Orleans County Deed Records
Orleans County deed records are filed with County Clerk Nadine P. Hanlon at 3 South Main Street in Albion. The Clerk's Office records deeds, mortgages, leases, assignments, discharges, maps, judgments, federal tax liens, and many other document types for this western New York county. The office also collects all state transfer tax on deeds and mortgage tax on mortgages. Hours vary between the regular season and summer months, so check before you visit.
Orleans County Quick Facts
Orleans County Clerk's Office
The Orleans County Clerk's Office at Courthouse Square in Albion is the primary recording office for all land documents in the county. County Clerk Nadine P. Hanlon oversees the recording of deeds, mortgages, leases, assignments, discharges, maps, census records, agricultural districts, business certificates, judgments, federal tax liens, military discharges, naturalization records, inquests, and separation agreements.
Regular hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, summer hours shift to 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The last recording of each day is accepted 45 minutes before closing. Plan accordingly if you are bringing documents to file late in the day.
The Clerk also serves as an agent for the Federal Government, maintaining the Federal Tax Lien Docket and operating as a Federal Passport Acceptance Facility. All Supreme Court documents are maintained as records of the County Clerk.
How to Search Orleans County Deed Records
Searching for deed records in Orleans County is done at the Clerk's Office in Albion. The office keeps grantor and grantee indexes that let you look up transactions by the names of the parties. You can also search by the property's tax map information. Staff can help you find the right liber and page for any recorded document in the county.
For online access, the New York State Municipal Data Portal has property sales data through Sales Web. This covers 10 years of transfers across Orleans County, drawn from RP-5217 filings. You can search by town, school district, date range, or property type. Sales data can take a few weeks to appear after the deed is recorded.
The New York State Archives holds historical documents that may supplement the county's records. For older deeds and land grants, the Archives can be a valuable secondary source.
Recording Deeds in Orleans County
To record a deed in Orleans County, bring the original document along with all required forms to the Clerk's Office at least 45 minutes before closing. The deed must comply with New York Real Property Law: it must be in writing, signed by the grantor, and acknowledged before a notary public. Include a legal description of the property, the tax map parcel number, and the full names and addresses of all parties.
Form RP-5217 must be filed with every deed. This is the Real Property Transfer Report, and it has a scannable barcode that must be generated through Adobe Acrobat. The TP-584 transfer tax affidavit is also required. The Clerk's Office collects all state transfer tax on deeds at the time of recording.
Fees and Transfer Tax
Orleans County recording fees follow the New York State schedule. The base fee covers the first page and each additional page has a per-page charge. A cover page fee applies. Confirm the exact amounts with the Clerk's Office before you file, because fees can be updated.
The real estate transfer tax is $2 per $500 of consideration. Residential sales over $1 million owe an extra 1% mansion tax. The Clerk collects the state transfer tax on behalf of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. The office must be familiar with varying exemptions, rules, and applicable affidavits related to tax exemptions.
Certified copies of recorded documents are available in person or by mail. Provide the recording details to speed up your request.
Mortgage Tax in Orleans County
The mortgage recording tax is collected by the Clerk's Office when a mortgage is filed. The basic state rate is 50 cents per $100 of mortgage debt. Additional state and county components add to the total. For one- or two-family homes, the first $10,000 of the mortgage is exempt from the additional tax.
Orleans County is not in the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District, so the MCTD surcharge does not apply. Check Form MT-15 for the exact breakdown. The full tax is due at the time of recording. The Clerk's Office works directly with the state Department of Taxation and Finance on all tax collection matters.
Property Assessment Data
Orleans County's Real Property Tax Service Agency keeps assessment records and tax maps. These records show the assessed value, owner, and property classification for each parcel. Tax maps help identify lot boundaries and can provide the section-block-lot numbers you need for a deed search.
The Municipal Data Portal from the state offers equalization rates and municipal profiles for each town in Orleans County. These free tools help property owners understand how their assessments compare to market value and how tax levies are distributed.
Legal Resources
Recording a deed with the county clerk provides constructive notice under New York Real Property Law. Without recording, an unrecorded deed is still valid between the parties but could lose to a later recorded instrument. This race-notice system makes prompt recording essential after every closing.
Free access to New York statutes is available through the Cornell Legal Information Institute. The New York State Senate legislation page tracks bills that could change recording rules. For historical research, the New York State Archives holds documents going back to the colonial era.
Towns in Orleans County
Orleans County includes the towns of Albion, Barre, Carlton, Clarendon, Gaines, Kendall, Murray, Ridgeway, Shelby, and Yates. The village of Albion serves as the county seat. All deed records for every community in the county are filed with the Orleans County Clerk at 3 South Main Street in Albion. No cities in the county meet the population threshold for a separate page on this site.
Nearby Counties
These counties border Orleans County. Each maintains its own deed records: