Monroe County PA Tax Records: Search, Balances, and Appeals

Monroe County, PA tax records are available for free through the county Assessment Office’s online parcel search, and Pennsylvania law gives any county resident the right to examine assessment returns in person at the office in Stroudsburg.¹ The online tool handles most lookups. Certified copies, delinquent balances, and assessment appeals require a trip to a specific office or a separate system.

Searching Records Online

The Monroe County Assessment Office runs a public parcel search on its website. You can look up any property by Property Number, owner name, street address, or Map Number, and the results include assessment data, ownership information, and property characteristics with no login required.²

The Property Number is the most reliable identifier. It is unique to each parcel and appears on tax bills, assessment notices, and recorded deeds. If you only have an owner name, use the legal name from the deed rather than a nickname. Map Numbers help in rural areas where street addresses can be vague or missing. Having one of these on hand before you start saves time sifting through similar results.

What a Monroe County Tax Record Shows

Each record splits the assessed value into two parts: the land value and the improvement value (buildings and permanent structures). Together they make the total assessed value, which the county uses for every tax calculation.

Assessed value is not market value. Monroe County, like most Pennsylvania counties, set its base-year assessments well in the past, so the assessed figure on your record will almost always be lower than what the property would sell for today. The State Tax Equalization Board publishes a Common Level Ratio each year to translate between the two. That ratio matters most during an appeal.

Beyond valuation, the record lists acreage or lot dimensions, the year the property was last evaluated, the current owner of record, and the tax district codes that determine which municipal and school district rates apply.

Checking a Current or Delinquent Balance

Where you check a tax balance depends on how old it is. Current-year taxes are handled by the local tax collector for your municipality. Once a balance crosses into delinquent status after December 31, collection transfers to the Monroe County Tax Claim Bureau, which handles delinquent real estate taxes for all 20 municipalities and four school districts in the county.³

Under Pennsylvania’s Real Estate Tax Sale Law, interest accrues on delinquent balances at 9% per year, calculated from the first of the month after the taxes are returned as unpaid.⁴ Bureau costs stack on top of that interest. As of early 2026, the Tax Claim Bureau takes delinquent payments online through paylocalgovplus.com, and in person by credit card, debit card, money order, or cashier’s check.³

Confirming that no delinquent balance exists on a parcel is one of the most important steps before any real estate purchase. Unpaid taxes create liens that follow the property, not the previous owner.

Requesting a Certified Copy

For a legal proceeding, mortgage application, or real estate closing, you will usually need a certified copy rather than a screen printout. Those requests go through the Assessment Office at One Quaker Plaza, Room 102, Stroudsburg, PA 18360. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.²

You can submit the request in person or by mail with a self-addressed stamped envelope. The office charges an administrative fee for certified copies, so call ahead to confirm the current per-page cost and accepted payment methods. A certified document carries the county’s official seal, which gives it legal weight that a downloaded file does not.

Appealing an Assessment

If the record shows an assessed value you believe is too high, you can file an assessment appeal with the county. The deadline for a 2027 appeal is August 1, 2026, or 40 days from the date you receive an Assessment Change Notice, whichever applies. The Assessment Office must physically receive the appeal by that date.²

The county’s Board of Assessment Appeals hears the case, and you will need to show the assessed value does not reflect the property’s fair market value. The strongest evidence is a recent independent appraisal. Comparable sales from similar properties and documentation of defects or conditions that reduce value also help. If you recently bought the property, the sale price itself is a powerful data point.

Because assessed values are based on an older base year, the Common Level Ratio converts current market values back to the assessment level. Look up the current ratio before preparing your case. Your argument needs to show the assessment is out of line even after applying that conversion.

Programs That Can Lower the Bill

Two main programs reduce what Monroe County property owners pay.

Homestead and Farmstead Exclusion

If the property is your primary residence, the Homestead Exclusion reduces the assessed value used for school tax calculations. A farmstead version applies to agricultural buildings on farms of at least ten contiguous acres that also serve as the owner’s home.⁵ The deadline to apply is March 1. Submit the application to the Assessment Office with two forms of ID showing your current address. Accepted IDs include a Pennsylvania driver’s license, voter registration card, Berkheimer tax document, pay stub or W-2, or a Monroe County firearms carry license.⁶

Disabled Veteran Real Estate Tax Exemption

Veterans with a 100% permanent service-connected disability rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs may qualify for a full exemption from real estate taxes on their principal dwelling. The exemption also extends to surviving spouses. Eligibility requires an honorable discharge, wartime service, Pennsylvania residency, and sole or joint ownership of the property. As of 2025, applicants with annual income at or below $114,637 receive a presumption of financial need. Those above that threshold can still qualify by showing monthly expenses exceed monthly income.⁷

1
Pennsylvania General Assembly. The General County Assessment Law
2
Monroe County. Monroe County Assessment
3
Monroe County Pennsylvania. Monroe County Tax Claim Bureau
4
Pennsylvania General Assembly. Real Estate Tax Sale Law – Act 542 of 1947
5
PA Department of Community and Economic Development. Property Tax Relief Through Homestead Exclusion
6
Monroe County. Homestead/Farmstead Exclusion
7
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Real Estate Tax Exemption