How-to guides

BARTA fixed-route fares in Berks County: $1.80 base fare, free rides for seniors 65+, passes, and how to find your bus route in Reading.

Order a certified copy of a Berks County marriage record from the Register of Wills for $5. What to bring, how to request by mail or in person, and how to find old records back to 1885.

Berks County's repository is a standing list of unsold tax-sale properties. Bid by mail or in person; the minimum is $500 or the assessed value.

What a Berks County dog license costs, who needs one, the January 1 deadline, and how to buy it online, by mail, or in person.

What Berks County poll workers do, what they earn, who qualifies, and how to apply to work an election: positions, pay, hours, and training.

How to find when and where your Berks County township, borough, or school board meets: the county directory, the meeting law, agendas, and how to watch.

How to get a protection from abuse (PFA) order in Berks County: where to file, the same-day emergency order, the 10-day hearing, and free help.

How to get a license to carry firearms in Berks County: the $20 fee, applying online or by mail, what to bring, references, and the 45-day decision.

How to sue for up to $12,000 in a Berks County magisterial district court: where to file, the complaint form, filing fees, the hearing, and how to appeal.

What to do when you get a Berks County jury summons: where and when to report, what jurors are paid, how long service lasts, and how to ask to be excused or postponed.

Meet the three Berks County commissioners, what the board controls, how they are elected, and how to reach them or speak at a meeting.

How a Berks County sheriff sale works: where to find the sale list, the deposit you need to bid on Bid4Assets, payment deadlines, and what you're buying.

File a Right-to-Know request with Berks County: who to send it to, what to include, the county's 5-business-day deadline, fees, and how to appeal.

What it costs to record a deed in Berks County: the $88 recording fee, realty transfer tax by municipality, the forms you need, and how to file.

Berks County takes marriage license applications online only, with a video appointment. The $65 fee, what to bring, the 3-day wait, and how to book.

Order a Berks County birth or death certificate from the state: the $20 fee, how to order online, by mail, or in person, and who is eligible.

Get a copy of a Berks County deed online, in person, or by mail. Fees, the office address, and what you need to find the right document.

Unpaid Berks County taxes go to the Tax Claim Bureau, add interest and fees, and after about 21 months the property can be sold at the upset tax sale.

Pennsylvania's property tax/rent rebate pays back up to $1,000 to older Berks County homeowners and renters. Who qualifies and how to apply.

The homestead exclusion lowers the school property tax on your Berks County home. Who qualifies, how to apply by March 1, and where to file.