Rochester Deed Records

Deed records for Rochester are maintained by the Monroe County Clerk. The City of Rochester Clerk does not record deeds or keep property transfer documents. Rochester is the third largest city in New York State and the county seat of Monroe County. Because the county clerk's office is located right in the city, Rochester residents have easy access to deed records. The Tapestry online system provides digital access to records from 1984 to the present, making it simple to search from home.

Monroe County Clerk Records Rochester Deeds

The Monroe County Clerk's Office is the official recorder of deeds for all of Monroe County, including the City of Rochester. Jonathan McLean serves as county clerk. The office is located at 39 West Main Street, Rochester, NY 14614, right in the heart of downtown.

The county clerk serves as the Clerk of Supreme and County Courts and as the official registrar of deeds, mortgages, assignments, satisfactions, judgments, and liens. Every property sale in Rochester must be recorded at this office for the transfer to have full legal effect.

Because Rochester is the county seat, the county clerk's office is just minutes away for most city residents. You can walk in during business hours to record a deed, search existing records, or request certified copies. The staff can help you navigate the system and find what you need.

Monroe County Clerk Office Details

How to Search Rochester Deed Records Online

Monroe County uses the Tapestry online system for land records searches. This system covers records from 1984 to the present. You can search by grantor name, grantee name, document type, date range, and other criteria. The system is free to use and runs around the clock.

Tapestry works well for recent property transactions. Enter the owner's last name and the system pulls up all documents filed under that name in Monroe County. You can narrow results by choosing a specific document type, like deeds only, or by setting a date range. Some document images may be available for viewing directly in the system.

For records before 1984, you need to visit the clerk's office at 39 West Main Street. Older deed books and indexes are available for in-person research. The county has historical records going back much further, but they have not all been digitized. Staff can help guide you through the older materials.

Recording Fees and Transfer Taxes

The fee to record a deed in Monroe County is $45 for the first page and $5 for each additional page. New York State charges a real estate transfer tax of $2 per $500 of the sale price. The mansion tax adds another layer for residential sales at or above $1 million.

The mortgage recording tax is due when a new mortgage is recorded. Monroe County is not in the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District, so there is no MCTD surcharge. This generally means lower mortgage recording tax costs compared to the downstate counties. For one- and two-family homes, the first $10,000 of mortgage debt is exempt from the additional tax.

Form RP-5217 must accompany every deed. The form requires Adobe Acrobat to fill out. The county clerk will not accept handwritten versions because the form has a barcode that must be scannable.

Rochester City Clerk Does Not Handle Deeds

The Rochester City Clerk's Office handles City Council minutes, resolutions, and ordinances. It issues city permits, manages vital statistics records, and processes FOIL requests. But the city clerk does not record or maintain deed records. Property documents are the sole province of the Monroe County Clerk.

This distinction trips people up sometimes. The city clerk and the county clerk have very different jobs. For anything related to property deeds, mortgages, or liens, go to the county clerk at 39 West Main Street.

Legal Framework for Rochester Deed Records

Under New York Real Property Law Section 291, deeds must be recorded in the county where the property sits. For Rochester, that is Monroe County. RPL Section 333 spells out what a valid deed must contain, including the names of both parties, a property description, and a proper acknowledgment before a notary.

You can look up these and other property statutes at the New York State Senate website or the Cornell Legal Information Institute. Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law (RPAPL) covers related topics like foreclosure, adverse possession, and partition actions that Rochester property owners may encounter.

Additional Resources

The NYS Municipal Data Portal includes property sales data and equalization rates for Rochester and Monroe County. The NYS Department of Taxation and Finance has resources for homeowners, including STAR registration. For historical research, the New York State Archives holds older government records, and the New York State Library Digital Collections may have scanned historical materials.

Historical Records and Recordhub

For deed records from 1952 to 1984, Monroe County uses Recordhub. This system has grantor and grantee index books plus digital copies of the original book pages. Create a free account to search. There is no monthly fee. You only pay when you print, and the cost is $1.50 per page.

Recordhub fills the gap between the Tapestry system and the physical records at the clerk's office. If you are tracing a chain of title on a Rochester property built in the 1960s or 1970s, this is likely where the early deeds will show up. The system is simple to use. Enter a name and pick a date range. Results show the book and page where the document is recorded.

For anything before 1952, you will need to visit 39 West Main Street in person. The oldest deed books are stored on site. Staff can help you find what you need if you have a property address or owner name. Allow extra time for research in the older records because the indexes are not always in the same format as the modern ones.

Nearby Cities

Other communities nearby with deed records pages:

• Greece
• Irondequoit