Colonie Deed Records
Deed records for properties in the Town of Colonie are filed with the Albany County Clerk. The Colonie Town Clerk accepts and maintains municipal records, but this does not include property deeds. All deed recordings for Colonie go through the Albany County Clerk's Office at 112 State Street in Albany. Online access covers records from 1980 forward, and the county holds land records going all the way back to 1654.
Colonie Quick Facts
Where Colonie Deed Records Are Filed
The Albany County Clerk's Office records all deeds for the Town of Colonie. New York State law assigns deed recording to county clerks, not town or city clerks. The office is at 112 State Street, Room 128, in downtown Albany. Phone: (518) 487-5100.
The Colonie Town Clerk is one of the information centers for the town. That office accepts, files, records, and maintains municipal records. But this specifically does not include property deeds. The Town Clerk issues marriage licenses, fishing licenses, dog permits, and alarm permits. They also publish agendas and minutes for Town Board meetings. Deed recording, though, remains a county job.
Albany County Clerk Office Details
| Office | Albany County Clerk |
| Location | 112 State Street, Room 128, Albany, NY 12207 |
| Phone | (518) 487-5100 |
| Hall of Records | 95 Tivoli Street, Albany, NY 12207 |
| Online Portal | Albany County Land Records |
The Clerk's Office works alongside the Albany County Hall of Records at 95 Tivoli Street. The Hall of Records stores inactive county records going back to the Dutch Colonial days. It manages over 105,000 cubic feet of documents. Free parking is available. Staff at both locations can help with deed searches and document requests.
How to Search Colonie Deed Records Online
The Albany County Land Records Portal provides access to deed and mortgage records from 1980 to the present. Search by name, address, or document type. Basic searches are free. Some features may need registration. You can check ownership, look for liens, and trace a property's history without making a trip.
Records before 1980 are at the Albany County Hall of Records at 95 Tivoli Street. Microfilm indexes cover years before 1980. Bound deed books before 1960 are stored on site. You need to ask staff for the specific volumes you want to see, and they can help you locate what you need.
If you are buying a home in Colonie, your attorney will search both the online portal and possibly the Hall of Records to build a complete title history. Title companies do the same thing to verify that the seller actually owns the property and that no undisclosed liens exist.
Deed Recording Fees
Albany County charges a base recording fee of $5 for the first page and $5 for each additional page. A county recording fee may also apply. Deeds with metes and bounds descriptions can carry a $125 filing fee. Call the Clerk's Office to check current fees before filing.
Transfer tax runs $4 per $1,000 of the sale price. Residential sales of $1 million or more trigger a 1% mansion tax. These taxes are due at recording. You must include Form RP-5217 and the TP-584 transfer tax affidavit with every deed. The RP-5217 is a barcoded PDF you fill out in Adobe Acrobat. Handwritten forms won't be accepted.
Certified copies of deeds cost $5 for the first page and $1.25 for each additional page. Include the liber and page number or the recording date when you ask for copies. This helps staff pull the right record.
Mortgage Recording
Mortgages for Colonie properties are also filed with the Albany County Clerk. The mortgage recording tax is due at the time of filing. The basic state rate is 50 cents per $100 of the loan amount, with additional state and county portions. For one- and two-family homes, the first $10,000 of mortgage debt is exempt from the additional tax. Form MT-15 breaks down current rates by location.
Property Tax Information
The Albany County Real Property Tax Service keeps assessment data and tax maps for all Colonie properties. This office doesn't hold deeds, but it can help you find parcel numbers and assessed values. The state's Municipal Data Portal shows 10 years of sales data from RP-5217 forms, covering property transfers in Colonie and the rest of the county.
Legal Framework
Under New York Real Property Law, a deed must be written, signed by the grantor, and notarized. Recording with the County Clerk gives public notice of the ownership change. An unrecorded deed is still valid between the parties, but someone who buys the property later and records first could claim priority. This is why closing attorneys file deeds right away.
The New York State Senate legislation page lets you track bills that could affect property recording rules. If a new law changes fee structures or filing requirements, it would show up there first.
Albany County Hall of Records
The Albany County Hall of Records at 95 Tivoli Street holds older documents. It manages over 105,000 cubic feet of records from the Dutch Colonial era to the present. Deed records from Albany County go back to 1654. That makes it one of the oldest land record systems in the country. Free parking is available, and staff can help you find what you need.
For records before 1960, you may need to view bound deed books at the Hall of Records. Ask staff for the specific volume you want. Microfilm indexes cover years before 1980. The online portal starts at 1980. So between the two locations, you can access the full range of Colonie property records. Title companies use both systems when they run searches for home sales. Genealogists also use the Hall of Records for family property research going back to the colonial period.
Nearby Cities
Albany is also in Albany County and uses the same Clerk. Troy is in Rensselaer County, and Schenectady is in its own county. Each county has its own clerk for deed recording.