To get a copy of your house deed, start with the paperwork you were given at closing or call the title company or closing attorney who handled the sale. If you need an official or certified copy, request one from the county recorder’s office in the county where the property is located. You can usually do this in person, by mail, or through the county’s online portal.
Look Through Your Own Paperwork First
The deed is signed at closing, recorded with the county shortly afterward, and then mailed back to you or your attorney. Many homeowners file it away and lose track of where. It’s often inside the folder or envelope of closing documents from your title company or settlement agent.
If the original isn’t there, your title company or closing attorney almost certainly kept a copy. A phone call with your name and the property address is usually enough for them to pull it. Your mortgage lender may have one on file too, since lenders require proof of clear title before funding a loan. None of these copies will carry an official certification stamp, but they work fine for personal reference, estate planning conversations, or verifying your property’s legal description.
Find the Right County Office
For an official copy from the source, you need the office in the county where the property sits. The name varies: County Recorder, Register of Deeds, County Clerk, Clerk of Courts. They all do the same thing — receive, index, and store documents related to real property ownership.
Search online for the county name plus “recorder of deeds” or “property records.” The official county government site will show the office location, phone number, hours, and whether online searches are available. If you aren’t sure which county the property falls in, check the property tax bill.
How to Request the Copy
In Person
Walking into the recorder’s office is the most direct method. Most offices have a public research area where you can search records yourself, or a clerk can look up the document for you. Bring identification and the property details listed below. You’ll often walk out with the copy the same day.
By Mail
Most recorder offices accept written requests. Send a letter with the property address, owner name, and any identifying numbers you have, along with a check or money order for the estimated fee and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Turnaround is usually one to three weeks depending on the office’s workload.
Online
A growing number of counties offer online portals where you can search recorded documents and order copies from home. Some let you view and download documents for free or a small fee; others only let you search the index, with physical copies ordered separately. Larger, well-funded counties tend to have decades of digitized records. Smaller or rural counties may have limited availability or none.
What You’ll Need to Bring
The more identifying details you have, the faster the search. At minimum:
- The full property address, including city and zip code.
- The owner’s name as it appears on the deed, which may differ from a married or commonly used name.
- An approximate recording or purchase date. Even just the year helps the clerk narrow the window.
Some offices also use an instrument number, book-and-page reference, or parcel number. If you have any of these from your closing paperwork or tax records, bring them. Offices that index records only by instrument number rather than address will need at least one of these identifiers to find your deed.
Certified or Uncertified: Which One You Need
Recording offices typically offer two versions, and choosing the wrong one can mean a second trip. An uncertified or “plain” copy is a photocopy of the recorded document with no official stamps. It’s fine for personal reference, confirming the legal description of your land, or reviewing the ownership history.
A certified copy comes with an added page bearing the recorder’s stamp and signature, confirming it’s a true and complete reproduction of the original. Lenders almost always require a certified copy when you refinance or open a home equity line of credit. Courts require them for litigation involving the property. Title companies need them for title work. If the copy is for any official transaction, ask for the certified version upfront. The cost difference is usually only a few dollars.
What It Costs
Fees are set by each county or state and are generally modest. Most offices charge between $1 and $5 per page for an uncertified copy. Certified copies usually cost a few dollars more per page or carry a small flat surcharge on top of the per-page rate. A typical deed runs two to four pages, so you’re usually under $25 total even for a certified version.
Accepted payment methods vary. In-person visits usually take cash, check, or card. Mail-in requests almost always require a check or money order. Online portals typically take credit or debit cards and may add a small processing fee. If you’re mailing a request, call ahead to confirm the exact amount, since underpayment will hold things up.
If No Deed Comes Up in Your Name
If the search turns up nothing in your name, that’s worth addressing right away. A deed is legally valid between buyer and seller the moment it’s signed and delivered, but recording it with the county is what protects you against everyone else. Under the recording statutes used in most states, a later buyer who purchases the same property without knowing about your unrecorded deed, and who records their deed first, can end up with a superior legal claim.
An unrecorded deed also creates everyday problems. The county’s records will still show the previous owner, so property tax bills and legal notices go to the wrong person. If that owner dies, the property can be swept into their estate. Refinancing becomes impossible because no lender will issue a mortgage on property you can’t prove you own in the public record. If you discover your deed was never recorded, file it with the recorder’s office right away and consider consulting a real estate attorney to confirm no competing claims have arisen in the meantime.