How to confirm your deed was recorded with the county
After closing, check if your deed was recorded: search your county recorder's website by name or address, or call the office. Confirm your names, how you hold title and the legal description. Copies usually cost a few dollars. If you spot an error or can't find the deed, call your title company or closing attorney right away.
What it means to check if a deed was recorded
Your deed transfers ownership, and recording puts it on the public record. The office may be called the recorder, register of deeds or county clerk, depending on where you live. Your title company or closing attorney normally sends the deed in after closing. This check confirms that happened and that the record reads the way it should.
Don't assume the county has checked it for you. Hunker notes recorders don't verify deeds before recording them, which is why it's worth reading the entry yourself. A typo on the record is easier to fix now than when you sell or refinance.
How long to record a deed, and when to check
Recording time varies by county and by how the document was submitted, so ask your title company for its expected date. Check on that date, and call if nothing has shown up.
Your closing packet should contain the deed or a copy. CFPB suggests keeping the whole packet exactly as you got it, so check that first. Check the record again if you refinance or add someone to the title.
What a county recorder deed copy costs
Fees are set locally. Here's how one county's price works, using Jackson County, Missouri:
| Item | Fee in Jackson County, MO |
|---|---|
| First page of a copy | $2 |
| Each additional page | $1 |
| Certification | $1 extra |
| Example: 5-page deed, certified | $7 |
A certified copy has the same legal validity as the original there, so losing your paper deed isn't a crisis. A plain copy is enough for your own records. A certified one is for when someone formally asks for it.
How to check if a deed was recorded
- Find your recorder
Search for your county name plus recorder, register of deeds or clerk, and use the government site.
- Pull out your closing packet
Have the deed copy, title policy and closing date in front of you.
- Search the index
Try your last name, the seller's name, then the address or parcel number. Grantee means buyer, grantor means seller.
- Read the entry
Check spelling, all owners, how you hold title, the recording date and the legal description.
- Save a copy
Download or request a copy and store it with your records.
- Report any problem
Contact your title company or closing attorney in writing, and include what's wrong and the document number.
- Note the document number
Add it to your home binder. It makes later copies quicker to request.
County recorder deed search rules by state
The office, the search site and the fees all change by county. Some recorders offer free online indexes and paid images, and others need you to visit or write. Jackson County, for example, takes in-person and mail requests, and for mail you send the document number or book and page, the fee and a stamped return envelope. Its online search covers documents recorded after January 1, 1961.
Search details differ too. Some counties use a property index number, often printed on your tax bill. Others search by name or address. The terms on your deed also vary by state, such as how co-owners hold title, so ask an attorney what yours means for you.
Is my deed recorded correctly? Problems to watch for
- Mailers offering a copy of your deed for a fee. New owners are targets for official-looking offers, as CFPB warns. Compare any price with your recorder's own fee.
- A wrong name or missing co-owner. Don't wait, since this can cause trouble at sale.
- A legal description that doesn't match your closing documents. Compare it line by line.
- Third-party sites. Use your county's own page, and don't enter your Social Security number on a site you found through an ad.
- Anything that looks forged or strange. Take it to your title company or a real estate attorney.
Fixing a recorded deed may take a corrected document, so let your title company or attorney handle it. This is general information, not legal advice.
Deed recording questions
How long does it take for a deed to be recorded?
It varies by county and how the deed was submitted. Ask your title company or closing attorney when it went in and when to expect it in the county's search.
What if I lost my deed?
You can usually order a copy from the county recorder. In Jackson County, Missouri, a certified copy has the legal validity of the original, so check your own county's process.
Does a recorded deed prove I own the house?
It's the public record of the transfer, but a recorder doesn't verify what it records. Your title insurance and closing papers are part of the picture too. Ask your title company or an attorney if there's any doubt.
Sources: jacksongov.org, hunker.com, CFPB
General guidance for U.S. homes, not professional advice. For gas, electrical and structural work, call a licensed pro.