How to find a deed
A deed is kept by the office that recorded it: in most states a county office, in a few a town clerk or a state bureau. You can search the index of recorded documents yourself, often online, and order a plain or certified copy for the fee set by that office.
On this page
Where deeds are kept
When a property changes hands, the new deed is taken to the recording office for the county (or town) where the land lies. The office stamps it with a number and date, indexes and images it, and returns the original. In DuPage County, Illinois, for example, "the original is mailed back to the name and address provided"1. The office keeps the image and the index, which is what you search later.
The office has a different name in each state: county clerk in Texas, recorder or register of deeds in many others, clerk of the circuit court in Virginia, town clerk in Connecticut and Vermont. The table below gives the office for every state we cover, and the office explainer compares the titles.
How to find a deed
Recording offices index documents by the names of the parties: the grantor (seller) and the grantee (buyer). Search by the owner's name, then narrow by year and document type. If you know the instrument number or the book and page, a copy can usually be ordered directly; Fairfax County, Virginia, takes such orders by mail or phone2.
Staff will help you use the index, but most offices do not research for you. Fairfax County says its "Land Records staff is not allowed to perform research"2, and the Tarrant County Clerk in Texas does "not conduct title searches, lien searches, or determine restrictions"3. For a full title history, people usually hire a title company or an attorney.
Plain copy or certified copy
A plain copy shows what was recorded. A certified copy is the same image with the office's certificate, which courts, lenders and other agencies may ask for. DuPage County describes a certified copy as "a true and exact copy of the original document recorded in our office", available "for an additional fee"1. Fees are set by state law or by the office; see the table for each state and the county pages for local amounts.
When the mortgage is paid off
Paying off a mortgage does not create a new deed. Fairfax County explains that "the lender will record a Certificate of Satisfaction" and that "your deed doesn't change"2. If you need proof of payoff, ask the recording office for a copy of the release or satisfaction, which DuPage County lists separately from the deed1.
A copy of the deed also says nothing about liens. DuPage County notes that a deed copy "does not reflect whether liens have been recorded or released against the property"1. See checking liens and judgments.
Deed types and forms
Warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds and other deed types are all recorded the same way and found in the same index. Recording offices do not supply deed forms or advise on which deed to use: DuPage County says forms "are not available from the Recorder's Office" and that it "does not provide legal advice"1. For a new deed, talk to an attorney or a title company.
Deeds and land records by state
| State | Who holds it | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Judge of Probate (probate office) in the county where the property is located | $1.00 per page (statutory base, Ala. Code § 12-19-90(b)(25)) |
| Alaska | State, not county or borough: the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) State Recorder's Office records all land documents in 34 recording districts, served by two offices (Anchorage, 550 West 7th Ave., Suite 108, (907) 269-8876 | $1.25 first page, $0.25 each additional page of the same instrument (photocopy) |
| Arizona | County Recorder of the county where the property is located (15 counties). | $1 per page or partial page (statutory recorder copy fee). |
| Arkansas | Circuit Clerk of each of the 75 counties, as ex officio county recorder (in Pulaski County a combined Circuit/County Clerk) | $0.50 per page, not certified (Faulkner County Circuit Clerk schedule) |
| California | County Recorder in each of the 58 counties (office often combined as Clerk-Recorder, Assessor-Recorder, or Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk) | — |
| Colorado | County Clerk and Recorder of the county where the property is located (Denver: Denver Clerk and Recorder, Recording Division). | Statute: copies are charged under C.R.S. 24-72-205(5), up to $0.25 per standard page (30-1-103(2)(j)). Counties checked: $0.25 per page (El Paso, Denver). |
| Connecticut | Town Clerk of each of the 169 towns/cities (land records are kept by town, not county | $1 per page, in any format |
| Delaware | Recorder of Deeds of each of Delaware's three counties: New Castle County (Wilmington area), Kent County (Dover) and Sussex County (Georgetown). Recorders' fees are set by county ordinance (9 Del. C. §§ 9617, 9619). | Set per county. Kent (schedule effective October 28, 2025): copies $1.00 per page (letter/legal), $10.00 per page for plots |
| District of Columbia | Recorder of Deeds, a part of the DC Office of Tax and Revenue (one office for the whole District) | $2.25 per page |
| Florida | Clerk of the Circuit Court (county recorder) in each of the 67 counties, unless a special law approved by county voters assigns recorder duties to another officer | $1.00 per page (up to 14 x 8.5 in.) |
| Georgia | Clerk of Superior Court in each county (official deed, lien and plat dockets) | Uncertified copies at the Clerk of Superior Court: $0.50/page without clerk assistance |
| Hawaii | State, not county: the Bureau of Conveyances (BOC), Department of Land and Natural Resources, Honolulu, records all deeds statewide for both the Regular System and the Land Court (registered title) system | $1.00 per page (uncertified), in person or by online download |
| Idaho | County recorder of the county where the land lies. In Idaho the elected Clerk of the District Court is ex officio county recorder (also auditor and clerk of the board of commissioners). | $1.00 per page for copies of any record or paper (statutory) |
| Illinois | County Recorder of Deeds or the County Clerk (recorder functions) in each of Illinois's 102 counties | Cook County: non-certified paper copy $27.50 |
| Indiana | County Recorder in each of Indiana's 92 counties (deeds, mortgages, plats, liens, military discharges, assumed business names) | $1.00 per page for copies 11 x 17 inches or smaller |
| Iowa | County Recorder in each of Iowa's 99 counties. | — |
| Kansas | Register of Deeds in each county (elected county office) | Not set by statute — each Register of Deeds sets copy charges under KORA (actual cost). Examples: Johnson County $0.25 per document page |
| Kentucky | County Clerk of each of the 120 counties records deeds, mortgages, liens, plats, wills and marriage records | County clerk paper copies: not more than $0.50 per page (legal size or smaller) unless a statute sets a higher fee |
| Louisiana | Parish Clerk of Court (clerk of the district court), who is ex officio parish recorder of conveyances, mortgages and other acts, in each of the 64 parishes | Statutory ceiling: no more than $2.00 per page for copies of official documents (clerks as ex officio recorders, R.S. 13:844(A)(5)) |
| Maine | County Register of Deeds: 17 registries for the 16 counties (Aroostook has North and South registries) | $1 per page |
| Maryland | Department of Land Records in the office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of each of the 23 counties and Baltimore City (24 offices) | $0.50 per page (plats $0.50 per 11x17 page, $1 per larger page) |
| Massachusetts | 21 Registries of Deeds (districts generally by county | $1 per page for copies |
| Michigan | County Register of Deeds (elected in each county) | $1.00 per page |
| Minnesota | County Recorder, and Registrar of Titles for registered land, by county | $10 |
| Mississippi | Chancery Clerk of the county where the land is located (custodian of land records: deeds, deeds of trust/mortgages, plats, liens) | DeSoto County example: $0.50 per page when copied by the Chancery Clerk's office |
| Missouri | Recorder of Deeds of the county (or City of St. Louis) where the land lies. In 16 counties the circuit clerk is ex officio recorder of deeds (combined office): Carroll, Chariton, Clinton, Gasconade, Gentry, Grundy, Harrison, Holt, Howard, Maries, Mercer, Moniteau, Ozark, Pulaski, Ralls, Shannon (Official Manual 2025-2026). In the City of St. Louis the office is "Recorder of Deeds and Vital Records Registrar". | Not to exceed $2 first page and $1 each additional page (counties) |
| Montana | County Clerk and Recorder (the county clerk is ex officio recorder) in each of the 56 counties | $0.50 first page, $0.25 each additional page (statutory county clerk copy fee) |
| Nebraska | County Register of Deeds in the county where the land lies. Separate elected office in counties over 20,000 inhabitants | Plain copies are not set in 33-109 |
| Nevada | County Recorder in each county (16 counties) | $1 per page (statutory, NRS 247.305(1)(b)) |
| New Hampshire | County Register of Deeds (Registry of Deeds) in each of the 10 counties: Belknap, Carroll, Cheshire, Coos, Grafton, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham, Strafford, Sullivan | Copy fees are set and posted by each register (RSA 478:17-g, III). Examples: Rockingham $1 per page |
| New Jersey | County Clerk in most counties | County example: $2.00 per page for copies of recorded documents (Union: 'Copy of any document – Each page $2.00' |
| New Mexico | County Clerk of the county where the land lies | Set by each clerk, capped by statute at $1.00 per page up to 11 x 17 inches |
| New York | County Clerk in each county outside New York City | County Clerk: 65 cents per page, minimum $1.30, maximum $40 per record (CPLR 8019(f)) |
| North Carolina | Register of Deeds in the county where the property is located | $5.00 first page + $2.00 each additional page or fraction (instruments with no other fee provision) |
| North Dakota | County Recorder in each of North Dakota's 53 counties. | Noncertified copy: not more than $1 per instrument page. Electronic data extracted from a recorded instrument: not more than 50 cents per instrument. |
| Ohio | County Recorder in each county (Cuyahoga: County Fiscal Officer | $2.00 per page total ($1 base fee + $1 housing trust fund fee) for photocopies, per 8.5x14 page |
| Oklahoma | County Clerk of each of the 77 counties (recorder and custodian of land records) | $1.00 per page (county clerk photographic/printed copies, 28 O.S. § 32(A)(4)) |
| Oregon | County clerk of the county where the property is located (in Multnomah County the clerk's recording function is the Recording office within the Division of Assessment, Recording and Taxation). | Statutory maximum for copies of county clerk records: not more than $3.75 to locate a record plus 25 cents per page (including electronically delivered images). |
| Pennsylvania | County Recorder of Deeds (Philadelphia: Department of Records | $0.50 per uncertified page (42 P.S. § 21051) |
| Rhode Island | City or town clerk / recorder of deeds of each of the 39 cities and towns (land evidence records). Rhode Island does not record by county. | $1.50 per page |
| South Carolina | County Register of Deeds in 23 counties (appointed in Anderson, Beaufort, Cherokee, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Colleton, Georgetown, Horry, Jasper, Kershaw, Lancaster, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Richland, Spartanburg, Sumter | Set locally |
| South Dakota | County Register of Deeds (DOH directory lists 66 counties | $1 per page for an uncertified copy (hard copy, microfilm, electronic or fax) |
| Tennessee | County Register of Deeds (an elected office in each of the 95 counties) | $1.00 per page for a certified copy of a document (up to 8½x14) |
| Texas | County Clerk of the county where the property (or part of it) is located | $1.00 per page (noncertified, printed on paper) |
| Utah | County Recorder of the county where the land lies (29 counties) | Set by each county legislative body by ordinance or resolution |
| Vermont | Town or city clerk of the municipality where the land lies (not the county) | $1.00 per page, $2.00 minimum (uncertified) |
| Virginia | Clerk of the Circuit Court of each county or independent city (an elected constitutional officer, 8-year term). 120 circuit courts serve Virginia's 133 counties and cities | $0.50 per page (or per image for electronic records) |
| Washington | County auditor (the recording officer) of the county where the property is located | $1 per page (noncertified copies, up to 8.5x14 in.) |
| West Virginia | Clerk of the county commission (County Clerk) in each of the 55 counties | $1.50 per copy of a writing/document (if not otherwise provided for) + $1 for each additional page when more than two pages |
| Wisconsin | County register of deeds (elected county officer) records all documents and keeps them and their indexes permanently. | $2 first page + $1 each additional page of each document |
| Wyoming | County clerk of the county where the land lies (elected | No statewide per-page amount: a county clerk may charge a reasonable copy fee that may not exceed the actual cost of duplication (materials and supplies only, no labor or overhead). Example: Laramie County $0.50 per printed page, $1.00 per page emailed. |
Each state links to its guide, where every office and fee carries its official source and check date. Fees shown are the state’s fee for a copy; the state guide lists the others.
Get copies from the office, not a look-alike site
Searching an official index costs nothing or the fee the office sets. Some commercial sites that rank for record searches sell subscriptions or reports that are not certified copies. How to tell them apart.
Sources
Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 3 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.
- Recorder FAQsDuPage County Recorder, Illinois
- FAQs About Land RecordsFairfax County Circuit Court, Virginia
- Copies of official public records (real property)Tarrant County Clerk, Texas