How to Locate Property Ownership

Find the recorded history of transactions for all tracts of land in the U.S.

The record owner of real property can be located using a land title search. Review the chain of title for real estate property to learn the recorded history of transactions passing ownership title to the current owner of the property. In the United States, an ownership interest to a particular tract of land can be uncovered by referencing the millions of documents filed in the recorder's offices across the country. Many registrar of deeds offices have scanned and converted paper land deeds into searchable electronic formats. Most states use either tract or grantor-grantee indexes.

Instructions

1. Acquire basic real property information required to conduct a search. A number of search options for property records are possible in a county or parish. One is a name search, using the first and last name. A search using the assigned municipal address is another search option. Property can also be searched using the assigned parcel identification number. A tax map reference number search can also be conducted through the recorder or deeds or registers of deed office. Tax map numbers are assigned by regional governments, such as a city or county, as an parcel inventory systems of taxed real property. This unique numbers may be alphanumeric of varying characters.

2. Find the register of deeds office for the county or parish where the land is located. The register of deeds office stores the actual recorded documents evidencing the history of transfers between owners. Most offices have websites that can be found through online search engines using "register of deeds" or "recorder of deeds" along with the name of the county where the property is located.

3. Visit the actual register of deeds office. The street address for a parish or county register of deed will be available from its website or in a local phone and address directory. Often these agencies print pamphlets to introduce the general public to their filing and indexing system. Many clerks are also quite helpful in providing general assistance to those conducting searches from record indexes in printed form, microfiche or microfilm.

4. Search online indexes. A growing number of register of deeds and recorder of deeds offices in the United States have scanned land records into electronic formats. An online search of land records can be conducted from the website of many of these public record offices. In developing the move toward electronic indexing, most offices start with the most recent records and are gradually going back to earlier records. As a result, all records may not be available for online research.

Tips & Warnings

• This article is for informational purposes only and should not be substituted for legal or tax advice.

References

• Fairfax County, Va.: Property Search