To get a copy of your house deed, contact the county recording office where the property is located and request the document online, by mail, or in person. A plain copy generally runs about $0.50 to $5 per page, and a certified copy with an official seal typically costs $5 to $40. You usually do not need a lawyer, and in many counties you can view and print the deed from the recorder’s website the same day.
Which Office Holds Your Deed
Property deeds are kept at the local level, not by any federal agency. Depending on where you live, the office is called the County Recorder, the Register of Deeds, or the County Clerk’s Office. In parts of New England, including Vermont and Connecticut, deeds are recorded at the town level through the Town Clerk. Some South Carolina counties use an office called the Register of Mesne Conveyance.
The office that holds your deed is determined by where the property sits, not where you live. If your home is in one county and a rental property is in another, each deed is on file in its own county. A call to the county switchboard or a quick look at the county government website will confirm the exact office and address.
Most counties keep current records at the main county seat. Documents going back several decades may be stored in a separate historical archive, so if you are looking for an older deed, ask whether the recording office handles the full range of years or whether an archive holds the earlier filings.
What to Have Ready Before You Ask
Clerks search their index by specific identifiers, not guesswork. Gathering a few details first prevents delays and keeps you from paying for the wrong document.
- The full legal name of the current or previous owner, exactly as it appeared on the deed when it was recorded.
- The property’s street address, including the municipality or township. An address alone may not locate older records.
- The parcel number, sometimes called the Assessor’s Parcel Number or Tax ID. It appears on your property tax bill or assessment notice and is the most precise way to pinpoint a property.
- The book and page number, if you have it. Recording offices historically indexed deeds by assigning each a book (sometimes called a “liber”) and page. A prior title report, mortgage document, or old deed will show this reference, and it lets the clerk pull the exact record immediately.
- The recording date or document number, which narrows the search further when a common name appears many times in the index.
You can usually find these on a property tax assessment, prior mortgage paperwork, or the title insurance policy from when you bought the home.
Recording offices organize their records using grantor and grantee indexes. The grantor index lists people who transferred property away; the grantee index lists people who received property. Both are alphabetical and grouped by year of recording.1Legal Information Institute. Grantor-Grantee Index Many counties have digitized these indexes, but older records may still live only on microfilm or in physical index books at the office.
Three Ways to Request a Copy
You can get your deed online, by mail, or in person. The right choice depends on how quickly you need it and whether a certified copy is required.
Online
Many recording offices run online portals where you can search by owner name, parcel number, or address. Some portals display scanned images of recorded deeds that you can view and print at no charge. Others charge a small fee to download a copy or to order an official one. Larger counties tend to offer fuller online access; smaller or rural counties may have limited digital records or none at all.
By Mail
If visiting is not practical and the county has no online portal, write to the recording office. Include the identifying information above, say whether you want a plain or certified copy, and enclose the fee. Most offices accept money orders or cashier’s checks made payable to the county. Add a self-addressed stamped envelope for the return. Processing typically takes one to three weeks.
In Person
Walking in is the fastest option. Many offices have public computer terminals where you can search the index and view documents yourself, print an uncertified copy on the spot for a small per-page fee, and ask a clerk to stamp and sign a certified version while you wait. Some offices require a government-issued ID before releasing certain records or certifying copies.
Plain Copy or Certified Copy
A plain, uncertified copy is a photocopy or printout of the recorded deed. It works for personal reference, for checking the legal description of your property, or for confirming details in everyday situations. A certified copy carries an official seal and a clerk’s signature attesting that it is a true and accurate reproduction of the recorded original. Courts, banks, title companies, and government agencies typically require certified copies when the deed is being used as legal evidence or for formal transactions such as refinancing, estate administration, or transferring ownership.
If you are not sure which you need, ask the institution requesting the deed. Ordering a certified copy when a plain one would do costs more for no benefit, and submitting a plain copy when a certified one is required means paying again.
What It Costs
Fees are set by local ordinance and vary from county to county. As a general guide:
- Plain copies run roughly $0.50 to $5 per page. Some online portals let you view and print deed images from your own computer at no charge.
- Certified copies typically run $5 to $40 per document. Some offices charge a flat certification fee; others charge per page with a cap on the total.
- Most offices accept cash, checks, and money orders. Credit and debit cards are widely accepted but often carry a convenience fee of about 2 to 3 percent. For mail requests, a money order or cashier’s check is safer than a personal check, which may delay processing.
These fees are for retrieving a copy of a deed that is already on file. Recording a brand-new deed, such as after a title transfer, adding a spouse, or moving the property into a trust, is a separate transaction with its own government recording charges, which generally run higher and appear on the Closing Disclosure in a home purchase.2Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. What Are Government Recording Charges for a Mortgage
Check Your Own Files First
The recording office is not the only place a copy of your deed exists. The title company or closing attorney who handled your purchase likely has one in their file, and your mortgage lender may have one as well. Checking these sources first can save a fee and a trip, especially if you only need the deed for personal reference rather than an officially certified version.
What You Will See on the Deed
When your copy arrives, look at what kind of deed it is. Not all deeds offer the same legal protection, and the type used in the transaction determines what guarantees you have about the title.3Legal Information Institute. Deed
- A general warranty deed provides the strongest buyer protection. The seller guarantees the title is free and clear of claims or defects going back through the entire history of the property, not just the seller’s ownership period. This is the most common deed type in standard home purchases.
- A special warranty deed guarantees only that no title problems arose during the time the seller owned the property. Issues from earlier are not covered. These are common in commercial transactions and foreclosure sales.
- A quitclaim deed transfers whatever ownership interest the seller has, if any, without promising the title is clear. Quitclaim deeds are typically used between family members, between spouses during a divorce, or to correct a prior deed. They offer no buyer protection.
- A grant deed, used primarily in a few states, promises the seller has not already transferred the property to someone else and that there are no undisclosed encumbrances. It provides more protection than a quitclaim deed but less than a general warranty deed.
If you purchased your home through a standard sale and your deed is anything other than a general warranty deed, a short conversation with a real estate attorney can clarify what protections you may be missing.