Deed Registration Requirements in Bucks County

Recording your deed with the Bucks County Recorder of Deeds in Doylestown is just the first step. In many Bucks County municipalities, you must also register the deed with the municipality within 72 hours of recording — and most buyers, and even some attorneys, don't know this.

This is a local requirement, not a state one. Each municipality that requires registration has its own ordinance. Failure to register can result in fines, and some municipalities use the registration requirement to enforce local transfer taxes or fees.

Municipalities Requiring Deed Registration (Within 72 Hours of Recording)

The following Bucks County municipalities require deed registration after recording with the county. This list is maintained by the Bucks County Recorder of Deeds:

Boroughs:

• Doylestown Borough — Code Ch. 24, Part 5, §§ 503–504. Register within 2 business days of county recording. Registration form available on borough website.
• Morrisville Borough — Registration required within 72 hours of recording.
• Newtown Borough — Grantee must present recorded deed to the Borough Secretary within 2 days of county recording.
• New Britain Borough — Registration required within 72 hours of recording.
• Sellersville Borough — Registration required within 72 hours of recording.
• Perkasie Borough — Registration required within 72 hours of recording.
• Quakertown Borough — Registration required within 72 hours of recording.

Townships:

• Buckingham Township — Registration required within 72 hours of recording.
• Doylestown Township — Registration required within 72 hours of recording.
• New Britain Township — Registration required within 72 hours of recording.
• Lower Southampton Township — Registration required within 72 hours of recording.
• West Rockhill Township — Registration required within 72 hours of recording.
• Wrightstown Township — Registration required within 72 hours of recording.
• Durham Township — Registration required within 72 hours of recording.
• Warwick Township — Registration required within 72 hours of recording.

What Registration Involves

Typically, the municipality requires presentation of the recorded deed (or a copy) along with a registration form. Some municipalities charge a small registration fee. The purpose is to update the municipality's records for tax billing, voter registration, water/sewer accounts, and code enforcement purposes.

What If You Don't Register?

Consequences vary by municipality but may include fines, penalties, or complications with municipal services (water, sewer, trash). More practically, failure to register can cause billing and assessment problems that take months to sort out. It's a 10-minute task — just do it.