Find Deed Records in New York County
New York County deed records cover Manhattan, the most densely developed real estate market in the country. Unlike other New York counties, Manhattan property records are handled by the New York City Register through the ACRIS system rather than a traditional county clerk. The Office of the City Register at 66 John Street in Manhattan manages all deed recordings, and the ACRIS database makes records dating back to 1966 available online for free.
New York County (Manhattan) Quick Facts
NYC Office of the City Register
In Manhattan, deeds are not filed with a county clerk. Instead, the NYC Department of Finance operates the Office of the City Register, which handles all deed recordings for New York County. The office sits at 66 John Street in lower Manhattan. The phone number is 212-361-7550. This office records deeds, mortgages, UCC filings, and federal tax liens for properties in the borough.
Marriage licenses are handled separately through the City Clerk at 212-669-8898. That is a common source of confusion. For property records, the City Register is the correct office.
The City Register processes a massive volume of real estate transactions. Manhattan's commercial and residential real estate market generates some of the highest-value property transfers in the world. Every one of those transactions passes through this office.
Searching Manhattan Deed Records Through ACRIS
The Automated City Register Information System (ACRIS) is the primary tool for looking up deed records in New York County. ACRIS provides access to property records going back to 1966 for Manhattan. The system is free to use and runs online around the clock.
You can search ACRIS in several ways. Look up records by property address, borough/block/lot (BBL) designation, party name, document type, or document ID. The system shows recorded deeds, mortgages, satisfactions, assignments, and other instruments. You can view document images and download them for your records.
ACRIS also handles e-recording. Once you register, you can prepare documents as PDFs, upload them with a cover page and tax forms, and pay fees by eCheck or credit card. Online payments cannot be split across multiple bank accounts. Documents must meet strict PDF standards: black and white only, no larger than 11 by 17 inches, no security features, and scanned at 300 DPI.
Recording Deeds in Manhattan
The process for recording a deed in New York County differs from the rest of the state. Manhattan uses the City Register system instead of a county clerk. You can file documents in person at 66 John Street or use ACRIS to e-record them online.
In other parts of New York State, you file Form RP-5217 with the deed. Manhattan works differently. Property transfers in New York City (except Staten Island) use the city's ACRIS platform rather than the standard RP-5217 process. The Real Property Transfer Tax (RPTT) is handled through the city's own forms and systems.
When preparing documents for ACRIS, make sure your PDFs follow the formatting rules. ACRIS converts uploaded PDFs to images for archival. If the conversion fails, your submission may be rejected. Color PDFs, layered files, and documents with security features cause problems. Use black and white scans at 300 DPI for the best results.
For flip transactions where property goes from party A to B and then B to C, you must create two separate RPTT forms, submit under two separate cover pages, and file the transfer to the final owner in the second cover page.
Transfer Tax in New York County
Manhattan property transfers are subject to both the New York State real estate transfer tax and the New York City Real Property Transfer Tax. The state tax is $2 per $500 of consideration. The city adds its own tax on top of that. For residential properties, the city rate is 1% for sales up to $500,000 and 1.425% for sales above that. Commercial rates are higher.
The mansion tax adds 1% on residential sales of $1 million or more. Combined with the state and city transfer taxes, the total tax bill on a Manhattan property sale can be substantial. Buyers and sellers should work with their attorneys to understand who pays which portion based on the terms of their contract.
Mortgage Recording Tax
New York County is part of the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District. That means mortgage recording tax rates here are higher than in upstate counties. The basic state tax is 50 cents per $100 of mortgage debt. The MCTD adds 30 cents per $100 to the additional tax. The city imposes its own mortgage tax as well.
For one- or two-family residential properties, the first $10,000 of the mortgage is exempt from the additional tax. On Manhattan's high-value properties, though, that exemption barely dents the total. Mortgage recording tax is a major closing cost in the borough. Lenders include these figures on closing disclosures, but you should double check the math.
Property Fraud Protection
The City Register offers a Notice of Recorded Document Program. This service sends you a notification by mail whenever a new document is recorded against your property. You can also name a trusted person, like a family member or attorney, to get notifications on your behalf. This is an important safeguard against deed fraud, which has been a growing concern in New York City.
Signing up for this program costs nothing. It provides an early warning if someone tries to file a fraudulent deed or mortgage against your property. Given Manhattan's high property values, enrolling in this program is a sensible step for any property owner.
Legal Framework for Manhattan Deed Records
New York Real Property Law still governs how deeds must be prepared, even in New York City. A deed must be in writing, signed by the grantor, and acknowledged before a notary. Recording with the City Register gives constructive notice. The Cornell Legal Information Institute has the full text of these statutes.
The New York State Senate tracks changes to property law. The New York State Archives holds historical documents that can be useful for researching older Manhattan properties, especially those with long chains of title going back to the colonial period.
About New York County
New York County is the same as the Borough of Manhattan. It is part of New York City, which means city agencies handle many functions that county clerks manage elsewhere in the state. For deed records, the City Register is the authority. For court records, the New York County Clerk handles Supreme Court filings. These are two different offices with different locations and responsibilities.
Manhattan is part of New York City, which also has its own page on this site. All five boroughs share the ACRIS system for property records, but each borough has its own recording office.
Nearby Counties
The boroughs surrounding Manhattan each function as their own county for record-keeping purposes: