To get a certified copy of your property deed, contact the county recorder’s office in the county where the property is located and submit a request online, by mail, or in person. The cost is usually between $5 and $20 plus a small per-page fee, and turnaround runs from same-day at the counter to a couple of weeks by mail. Because deeds are public records, you don’t have to be the current owner to request one.
Do You Actually Need a Certified Copy?
An uncertified photocopy is fine for personal reference, checking your legal description, or comparing boundary lines with a neighbor. Many counties let you view and print uncertified images for free through an online records portal, or hand you a plain photocopy at the counter for roughly $1 per page.
A certified copy carries an official seal or signature from the custodian of records, confirming the document is an exact reproduction of what’s on file. You’ll typically need one when refinancing or applying for a new mortgage, settling an estate through probate court, transferring property into a trust, resolving a title dispute, or filing the deed with a court as evidence. Banks and courts want the seal because it lets them rely on the document without independently checking it against county records. If you’re not sure which version the requesting institution wants, ask before you order. Paying for certification you don’t need wastes money, and arriving at a closing without one wastes time.
Gather This Information First
Recording offices index deeds by specific identifiers, not street addresses. A request built around “123 Main Street” alone may come back empty or pull the wrong document. Before you contact the office, pull together as much of the following as you can:
- The full legal names of the grantor (the person who transferred the property) and the grantee (the person who received it), exactly as they appeared on the original deed.
- The legal description of the property, using lot and block numbers, metes and bounds, or a subdivision name and plat reference. Your property tax bill or assessment notice usually includes this.
- The book and page number or instrument number, which points directly to where the deed is stored in the county’s records. If you have your original deed or a title insurance policy, this appears on the recording stamp.
Without a book and page or instrument number, staff can still search by name or legal description, but some offices charge a separate search fee, often around $5 per name. Having the instrument number eliminates that cost and speeds things up. Good places to track down missing details before you file a formal request: the county’s online records portal, property tax assessment rolls, and the title insurance policy from your purchase closing.
Find the Right Office
Property records are kept at the county level, so the office you need is set by where the land sits, not where you live. The name of that office varies. County Recorder, Recorder of Deeds, County Clerk, and Registrar of Titles are the most common. In some jurisdictions the function sits inside the Clerk of Court’s office or a combined County Clerk and Recorder.
Search your county government’s website for terms like “recorded documents,” “land records,” or “real estate records” to find the right department. If you own property in more than one county, you’ll need to contact each county separately. There is no centralized state or national deed repository.
Three Ways to Submit Your Request
Online
Many counties now run online portals where you can search recorded documents, view images, and order certified copies. You typically search by name, parcel number, or instrument number, add the document to a cart, and pay by credit card. Online is usually the fastest route. Some offices email a digitally certified copy within a day or two; others mail a physical copy with an embossed seal.
One thing to watch: free online viewing doesn’t mean free certified copies. Most portals let you view or download an image at no charge, but the certified version with the official seal is a separate paid product.
By Mail
If your county doesn’t offer online ordering, or you prefer paper, mail a written request to the recording office. Include the identifying details above, specify that you want a certified copy, and enclose payment. Most offices require a check or money order made payable to the county. Personal checks are sometimes accepted; credit cards usually aren’t an option for mailed requests. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope to avoid delays on return. Expect one to three weeks depending on the office’s backlog.
In Person
Walking into the recorder’s office is the most direct option, and the only one that lets you resolve problems on the spot. Bring your identifying information to the public service counter, and staff will locate the deed and produce a certified copy while you wait. Most offices accept cash, checks, and money orders for in-person transactions, and some now take credit or debit cards. An in-person visit also lets you verify you’re getting the right document before you pay, which matters when several deeds have been recorded for the same property over the years.
What It Costs and How Long It Takes
Fees vary by jurisdiction, but the cost structure is broadly the same: a per-page copying charge plus a flat certification fee. Per-page rates typically run $1 to $5, and certification fees run about $2 to $20 per document. A standard two-page deed can come in anywhere from $4 to $30 depending on the county. Some offices also charge a separate search fee when staff have to locate the document rather than you providing the exact recording reference.
Processing time depends on how you submit the request. In-person requests are often handled on the spot or within the same business day. Online orders with electronic delivery can arrive within 48 hours, though some offices take up to a week. Mailed requests generally take five to ten business days to process, plus transit time in both directions. A few offices offer expedited processing for an extra fee, usually $20 to $50.
A physical certified copy comes with a raised embossed seal or a colored ink stamp from the recording office. Those visible markers are what courts and financial institutions check to confirm authenticity. Counties that issue electronic certified copies typically use digital signatures or encrypted seals for the same purpose. Confirm with the institution requesting your deed that a digital version will be accepted before ordering one.
Ignore the Deed Solicitation Letters
Shortly after buying a home, many new owners receive an official-looking letter urging them to order a copy of their recorded deed. These mailings use phrases like “Recorded Deed Notice,” include the property’s parcel number and purchase date, and feature a payment slip with a deadline. The price is typically $83 to $109 or more for a service the county recorder provides for a fraction of that cost.
These solicitations are legal in most places because buried in the fine print is a disclaimer that the company is not a government agency. The business model depends on homeowners not realizing they can get the same document directly from the county for a few dollars. If one arrives in the mail, throw it out. If you actually need a certified copy, go straight to your county recorder’s office or website.
If the Search Comes Back Empty
Sometimes a deed search returns nothing. The most common reason is a search error: a misspelled name, the wrong county, or a deed recorded under a prior owner’s name that wasn’t included in the search. Before assuming the worst, try searching by legal description or parcel number instead of by name, and confirm you’re in the correct county.
If the record genuinely doesn’t exist, because of a courthouse fire, flood, natural disaster, or a recording failure decades ago, the path forward is more complicated. Some states have statutory procedures for reconstructing lost records, sometimes called “burnt records” acts, that let owners re-establish title through court proceedings. You’d typically gather supporting evidence like title insurance policies, old surveys, tax payment records, and affidavits from people who know the property’s ownership history. This is a situation where consulting a real estate attorney is worth the cost, because a gap in the chain of title can create serious problems if you later try to sell or refinance.
Your title insurance company is another resource. If you bought title insurance at closing, the insurer’s file should contain a copy of your deed and the full title search performed at the time. That won’t substitute for a certified copy from the county, but it gives you a starting point for reconstruction and may satisfy some institutions in the meantime.
If You Need the Deed Abroad
To present a property deed in another country, for a foreign mortgage, an inheritance proceeding, or a tax filing, you’ll likely need an apostille or authentication certificate attached to your certified copy. For countries in the Hague Apostille Convention, the apostille comes from the secretary of state in the state where the property is located. The U.S. Department of State does not apostille state-level documents like property deeds; that responsibility belongs to each state’s secretary of state office. Fees are modest, often around $5 per document, though they vary by state. For countries outside the Hague Convention, the certified copy is authenticated through the state’s secretary of state and then potentially through additional channels depending on the destination country’s requirements.
Either way, start with a fresh certified copy from the county recorder. Apostille offices generally won’t process documents that have been laminated or that carry outdated certifications.