Monroe County Deed Records
Monroe County deed records cover all property transactions in the Rochester metropolitan area and surrounding towns. The County Clerk at 39 W. Main Street in Rochester maintains deeds, mortgages, liens, and other land documents going back decades. Online access is available through two separate systems, one for newer records and another for historical documents. This makes Monroe County one of the more accessible places to search property records in western New York.
Monroe County Quick Facts
Monroe County Clerk's Office
The Monroe County Clerk is the official registrar of deeds, mortgages, assignments, satisfactions, judgments, and liens for the county. The office is at 39 W. Main Street in Rochester. All visitors must enter through the S. Fitzhugh Street or Irving Place entrances. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The phone number is (585) 753-1600, and the email address is clerk@monroecounty.gov.
The Clerk wears many hats. Beyond land records, the office handles Supreme and County Court filings, notary commissions, passport services, pistol permits, assumed business names, naturalization records, sporting licenses, and motor vehicle services. For deed searches and recordings, head to the land records division on the main floor.
Searching Monroe County Deed Records Online
Monroe County offers two online systems for looking up land records. The Tapestry system covers records from 1984 to the present. Deeds go back to 1984, mortgages to 1995, and releases to 2002. You need to create a free account with a username and password. When you log in, pick Monroe County from the dropdown box. Searches are free, though printing or downloading may cost extra.
For older records, the Recordhub system has deed records from 1952 to 1984. Grantor and grantee index books are available along with digital copies of the actual book pages. You will need to set up a username and password. There is no monthly subscription fee. You only pay when you print, and the cost is $1.50 per page.
Between these two systems, Monroe County has over 70 years of deed records available online. That covers most modern transactions. For anything before 1952, you will need to visit the Clerk's Office in person.
Recording Deeds in Monroe County
Filing a deed in Monroe County follows New York State requirements. Present the original deed along with all tax forms. The deed must be in writing, signed by the grantor, and acknowledged before a notary. Include a full legal description, the tax map parcel number, and the names and addresses of all parties.
Form RP-5217 must be submitted with every deed. This barcoded Real Property Transfer Report captures sale price, assessed value, and property use data. Complete it using Adobe Acrobat only. The clerk will reject handwritten forms. You also need the TP-584 transfer tax affidavit to go along with the deed.
The real estate transfer tax is $2 per $500 of consideration. Residential sales above $1 million trigger the additional 1% mansion tax. All taxes and fees must be paid at the time of recording, or the deed will not be accepted.
Monroe County Deed Fees
Recording fees in Monroe County match the standard New York State schedule. The base recording fee covers the first page. Each additional page costs $5. A cover page generated by the clerk has its own fee. The RP-5217 filing fee applies on top of the base recording charge. Check with the Clerk's Office for current totals, as fees can be updated.
Certified copies of recorded deeds are available in person or by mail. You will need the liber and page number, or the recording date, to request a specific document. The first page of a certified copy has one cost, and each extra page has a lower per-page charge.
Mortgage Recording Tax
When a mortgage is recorded in Monroe County, the mortgage recording tax comes due. The basic state rate is 50 cents per $100 of mortgage debt. Additional taxes from the state and county add to the total. For homes with one or two family units, the first $10,000 of the mortgage is exempt from the additional tax component.
Monroe County is not inside the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District, so the MCTD surcharge does not apply. Consult Form MT-15 for the specific rate breakdown for Monroe County. The full tax must be paid when the mortgage is presented for recording at the Clerk's Office.
Property Assessment and Tax Data
Monroe County maintains assessment records through its Real Property Tax Service Agency. Assessment rolls list the current owner, assessed value, and property class for every parcel. Tax maps show lot boundaries and section-block-lot numbers. These tools help narrow down your search before heading to the Clerk's Office for the actual deed.
The state's Municipal Data Portal includes Sales Web data for Monroe County. This covers 10 years of property transfers, drawn from RP-5217 filings. You can search by town, school district, sale date, or property type. New sales can take a few weeks to appear after the deed is recorded.
Legal Resources for Monroe County
New York Real Property Law governs deed recording statewide. A deed must be in writing, signed, and notarized. Recording with the county clerk provides constructive notice to the public. An unrecorded deed is valid between the parties, but a later buyer who records first could gain priority. The Cornell Legal Information Institute has the full text of these laws online.
The New York State Senate tracks pending changes to property laws. The New York State Archives holds historical records that may be useful for tracing older property ownership or researching land grants in the Rochester area.
Cities and Towns in Monroe County
Monroe County is home to the City of Rochester, the third-largest city in New York State. Several populous towns surround it, including Greece and Irondequoit. All deed records for every community in the county are filed with the Monroe County Clerk at 39 W. Main Street in Rochester.
Other towns in Monroe County include Brighton, Chili, Clarkson, East Rochester, Fairport, Gates, Hamlin, Henrietta, Mendon, Ogden, Parma, Penfield, Perinton, Pittsford, Riga, Rush, Sweden, Webster, and Wheatland. Deed records for all of them go through the same Clerk's Office.
Nearby Counties
Need records from a county next to Monroe? Check these offices: