Register of Deeds: What the Office Does and Who Records Your Deed
A register of deeds records property documents and keeps the public land record. See what the office does and which office does it in Cook, Philadelphia and Florida.
Quick answer
A register of deeds is the local public office that records deeds and other property documents, indexes them, and keeps them open for public search. The title is used in some states, such as North Carolina. In many others the same job belongs to a county clerk, recorder or similar office.
What is a register of deeds?
The name is a title, and it is not used everywhere. North Carolina is one state that uses it by statute: Chapter 161 of the North Carolina General Statutes is headed "Register of Deeds" and begins by providing that in each county a register of deeds shall be elected by the qualified voters (North Carolina General Assembly, Chapter 161, Article 1).
Other states give the same job to a different office. Searchers still type "register of deeds" into a search engine, which is why this guide explains the function first and the local office name second. A deed is the document that transfers ownership of land. Recording (also called registering, the word North Carolina uses) means filing that document with the local office so it becomes part of the public record.
Definition
Register of deeds — The local official, or the office run by that official, that receives deeds and other real estate documents, stamps them with the date and time, indexes them, and keeps them as the public record of who holds an interest in land in that county.
What does a register of deeds do?
The office takes in property documents, records them in the order they arrive, indexes them so people can find them, and lets the public search and copy them. That is the whole core of the job, and it is the same whatever the office is called.
North Carolina spells the sequence out. After the register of deeds has determined that the statutory and local prerequisites for recording have been met, the register must register presented instruments right away. The same section says the office endorses each instrument with the day and hour it was presented and indexes and cross-indexes it (N.C. G.S. 161-14, Registration of instruments).
Order matters because the record is a timeline. The statute says all instruments "shall be registered in the precise order in which they were presented for registration." When two documents compete, the time stamp shows which one reached the public record first.
The office checks form, not fairness. It confirms that the document meets the recording requirements, such as page size, margins and signatures where the law demands them. It does not decide whether a deed was a good bargain, whether the seller really owned the land, or whether the signer understood the paper. Cook County's clerk makes the limit plain in its recording FAQ: its staff cannot guide a person on "what document is legally appropriate" for their goals (Cook County Clerk, Recording FAQs).
How does registering a deed work?
The deed is signed and acknowledged
The owner (the grantor) signs the deed, usually before a notary. The signing happens outside the recording office. The office is not a party to the transfer.
The document is submitted
A closing agent, attorney or the owner sends the deed to the office, on paper or electronically where the office accepts e-recording. Erie County, New York, for example, lists "E-Recording Land Records" among its online services (Erie County Clerk).
The office checks the format and fees
Staff confirm the document meets the office's requirements and that the recording fee, and any transfer tax the state or city requires, has been paid. Fees are set by state law and local rules, so they differ from county to county.
The document is stamped and indexed
It receives a date, a time and a record identifier (a book and page, an instrument number, or both). In Arizona, the recorder statute requires a notation that gives each instrument "a record identification to uniquely identify each instrument" and a record location so it can be retrieved (A.R.S. 11-461).
The document becomes searchable
Once indexed, the deed appears under the names of the parties and, in many offices, the parcel number. Anyone can then search the index and request copies.
Who records deeds where you live?
The office that records deeds is set by state law and local custom. The table lists the offices for the counties where HeritageDeed runs searches, taken from each office's own official page or the statute that creates the duty. Arkansas is left out because we could not retrieve an official source in time to cite it.
| Place | Office that records deeds | What the official source says | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina (any county) | Register of deeds | Elected county official; registers instruments in the order presented (G.S. 161-1, 161-14). | N.C. General Assembly |
| Philadelphia, PA | Department of Records | The department "records real estate documents in Philadelphia." | City of Philadelphia |
| Cook County, IL | County Clerk, Recordings Division | The division "accurately records, stores and maintains land records and other official documents." | Cook County Clerk |
| Harris County, TX | County Clerk | Lists "Records documents related to real property transactions" and maintains an index and copies of recorded documents. | Harris County Clerk |
| Florida counties (Duval, Hillsborough, Brevard, Manatee, Pasco, Okaloosa) | Clerk of the circuit court | Statute: the clerk "shall be the recorder of all instruments" the law requires or authorizes to be recorded; records go in one series called "Official Records" (F.S. 28.222). | Florida Legislature |
| Maricopa County, AZ | County Recorder | The recorder has custody of the office's records and records instruments consecutively as received (A.R.S. 11-461). | Arizona Legislature |
| New York City (Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens) | NYC Department of Finance, through ACRIS | ACRIS lets you search property records and view document images from 1966 to the present. | NYC Department of Finance |
| Erie County, NY | County Clerk | The clerk's site has a Land Records section and e-recording of land records. | Erie County Clerk |
Is a register of deeds the same as a county clerk or recorder?
In function, yes. In name and organization, it varies. A register of deeds, a county recorder and a clerk with a recordings division all do the same job: record, index and preserve property documents.
Some counties give the job to a stand-alone elected official. Arizona statute refers to "the recorder" with custody of all records, maps and papers deposited in the recorder's office (A.R.S. 11-461). Others fold it into a larger office. In Florida the clerk of the circuit court is also the county recorder, so the same official runs the court files and the land records. In Harris County, Texas, the County Clerk handles real property recording along with vital records, marriage licenses and elections.
The practical advice: search for your county name plus "recorder," "county clerk" and "land records." The office will usually have a page for the public land record and a link to the search tool. If you are looking up who owns a parcel, the method is the same in every state; see how to find out who owns a property.
What documents does a register of deeds record?
Deeds are the best-known item, but the land record holds more. Typical recordings include mortgages and deeds of trust, releases or satisfactions of those loans, assignments, easements, liens, judgments, plats and notices that a lawsuit affects the land.
Different deeds carry different promises. A warranty deed makes promises about the title; a quitclaim deed passes whatever interest the signer has, with no promises. Both are recorded the same way. For the difference, see quitclaim deed explained. To understand how mortgages and deeds of trust fit into the record, see deed of trust vs mortgage.
A recorded document is not the same as a valid document. Cook County's clerk runs a Property Fraud Unit that helps homeowners investigate fraudulent filings against their property, a sign that recording a paper does not prove it is genuine (Cook County Clerk, Recordings). Harris County offers a free Property Alert System that notifies homeowners of new real property documents filed under their name (Harris County Clerk).
How many documents does a big recording office handle?
The City of Philadelphia publishes the real estate documents recorded by its Department of Records as open data. Between 2025-10-03 and 2026-08-11, the dataset shows the counts below (City of Philadelphia, Real Estate Transfers, OpenDataPhilly).
These are counts of recorded documents, not of properties or unpaid loans. A mortgage and its later satisfaction are two separate documents, and one sale can create several recordings.
| Document type | Recorded in Philadelphia, 2025-10-03 to 2026-08-11 |
|---|---|
| Deeds | 29,132 |
| Sheriff deeds (listed separately by the dataset) | 2,235 |
| Mortgages | 44,182 |
| Satisfactions (loan payoff releases) | 28,925 |
| Assignments (a lender transferring a loan) | 11,615 |
What a recorded deed does not guarantee
How do you search register of deeds records?
Most offices let you search the index by grantor, grantee and parcel number. Cook County says its recorded land records "can be retrieved by searching for PIN, grantor, grantee, and by other indexed detail." The PIN is the property index number, the parcel identifier the county uses.
Start with the current owner and search backward. The deed that put the owner in title names the previous owner, and so on. That backward path is the chain of title, covered in chain of title explained. A full method, including liens and judgments, is in how to do a title search.
Local guides help when the interface is unfamiliar. For Chicago-area records see Cook County deed search, for Philadelphia see Philadelphia deed search, and for New York City see how to read ACRIS.
HeritageDeed runs owner and records searches in the counties listed on the title search page: Current Owner Search is $49, Two Owner Search is $79 and 30-Year Search is $129. They are records searches, not title insurance and not legal advice.
Key takeaways
Key takeaways
- A register of deeds records deeds and other property documents, indexes them and keeps them open to the public.
- The title is used in some states, such as North Carolina. Elsewhere the same job belongs to a clerk, recorder or department of records.
- Documents are registered in the order they are presented, and each gets a date, time and record identifier.
- The office checks that a document meets recording requirements. It does not judge whether the deed is valid or fair.
- Recording a document makes it searchable. It is not title insurance and not proof that the signer owned the land.
Frequently asked questions
- What does a register of deeds do?
- A register of deeds receives deeds, mortgages, liens and other property documents, stamps each with the date and time, indexes them by party name and often by parcel, and keeps them as the public land record. The office also lets the public search the index and request copies.
- Is a register of deeds the same as a county recorder?
- The function is the same: record, index and preserve land documents. The title differs by state. North Carolina uses register of deeds. Arizona uses county recorder. Florida makes the clerk of the circuit court the recorder. Cook County, Illinois, uses a County Clerk Recordings Division.
- How do I register a deed?
- Sign the deed, usually before a notary, then submit it to the local recording office with the required cover sheet, recording fee and any transfer tax. Many offices accept e-recording. The office stamps and indexes it. Check your county's office for current requirements and fees.
- What is deed registration?
- Deed registration means filing a deed with the local recording office so it becomes part of the public record. North Carolina statute uses the word registration for this step. Most other states call it recording. The practical meaning is the same: the deed is stamped, indexed and open to search.
- Does recording a deed prove I own the property?
- No. Recording puts the document on the public record. It does not prove the seller had ownership or that the document is genuine. The recording office checks format, not validity. A title search reviews the record, and title insurance is a separate product that covers certain title risks.
- Which office records deeds in Philadelphia?
- In Philadelphia the Department of Records records real estate documents. Its page says it manages city records and provides public access to land records. It is located in City Hall, Room 156. Check the department site for current recording requirements and the online document search.
- Can anyone search register of deeds records?
- Generally yes. Land records are public. Cook County says recorded land records can be retrieved by PIN, grantor, grantee and other indexed detail. Some offices charge for certified copies, and older documents may need a request or an in-person visit. Check each office for its online coverage.
- Who records deeds in Florida?
- In Florida the clerk of the circuit court is the county recorder. Section 28.222 of the Florida Statutes says the clerk records all instruments the law requires or authorizes to be recorded, in one general series called Official Records. The clerk also keeps an alphabetical index of those filings.
Sources
Primary records and official documentation cited in this article.
- 1North Carolina General Assembly, Chapter 161 Register of Deeds, Article 1
- 2North Carolina General Assembly, G.S. 161-14 Registration of instruments
- 3Florida Legislature, Online Sunshine, Statute 28.222 Clerk to be county recorder
- 4Arizona Legislature, A.R.S. 11-461 Recording instruments; keeping records
- 5Cook County Clerk, Recordings
- 6Cook County Clerk, Recording FAQs
- 7City of Philadelphia, Department of Records
- 8City of Philadelphia, Real Estate Transfers (Department of Records), OpenDataPhilly
- 9Harris County Clerk, Harris County Clerk's Office
- 10NYC Department of Finance, ACRIS
- 11Erie County Clerk, Erie County Clerk home page
HeritageDeed provides public-record search reports only. Reports do not constitute title insurance, an attorney opinion of title, or a title insurance commitment.