Real estate title glossary
What is instrument number?
Also called: document number, CRFN, file number
Definition
An instrument number is the unique number a recording office assigns to each document it records, used to cite and retrieve that document.
Formats vary by county: New York City uses a City Register File Number (CRFN), Harris County a file number, many Florida clerks an instrument number alongside book and page.
How it shows up in a title search
A HeritageDeed report lists each document with its number, so a title company or attorney can pull the original in seconds.
Guides that go deeper
- How to Read ACRIS: A Practical Guide to NYC Property RecordsACRIS indexes NYC recorded property documents from 1966. Search by BBL, join the Master, Legals and Parties tables, and read a document type code.
- Harris County Deed Search: How to Find and Copy Deed Records in HoustonHow a Harris County deed search works: the County Clerk's Real Property index, images from 11/1/1960, copy fees, HCAD owner data, and a faster property report.
- How to Find the Deed to Your House and Get a CopyWhere the deed to your house is recorded, how to search for it by name or parcel when you only have an address, and what plain and certified copies cost.
Related terms
Source: Legal Information Institute, Wex: recording acts. Plain-English summary of general US usage; state law varies, and this is not legal advice.