To get a copy of your property deed, contact the county recorder’s office in the county where the property is located. Deeds are public records, so anyone can request one, and the office will produce a copy in person, by mail, or through an online portal, usually for a few dollars. You don’t have to be the owner, and you don’t need the original to request a copy.
Before you pay anything, it’s worth a few minutes to see whether the document is already within reach.
Check These Places First
After a sale closes, the deed is recorded with the county and the original is typically mailed back to the new owner or their lender within a few weeks to a few months. If you’ve moved, refinanced, or changed lenders since buying, that paperwork can easily get misplaced.
- Your personal files. Closing folders, binders, fireproof safes, and filing cabinets are the usual spots.
- Your mortgage lender or loan servicer. Some lenders hold the original, especially in states where that’s customary. One phone call confirms it.
- Your title insurance company. The title company that handled your closing keeps copies of every document from the transaction and can often send one faster than the county.
- Your closing attorney. If an attorney handled the closing, their office may retain copies for several years.
- A safe deposit box, if you have one.
Even if you turn up the original at home, it’s useful to know how to pull an official copy from the county. Originals get damaged or lost, and some legal situations call for a certified copy rather than a photocopy of what’s on your shelf.
Request a Copy From the County Recorder
The office that keeps deed records goes by different names depending on where you live: county recorder, county clerk, or register of deeds. Whatever the name, every county has one, and almost all of them offer three ways to request a copy.
In Person
Walking into the office is usually the fastest route. Many offices have public terminals where you can search the index of recorded documents yourself, then ask a clerk to print the deed. You can often leave with a certified copy the same day, sometimes within minutes.
By Mail
Send a written request with the property address, the owner’s name, and any identifying numbers you have (parcel number, document number, or book and page). Include a check or money order for the applicable fees. Turnaround varies widely, from a few days to several weeks depending on the office’s backlog.
Online
A growing number of counties offer online portals where you can search the recording index for free, view deed images, and in some cases order certified copies electronically. Search tools usually let you look up documents by grantor or grantee name, property address, or document number. Even when a portal doesn’t sell certified copies, it’s still useful for locating the exact document before you visit or mail a request.
Information That Speeds Up Your Request
The more identifying details you bring, the faster the clerk can pull the right document. At minimum, you’ll need the property’s full street address. These additional details help:
- The names of the grantor (seller) and grantee (buyer) as they appeared on the deed when it was recorded. If you’ve only owned the property once, that’s the seller’s name and yours.
- The parcel number or tax ID. This unique identifier appears on your property tax bill, the county assessor’s website, and often your mortgage statement.
- The document number, instrument number, or book and page. These recording references were assigned when the deed was filed and usually appear on the first page of the recorded document, on a title report, or in your closing paperwork. With these numbers, the clerk can pull your deed instantly instead of running a search.
- The approximate recording date. If you don’t have the numbers above, knowing roughly when you bought the property narrows the search.
Some offices won’t run searches for you over the phone or by email. If you’re mailing a request without a document number, search the county’s online index first so you can include one.
Certified Copy or Plain Copy?
County recorders typically offer two kinds. A plain (uncertified) copy is a photocopy or printout of the recorded document. A certified copy carries an official stamp or seal from the recorder’s office verifying that it’s a true and accurate reproduction of the document on file.
For everyday purposes, like checking the legal description, confirming the ownership chain, or reviewing the vesting language, a plain copy is enough. You’ll need a certified copy when the document has to be legally authenticated: refinancing, selling the property, settling an estate, certain court proceedings, or filing with a government agency. When in doubt, pay the small premium for a certified copy. Having one on file saves a second trip later.
Fees and Processing Times
Fees vary by county, but the costs are modest. Plain copies typically run a few dollars per page. Certified copies cost more, usually with a flat fee for the first few pages and a per-page charge after that. A typical certified copy of a deed runs somewhere between $5 and $25, depending on the county and the document length. Some offices add a small search fee on top of the copy fee.
How long it takes depends on how you submit the request:
- In person: often fulfilled on the spot.
- By mail: a few business days to several weeks.
- Online: a few days at some counties, up to about 20 business days at others.
If you need the document urgently, go in person.
Ignore the Mailer That Wants $90 for Your Deed
Shortly after a home purchase, many new owners receive official-looking letters offering to send a copy of their deed for $80 to $200 or more. These come from private companies that monitor public recording filings and target recent buyers. The letters are designed to look like government correspondence, sometimes using seals or language that implies a response is required.
It isn’t. These companies charge a steep markup to retrieve a public record you can get yourself for a few dollars directly from the county. Some of the services are technically legal, but the pricing is predatory. If one of these notices lands in your mailbox, ignore it and go straight to your county recorder’s office or website.
If the County Doesn’t Have It
Every deed in a normal residential sale gets recorded, so the county should have your document. If a search of the recording index comes up empty, double-check the spelling of the names, try a different date range, and confirm you’re searching in the correct county (properties near a county line sometimes trip people up). If it still doesn’t appear, the title insurance company or closing attorney from your purchase is the next call: they’ll have copies of the full transaction file, including the deed as it was submitted for recording.