Cumberland County Genealogy Records

Cumberland County genealogy records date back to 1750, when the county was formed from Lancaster County. Estate records and land documents held at the Cumberland County courthouse begin at that founding date. Marriage licenses go back to 1885, and early birth and death records from 1893 to 1905 are also maintained locally. Researchers exploring Cumberland County family history have access to both a well-organized county government office and the Randolph N. Smith Genealogy Library at the Cumberland County Public Library in Carlisle, which holds an outstanding collection of local research materials.

Cumberland County Register of Wills and Recorder

Cumberland County was formed on January 27, 1750 from Lancaster County, making it one of the older counties in Pennsylvania. The Register of Wills maintains estate records from 1750 to the present, giving genealogists access to nearly 275 years of probate history in Cumberland County. The Recorder of Deeds holds land records also dating from 1750. Marriage licenses from 1885 and early birth and death records from 1893 to 1905 round out the county's vital records collection. Online resources for court records and property searches are available through the county portal at ccpa.net.

The Board of Commissioners oversees Cumberland County government, and the county has a well-organized system for public records access. The Right to Know process is available for requesting records when in-person access is not possible. Under 65 P.S. §§ 67.101, most county records are public documents available to any requester. Estate files from the 1750s and 1800s can provide extraordinary depth for families with deep roots in Cumberland County, as they often name multiple generations of heirs and describe property in careful detail.

Note: Estate records in Cumberland County going back to 1750 are among the oldest locally-held genealogy records in Pennsylvania, so researchers with pre-Revolutionary or early post-Revolutionary ancestors should prioritize this source.

Randolph N. Smith Genealogy Library

The Randolph N. Smith Genealogy Library at the Cumberland County Public Library in Carlisle is a standout resource for family history research. The library provides access to Ancestry Library Edition for in-library use, allowing researchers to search the full Ancestry database without a paid subscription. The genealogy collection includes birth, marriage, and death records for Cumberland County and surrounding areas. Federal census records from 1790 to 1940 are available on microfilm. Cemetery records and military records are also part of the collection.

Family Files at the library contain compiled family histories donated by local researchers over many years. These files can save significant time when another researcher has already traced part of your family line. The Local History collection includes books, maps, and manuscripts specific to Cumberland County. The Cumberland County Oral Histories collection contains recorded interviews that bring local history to life in ways that written records cannot. Dennis Sells is available for genealogy research assistance at the library. Contact the Cumberland County genealogy library directly for current hours and research appointment policies.

The library's combination of digital databases and physical local history materials makes it one of the best genealogy research stops in south-central Pennsylvania.

Cumberland County Vital Records

Vital records in Cumberland County follow Pennsylvania's two-tier system. Early records from 1893 to 1905 are held at the county level. Records from 1906 onward are with the Pennsylvania Department of Health under 35 P.S. §450.801. Birth and death certificates can be ordered through the state's VitalChek system or by mail. Each certificate costs $20, and processing takes roughly two weeks. Marriage licenses at the county date from 1885.

Act 127 of 2016, described at the Library of Congress Pennsylvania vital records guide, opened records more than 105 years old to any researcher. This means many Cumberland County vital records from the late 19th and early 20th centuries are now publicly accessible without proof of family connection. For very early Cumberland County families, records may also exist in the parent county of Lancaster. The State Archives and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania both hold materials relevant to pre-1750 families in this region of Pennsylvania.

Cumberland County Historical Collections

Cumberland County's location along the Pennsylvania frontier made it a staging ground for early colonial settlement and military activity. Records from this era, including early land warrants and militia rolls, are preserved at the Pennsylvania State Archives. The State Archives also holds the original land warrant and survey collection covering all of Pennsylvania, which includes early Cumberland County land grants that predate the formal recording system.

The library system at cumberlandcountylibrary.org includes the full genealogy library described above. Census records on microfilm at the library cover federal censuses from 1790 to 1940, spanning nearly the entire period of organized federal enumeration. These records are essential for tracing Cumberland County families decade by decade. Newspaper collections and local directories available through the library further round out the research options for Cumberland County genealogists. Under 37 Pa.C.S. § 305.3, the State Archives maintains its obligation to preserve historical public records, supporting access to Cumberland County materials held at the state level.

Online Cumberland County Record Access

The Cumberland County government portal at ccpa.net provides online access to court records and property searches. The library system offers access to Ancestry Library Edition in person, which is one of the broadest genealogy databases available. For home research, the State Library of Pennsylvania genealogy guide lists databases useful for Cumberland County research. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission at pa.gov/agencies/phmc maintains digital collections and research guides that are relevant to Cumberland County family history.

The Dauphin County Library System, which borders Cumberland County, is also a FamilySearch Affiliate Library providing access to genealogy databases. Researchers in Carlisle who have family ties that cross into the Harrisburg area may find that visiting both the Cumberland County and Dauphin County library systems enriches their research significantly.

Cities in Cumberland County

Cumberland County is home to Carlisle, the county seat, along with Mechanicsburg and several other boroughs and townships in south-central Pennsylvania. Records for all of Cumberland County are maintained at the courthouse and library in Carlisle.

Nearby Counties

Cumberland County sits at the center of a cluster of historically rich Pennsylvania counties. Families in the region often have records in York, Adams, Franklin, Perry, and Dauphin Counties, all of which border Cumberland directly.

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