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Home > Guides > Mailing a deed to the county recorder
Yes, in most counties: the recorder's office accepts mailed deeds as long as the package is complete. That means the original signed and notarized deed, the recording fee, any required tax forms, and a self-addressed stamped envelope so the office can return the recorded original to you.
One honest note before the mechanics: a deed requires original ink signatures and a notary's seal, so this is a package you mail yourself. LetterAgent prints and mails copies of letters; a recorder's office accepts only the signed, sealed original, and a print-and-mail service cannot produce that for you.
| What goes in the envelope | Details |
|---|---|
| The original deed, signed and notarized | Original ink signatures and the notary's stamp and seal; a photocopy or a printout of a scan will be rejected |
| The recording fee | Call the recorder's office or check its site for the current amount; most take a check made out to the county |
| Any required cover sheet or tax form | Many counties require a recording cover page, and several require a transfer-tax declaration even when no tax is owed |
| A self-addressed stamped envelope | Sized to fit the recorded deed; this is how the office sends the stamped original back to you |
| Your contact information | Name and phone number in case the office has questions about your package |
Recording is a formality, but the formality is strict. The deed needs the grantor's original signature (the person transferring the property), the grantee's name and address (the person receiving it), a legal description of the property (not just the street address: the lot, block, or metes-and-bounds description from the existing deed), and the notary's acknowledgment with seal. Many counties also require a witness beyond the notary, depending on the state, so check the requirements for the county where the property sits, not the county where you live.
One thing recording does not do: the recorder's office checks that your paperwork is complete, not that it is legally valid. A recorded deed with a forged signature or a mistaken legal description is still recorded; it is just also wrong. Recording creates public notice of the transfer. It does not prove the transfer was legitimate.
The fee is set by the county, and it varies: some charge a flat rate per document, others add per-page charges after the first page. Call the recorder's office or check its website for the current amount before you mail anything, and make the check payable exactly as the office instructs. An incorrect payee name or a short payment gets the whole package returned. Do not send cash.
Because the recorder is not your filing clerk. After the office stamps the deed with the recording information (the book, page, or instrument number and the recording date), it sends the original back to whoever is designated on the document or the envelope you provided. Without a self-addressed stamped envelope, the office has no reliable way to return your original, and your recorded deed can sit in a drawer or get mailed to the wrong party. Size the envelope to fit the deed flat: folded deeds still record, but flat originals stay in better shape for your permanent file.
Rejections are usually mechanical, not legal: a missing notary seal, an incorrect fee, a missing cover sheet, a legal description that does not match. The office will return the package with a note explaining what was wrong. Fix the specific defect and resend; the recording date will be the date the corrected package is accepted, not the date of the first attempt, so get it right the first time when a deadline matters. A quitclaim deed transfers whatever interest the grantor has, which may be none: if you are the grantee in a transaction between strangers, that is worth understanding before you record anything.
This is general information, not legal advice.
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