Franklin County Property Tax Records and Assessment Data

Franklin County sits in south-central Pennsylvania along the Maryland border, with Chambersburg serving as the county seat and the hub of the county's growing commercial and residential activity. Proximity to Maryland and the Washington DC metropolitan area has driven consistent residential growth, adding new parcels to the county's assessment rolls each year. The Assessment Office maintains property tax records for all real estate in the county, including GIS-based parcel maps and archived historical assessment books organized by town. This guide covers how to access Franklin County property tax records, what those records include, and which programs may reduce property tax burdens for qualifying owners.

Franklin County Assessment Office

The Franklin County Assessment Office is located on the first floor of the Old Courthouse at 2 North Main Street in Chambersburg. Staff maintain property record cards, tax maps, assessment rolls, and archived tax assessment books for all taxable real estate in the county. Pennsylvania's property assessment system operates under Title 72 of the PA Consolidated Statutes, and Franklin County's Assessment Office carries out its responsibilities within that legal framework. The PA Department of Community and Economic Development supports county assessment offices throughout the commonwealth and can be a resource for questions about statewide assessment policies and standards.

One distinctive feature of Franklin County's assessment infrastructure is its collection of archived tax assessment books organized by municipality. These historical records are valuable for property history research and tracing how assessments and ownership have evolved over time for specific parcels. Combined with GIS mapping tools that show current parcel boundaries and attributes, Franklin County offers researchers both historical depth and modern accessibility. The office also coordinates with the Tax Claim Bureau on delinquent tax matters and works with the county's GIS department on spatial data management for parcel records.

The Franklin County Assessment Office in Chambersburg manages property tax assessment records and provides access to historical and current parcel data throughout the county.

Note: Franklin County's online assessment records require a paid subscription for full access; contact the Assessment Office at (717) 261-3801 for details on subscription options and available access tiers.

How to Search Franklin County Property Tax Records

Franklin County provides property tax and assessment record access through a paid subscription service at franklincountypa.gov. Subscribers can search property records, view property record cards, access tax maps, and retrieve assessment rolls. The subscription service provides comprehensive parcel data for the entire county, making it useful for real estate professionals, researchers, and anyone who needs to search multiple properties regularly.

GIS maps with parcel search capabilities are available through the county's website and allow users to identify and locate parcels visually on interactive maps. These tools are particularly valuable for Franklin County's growing residential areas where new subdivisions have expanded the parcel database significantly in recent years. For historical research, the archived tax assessment books organized by municipality provide a record of past assessments and ownership that is difficult to find in most other Pennsylvania counties. Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law ensures that property assessment records are presumed public, and the PA county assessment directory provides contact information for all 67 counties. In-person visits to the Old Courthouse on Main Street in Chambersburg are the most direct option for accessing records that are not available through the online subscription system.

For those who need records on Franklin County properties from across the Maryland border, note that Maryland and Pennsylvania maintain separate assessment systems, and cross-border property research requires consulting both states' county records independently.

Franklin County Property Tax Records: What They Show

Franklin County property records maintained by the Assessment Office include the parcel identification number, current assessed value, owner of record with mailing address, and a physical description of any improvements. For residential parcels, descriptions typically cover the year of construction, total living area, construction type, number of stories, and condition rating. Agricultural records note land use classifications and any enrollment in preferential assessment programs. Commercial and industrial records include use type information and characteristics relevant to income-producing property valuation.

Franklin County's property landscape reflects the county's blend of established agricultural communities and newer residential development driven by its proximity to the Maryland border and major transportation corridors including Interstate 81. According to propertytax101.org, Pennsylvania's median property tax is approximately $2,223 on a median home value of $164,700, representing about 1.35 percent statewide. Franklin County's growing residential market means home values and assessed values have trended upward in recent years as new residents relocating from Maryland and other states have increased demand. The PA State Data Center at Penn State publishes demographic and land use data that provides useful context for understanding Franklin County's assessment trends within the south-central Pennsylvania region.

The historical tax assessment books are a unique resource in Franklin County's collection. Organized by municipality, these archived records allow researchers to trace how specific properties and neighborhoods were valued across multiple decades, providing context that current records alone cannot offer. Real estate attorneys, historians, and genealogists have found these records useful for estate research and property ownership history projects.

Note: Because Franklin County's online assessment access requires a subscription, those who need occasional records access may find it more practical to visit the Assessment Office in person or contact staff by phone during regular business hours.

Franklin County Assessment Appeals

Property owners who believe their Franklin County assessment is inaccurate may appeal to the Board of Assessment Appeals. The standard annual filing deadline is August 1 under Pennsylvania law. Owners who miss this date generally must wait until the following year unless a specific triggering event such as a recent sale or newly completed construction creates a separate review opportunity.

Preparing an effective appeal requires the current property record card, recent comparable sales data, and if appropriate, an independent appraisal by a licensed Pennsylvania appraiser. The property owner bears the burden of proof to demonstrate the assessed value is unreasonable. Pennsylvania's Uniformity Clause in Article VIII, Section 1 of the state constitution also supports appeals where evidence shows a property is assessed at a higher ratio than comparable parcels of the same class. If the Board of Assessment Appeals does not resolve the matter satisfactorily, further review is available at the Court of Common Pleas through the PA Courts system. Given Franklin County's growth trajectory and the potential for assessed values to lag behind market appreciation in fast-growing areas, appeals based on evidence of undervaluation by comparable standards are also possible in some circumstances.

Property Tax Relief Programs in Franklin County

Franklin County property owners may qualify for several programs that reduce their annual tax obligations. The Homestead Exclusion under Act 1 of 2006 reduces the assessed value of an owner-occupied primary residence before millage rates are applied. The Farmstead Exclusion under Act 72 of 2004 provides comparable relief for buildings on actively farmed properties. Both programs require applications through the Franklin County Assessment Office.

Agricultural landowners in Franklin County may qualify for Clean and Green preferential assessment under Act 319 of 1974. This program values farmland and forest land at use value rather than market value, providing significant tax relief on large agricultural tracts. Franklin County has a strong agricultural tradition, with orchards, grain farms, and livestock operations that contribute to the regional food economy. To qualify for Clean and Green, a parcel must be at least 10 acres or generate at least $2,000 in annual farm income. More than 9.3 million acres of Pennsylvania farmland are enrolled statewide. Property owners considering enrollment should ask the Assessment Office about rollback taxes that apply when land is later converted to a non-qualifying use, which is relevant in Franklin County's growth areas where development pressure can motivate farmland conversion.

The PA Department of Revenue administers the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program, offering rebates to qualifying seniors age 65 and older, widows and widowers age 50 and older, and disabled individuals age 18 and older who meet income requirements. Applications are accepted annually through June 30. The Tax Foundation notes that Pennsylvania relies significantly on property taxes as a local government revenue source, making these relief programs an important offset for many fixed-income residents across the county.

Note: Homestead and Farmstead Exclusion applications carry annual deadlines, and late submissions are generally held over to the following year's filing period.

Franklin County Recorder of Deeds and Land Records

The Franklin County Recorder of Deeds maintains the official repository of land records for the county, including deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, and other instruments affecting real property titles. Every property conveyance and encumbrance in Franklin County must be recorded with this office to establish public notice, creating the chain of title that underpins all real estate transactions in the county. Access to Recorder of Deeds records is available through franklincountypa.gov and in person at the courthouse in Chambersburg.

Franklin County's ongoing growth means the Recorder of Deeds office regularly processes a high volume of new deed and mortgage recordings as residential development expands across the county's municipalities. Online access to indexed documents allows title researchers and lenders to conduct preliminary searches without traveling to Chambersburg. Certified copies of recorded instruments are available for a fee and are frequently required for legal proceedings, estate settlements, and refinancing transactions. Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law at openrecords.pa.gov confirms that recorded land documents are generally public records accessible without a formal petition. The combination of the Recorder's deed records and the Assessment Office's parcel data, including the archived historical assessment books, gives Franklin County researchers a particularly rich set of tools for property history investigation.

Nearby Counties

Franklin County borders Cumberland and Adams counties in Pennsylvania and the state of Maryland to the south. Explore property tax records in neighboring jurisdictions below.

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