To obtain chain of title documents, you go to the office that records ownership for that type of asset: the county recorder or clerk where the property sits for real estate, your state motor vehicle agency or the federal NMVTIS database for vehicles, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for patents, and the U.S. Copyright Office for copyrights. Each of these keeps a public index you can search by identifier or name, and each will provide copies of the recorded documents for a fee. The work itself is the same across asset types: identify the asset precisely, find the right index, and trace ownership backward through every recorded transfer.
What You’re Actually Pulling
A chain of title is the full ownership history of an asset, from the original owner to the current one, with every transfer, lien, and encumbrance linked in sequence. State governments and some private companies maintain the registry systems that keep these records accessible to the public.1Legal Information Institute. Chain of Title When you “obtain” the chain, you’re pulling copies of each of those recorded instruments, or an abstract that summarizes them, from the office that holds them.
Information to Gather Before You Request Anything
A search only works if you can identify the asset precisely. Searching under a misspelled name or the wrong parcel number will either return nothing or pull up someone else’s property. Before you contact any records office, get the following together:
- Real estate: the property address, the assessor’s parcel number (sometimes called a tax ID number), and the current owner’s name. Parcel numbers appear on property tax bills and on most county assessor websites.
- Vehicles: the Vehicle Identification Number, stamped on a plate visible through the driver’s side of the windshield or on a sticker inside the driver’s door jamb.
- Patents: the patent number or patent application number.
- Copyrights: the copyright registration number if one exists. For unregistered works, the title and author’s name may be enough to begin.
Real Estate: County Recorder Offices
Deeds, mortgages, liens, and other instruments affecting real property are filed with the county recorder, called the county clerk’s office or register of deeds in some places. These offices maintain two search tools you’ll use in tandem. The grantor index lists documents by the name of the person transferring an interest. The grantee index lists them by the person receiving an interest. Working backward through both indexes lets you trace every recorded transfer.
Start in the grantee index under the current owner’s name. That entry points you to the deed that transferred the property to them, with the book and page number where it’s recorded. The deed itself names the previous owner. Search the grantee index for that name to find the deed that transferred the property to them, and keep repeating until you reach the original grant or as far back as the records go. At each step, also check for mortgages, liens, or other encumbrances recorded against the property during that owner’s tenure, and look for the corresponding release documents.
Many counties now offer online portals where you can search by parcel number, address, or owner name and download digital copies. Depth varies widely. Some counties have digitized records going back a century, others only the last few decades. For older documents you may need to visit the office in person or send a mail-in request. Per-page copy fees vary by county.
If you’d rather have someone else compile it, a professional title abstractor produces a title abstract: an organized report listing every recorded document affecting the property. Title companies do this routinely as part of real estate closings. A professional title search on a residential property typically runs between $75 and $300, higher for complex properties or unusual histories.
Vehicles: State DMV and NMVTIS
Your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles or equivalent agency holds title records for every registered vehicle. You can generally request a vehicle’s title history by submitting the VIN and a small fee.
The federal government also runs the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, which consolidates title data from states, insurance carriers, and salvage yards. An NMVTIS report shows the vehicle’s current title information, brand history (labels such as “salvage,” “flood,” or “junk”), the latest reported odometer reading, and whether the vehicle was ever declared a total loss by an insurance company.2Office of Justice Programs. For Consumers – NMVTIS For a used-vehicle purchase, NMVTIS is the practical first stop; the state record is where you go for a certified copy of the actual title history.
Patents: USPTO Assignment Search
The USPTO’s Patent Assignment Search database contains all recorded patent assignment information from 1980 to the present. Assignments recorded before 1980 are held by the National Archives and Records Administration.3United States Patent and Trademark Office. Patents Assignments: Change and Search Ownership You can search by patent number, assignee name, or assignor name to pull every recorded transfer of ownership.
Copyrights: U.S. Copyright Office Public Records
The U.S. Copyright Office maintains a public records portal with several searchable collections. The Copyright Public Records System covers registrations from 1898 to 1945 and 1978 to the present. The Virtual Card Catalog covers 1870 to 1977. The Copyright Office also offers professional research services for more complex searches, including litigation support.4U.S. Copyright Office. Copyright Public Records Portal
What You’ll Find in the Documents
Once you start pulling records, you’ll see several recurring document types. Recognizing them tells you what the chain actually says about ownership.
Deeds
Deeds transfer ownership from one party to another, and the type of deed matters. A warranty deed is the strongest form: the seller guarantees clear title and agrees to defend the buyer against future claims, and the buyer can sue for damages if a defect later surfaces. A quitclaim deed offers no guarantees. It transfers whatever interest the grantor happens to have, which might be full ownership or nothing at all. Quitclaim deeds are common between family members and in divorce settlements, but they leave the recipient exposed if a problem exists.
Liens and Encumbrances
Liens are creditor claims recorded against the property, and they show up frequently. The common types:
- Mortgage liens arise when the owner borrows against the property; the lender’s lien remains until the loan is paid.
- Property tax liens are filed by local government for unpaid property taxes and take priority over almost all other liens.
- Mechanic’s liens are filed by contractors or suppliers who performed work and weren’t paid.
- Judgment liens attach after a court rules that the owner owes a debt.
- Federal tax liens are filed by the IRS. A federal tax lien is not valid against buyers, lien creditors, or holders of a security interest until the IRS files a notice in the appropriate local office. Once filed, a federal tax lien generally lasts 10 years from the date the tax was assessed, though the IRS can refile to extend it.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 6323 – Validity and Priority Against Certain Persons6Internal Revenue Service. Guidelines for Processing Notice of Federal Tax Lien Documents
Every lien belongs in the chain, and every satisfied lien should have a corresponding release document on file. An unreleased lien from a mortgage that was actually paid off years ago is one of the most common defects, and it will stall a closing until someone tracks down the release.
Lis Pendens
A lis pendens is a recorded notice that a lawsuit involving a claim to the property has been filed. It isn’t a lien, but it puts the public on notice: anyone who buys or lends against the property after the lis pendens is recorded will be bound by the outcome of the lawsuit. Finding one in a search is a serious signal, because ownership or status is being contested in court.
When to Hire Someone Instead
You can pull the chain yourself, and for a straightforward property with an accessible online portal it’s reasonable to do so. Hire a title abstractor or title company when the records aren’t online, when the property has changed hands many times, when older records require in-person research at the recorder’s office, or when the search is tied to a real estate closing where a lender will require a professional title report and title insurance policy anyway. The same holds for the other asset types: a straightforward assignment search on the USPTO or Copyright Office portal is something you can do yourself, but litigation-grade research is what the Copyright Office’s professional research services and specialized IP counsel exist for.