How to Get the Deed for a Property

After buying a home or property, you should have a copy of the deed for your records.

The purpose of a deed is to transfer a title, the legal ownership of a property, from one person or company to another. A deed is a legal document that shows you own the property. A property deed can also be called a title deed.

A property deed also records the transfer of a property’s ownership and contains a property’s legal description. For a deed to be valid it must have both the buyer and seller’s signature known as the “grantor” and the “grantee”.

So, how do you get a copy of your deed?

In most cases, you will receive a copy of your deed at the completion of a real estate transaction or your title company may mail the original deed to you after it has been recorded with the City Register or County Clerk. However, what if you misplace it, or what if you want additional copies?

In New York, there are two main ways that you can get a copy of your deed:

In-Person

To get a copy of your deed in person, locate the County Clerk or City Register office where the property is located. The County Clerk’s office or City Register is the office where deeds are legally recorded and filed.

When requesting your deed, provide the details on the property you need the deed for. You will need:

• The property address
• Year of purchase and, if available, 
• The property tax ID number.

If you do not know the property’s tax ID, it can be found on a copy of your annual property tax bill. If you don’t have a copy of the property ID, providing the section, block, and lot can help.

If you don’t have the required information, the office’s personnel should be able to help you prove ownership by accessing records or calling the appraisal office to verify your name is on the property records.

There will usually be a small fee to pay to receive a new copy of your deed, this fee will differ depending on the county you are in.

Depending on your location, you can also perform a search for the property deed, or the County Clerk’s office or City Register can help you complete the search. Once located, you will usually need to fill out a form to request a copy of your deed, which you will later receive in the mail. In some counties, the office personnel will be able to provide you with a copy of your deed while you wait at the office.

Online

Like most things nowadays, you can also get a copy of your deed online.

Locate the website for the County Clerk or City Register office for the county that your property is located in. On the website, navigate to the section on the website that references the property records.

The website will ask for information such as the property address, year of purchase, owner’s name, and possibly the property identification number.

As mentioned above, if you don’t have a copy of the property identification number, providing the section, block, and lot will help identify the property.

Be sure to complete the form as thoroughly as possible to expedite its processing.
Depending on the county, there will be a fee connected to requesting a copy of your deed online, which you can pay by credit card or e-check. Once payment is made, you should receive information on how long to expect before receiving a copy of your deed.

For properties located in New York City, i.e. Queens, Kings, Bronx, Richmond, and New York counties, you can access your property information, including a copy of your deed, by going to the City Register website Acris and free of charge. By accessing your property through Acris you can save yourself a trip to your respective county’s Clerk’s office.

Annie Justice, Senior EditorPiccinnini Law
(516) 500-2110