Chester County, Pennsylvania, property owners can use Fraud Notify to receive free email alerts about recorded land documents. The county allows subscribers to monitor names and a Uniform Parcel Identifier, or UPI, giving residents a way to watch for activity connected to their property. Source: county Fraud Notify information.
Existing Fraud Guard users also need to create a username and password for the upgraded system, according to the county's Records Search page. The page says the database was upgraded as of December 31, 2025.
What information can trigger an alert
The county says notifications are sent when a document is recorded in a registered name or with a registered UPI number. Because the trigger is a matching record, an email by itself does not establish that fraud occurred. It identifies activity that the recipient can examine. Source: Recorder of Deeds Records Search.
The county signup guidance calls for an email address and lists three alert entries: the name as it appears on the title, additional names and the UPI number. That page provides the official registration link. Residents can also reach the service through the Public Access Databases option described on the Records Search page.
A UPI is different from a PIN
The county's UPI explanation distinguishes the Uniform Parcel Identifier from the Parcel Identification Number, or PIN. A UPI is a standardized version of the PIN with specific formatting requirements. The two should not be treated as interchangeable labels when gathering information for an alert.
The Bureau of Land Records page links to ChescoViews for finding a UPI. For help verifying that number, the county lists the Bureau of Land Records at 610 344 4561 on its UPI information page.
For the map’s search options and limits, see our ChescoViews property records guide. It also explains the county archives’ advice about checking an older home’s construction date.
Read the document behind the search result
The county's public records portal cautions that its index is a guide to the underlying documents. An index entry should not be relied on alone to make a determination about a document. It also advises searching spelling variations and other criteria when researching records. Source: public records portal disclaimer.
The Recorder's database instructions explain how to search by homeowner name, document number, book and page, or UPI in Document Search and Copies. Results can be filtered by document type, and a View Document option opens the record. Those instructions provide a way to move from a search entry to the document itself.
Where to get local help
The Recorder of Deeds office is at 313 West Market Street, Suite 3302, in West Chester. Its telephone number is 610 344 6330. Posted office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; the search library closes at 4:15 p.m. Source: Recorder of Deeds contact information.
Staff can explain how to use the county's resources, but the Bureau of Land Records says they cannot conduct property or title research for the public. Source: county research assistance limits.
Related local coverage
For emergency and township notifications, see our ReadyChesCo account and weather alert guide. Enrolling in property record alerts does not enroll a resident in ReadyChesCo.
For proposed land use changes, see our guide to Chester County data center planning records. It explains county reviews and municipal decisions, which are separate from the recorded documents covered by Fraud Notify.
Browse Chester County news and service guides from The Wright Report.
This guide uses county materials checked September 29, 2026. Registration and email delivery were not tested.
Photo: Illustrative stock photograph of a key and house keychain beside a laptop. It does not show a Chester County transaction or a person involved in fraud. Khwanchai Phanthong on Pexels, used under the Pexels License.
Update, September 30, 2026: Added related alert guidance and distinguished recorded document notifications from emergency notices. The original publication date is unchanged.
Update, October 1, 2026: Added a guide to planning records to distinguish proposed land use changes from property recording alerts. The original publication date is unchanged.
Update, October 6, 2026: Added a ChescoViews guide beside the UPI lookup instructions. This addition does not change the original publication date or claim a fresh review of every alert instruction.
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