room at City Hall, Room 154, at 1400 John F. Kennedy Boulevard. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Staff can help with research. Kiosks in the room let you search property records on your own. Some documents that are not online can only be viewed in person at this Philadelphia County office. The phone number is (215) 686-2292. You can reach the office by email at deedcopy.info@phila.gov for questions about copies.
The Philadelphia Department of Records website provides online access to many land records and public documents for this Philadelphia County residents directory resource.
Payment for copies can be made by cash, money order, debit or credit card, or certified check. Personal checks are not accepted. A convenience fee of 3.5% applies to card payments at this Philadelphia County office.
Note: The Department of Records also provides access to financial disclosure forms and public safety reports for Philadelphia County.
Philadelphia Residents Directory for Wills and Estates
The Register of Wills is an elected official who also serves as the Clerk of the Orphans' Court. This office issues marriage licenses and keeps marriage records going back to 1915. It also handles the probate of wills and issues letters of administration when someone dies without a will. Estate inventories and related documents are stored here. Staff can walk you through the probate process, but they cannot give legal advice about your Philadelphia County case.
The Register of Wills provides an attorney online system for legal professionals. Lawyers can use it to access records and file documents electronically in Philadelphia County. Marriage licenses are issued to couples who meet the eligibility requirements under Pennsylvania law. These records are kept permanently in the Philadelphia County residents directory system.
You can learn more about wills and estate records at the Philadelphia Register of Wills website.
The Orphans' Court handles guardianships, adoptions, and related estate matters within Philadelphia County.
Philadelphia County Property Records Search
The Board of Revision of Taxes (BRT) hears property assessment appeals in Philadelphia County. The Office of Property Assessment (OPA) determines the value of every piece of real estate in the city. That value sets the property tax you owe. If you think the city's value is too high, too low, or does not match similar homes in your area, you can appeal to the BRT.
The BRT also handles appeals for denied abatement applications, denied non-profit exemptions, and Homestead Exemptions. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 601 Walnut Street, Suite 325 East, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Call (215) 686-4343 for more details about property records in the Philadelphia County residents directory.
The Board of Revision of Taxes website has details on the appeals process and deadlines for Philadelphia County property owners.
The OPA also runs the Homestead Exemption program. This reduces the taxable assessed value of owner-occupied homes in Philadelphia County.
Note: The annual deadline to file market value appeals is typically in early October for the following tax year in Philadelphia County.
Search Philadelphia County Court Records
The Unified Judicial System (UJS) Web Portal gives you access to court records across all of Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia County. You can search by party name or case number. The system is free to search for basic case information. Go to ujsportal.pacourts.us to start a search. For copies of actual documents, contact the Prothonotary or visit the courthouse in Philadelphia County.
The Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas handles civil and criminal cases. The Family Court deals with matters involving children, custody, and support. All court records in Philadelphia County are part of the public record under the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law, 65 P.S. 67.101. Some details may be sealed or redacted, but most files are open to the public.
The PAeDocket app is also available for Apple and Android devices. It provides free mobile access to court case searches in Philadelphia County and across the state. You can search by case number, participant name, or other details.
Philadelphia County Police Records
The Philadelphia Police Department is one of the oldest in the country. It has over 6,000 sworn officers and serves all 1.6 million residents of Philadelphia County. The department provides incident reports, accident reports, and other police records to the public.
The PPD has an Agency Open Records Officer who handles Right-to-Know requests. You can submit a request through the Philadelphia Police Department website or by mail. Certain records tied to ongoing investigations are exempt from disclosure under the RTKL. Routine reports are usually available within a few business days in Philadelphia County.
The department is organized into six police divisions and 20 police districts that cover the entire Philadelphia County area.
Philadelphia County Voter Directory
The Philadelphia City Commissioners oversee elections and voter registration. They maintain voter rolls, manage polling places, and run local, state, and federal elections. Voter registration records are part of the Philadelphia County residents directory. You can check your status or register through the Pennsylvania Voter Services portal.
Campaign finance reports for city offices are also kept by this office. Election results, polling place locations, and absentee ballot forms are all available. Residents can update their registration information at any time before the deadline set by state law.
Note: Voter registration in Pennsylvania requires a driver's license number or the last four digits of your Social Security number.
Philadelphia County Public Records Requests
Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law gives you the right to request records from any government agency, including all offices in Philadelphia County. The law presumes that records held by government agencies are public. You can use the standard RTK Request Form from the Office of Open Records or a form provided by the specific Philadelphia County agency.
Each agency in Philadelphia County has an Agency Open Records Officer (AORO) who handles requests. You can submit by mail, hand delivery, email, or fax. The agency must respond within five business days. If your request is denied, you can appeal to the Office of Open Records within 15 business days. Standard fees include $0.25 per page for photocopies and $2.00 for certified copies in Philadelphia County.
- Mail your request to the AORO at the agency address
- Be specific about which records you need
- Keep a copy of your request for your own files
- Do not ask questions in the request form
The Office of Open Records maintains a database of all AOROs in Philadelphia County and across Pennsylvania. Visit their website to find the right contact for your records request.
Vital Records in Philadelphia County
The Pennsylvania Department of Health, Division of Vital Records, maintains birth and death records from 1906 to the present. You can order certified copies online, by mail, or through VitalChek. Visit pa.gov Vital Records for ordering details. The mailing address is Division of Vital Records, PO Box 1528, New Castle, PA 16103.
For older records, the Pennsylvania State Archives holds birth certificates from 1906 to 1920 and death certificates from 1906 to 1975. Digital copies of many of these records are available free to Pennsylvania residents through the Ancestry PA partnership. This includes death certificates from 1906 to 1971 and birth records from 1906 to 1915. These are a great resource for anyone using the Philadelphia County residents directory for historical research.
Philadelphia also recorded births and deaths before 1906, unlike most Pennsylvania counties. These early records may be found at the City Archives within the Department of Records.
Cities in Philadelphia County
Philadelphia County is a consolidated city-county. The city and county share the same boundaries and one government. All public records are handled through the unified city-county offices listed in this residents directory.
Philadelphia is the only municipality in Philadelphia County. Every resident falls under the same city-county government for all public records purposes.
Nearby Counties
Philadelphia County borders several other Pennsylvania counties. If you need records from a neighboring area, check the county where the person lived or where the record was filed.