How to Search Nationwide Recorded Documents

Deeds, mortgages, and most liens are recorded at the county level — UCC business filings are usually with the Secretary of State. There is no federal recorded-documents registry.

  • County recorder / register of deeds: where deeds, mortgages, easements, and most liens live
  • Secretary of State (UCC): where Article 9 UCC business filings live in most states
  • Federal tax liens: irs.gov — IRS Notice of Federal Tax Lien
  • Military DD-214 (federal): archives.gov/personnel-records-center — National Personnel Records Center
  • State-by-state guide: nass.org UCC filings overview
Population
334,914,895
Households
128,500,000
Median Income
$74,580
Median Home Value
$420,800
SearchSystems Editorial
Edited by — Editor & Owner, SearchSystems.net. Public records professional since 1999. NAPBS founding member. Full bio & credentials.
Last reviewed: June 04, 2026 · Methodology: all source URLs verified against the official .gov / .uscourts.gov / .cdc.gov / .eac.gov / .fbi.gov publisher on the review date. 5 primary .gov sources cited below.

Recorded Documents — Key Numbers (2026)

Deeds, mortgages, UCC filings, liens, military discharges (DD-214), powers of attorney — what gets recorded at the county level in 2026.
3,143
U.S. county recorder offices
One per county/equivalent
50+DC
Secretary of State UCC offices
Where business UCCs file
Article 9
UCC governs
Secured transaction filings
100%
Deeds recorded locally
Never federal
Varies
Retention by record type
Permanent for most deeds
Public
Most recorded docs
With redaction rules
Common Recorded Document Types (relative volume)
Deeds
100
Mortgages
95
Liens
70
UCC
55
POA
25
DD-214
10
Unit: relative volume (deeds = 100). Source: see Primary Sources below.

What Changed in 2026 — Recorded Documents

2026
NASS UCC filings guidance refreshed
National Association of Secretaries of State updated its UCC filings overview for 2026 filers.
2026
Colorado UCC dataset refreshed
Colorado SoS continues to publish open UCC debtor data including financing statements, EFS, and liens.
2026
Wolters Kluwer UCC basics updated
Updated practitioner guidance on state vs. county UCC filings.
2026
Records research access expanding
Counties like Deschutes (OR) continue expanding online deed/official records indexes.

The 5-Type Recorded Documents Map

1
Type 1 — Real property (Deeds, Mortgages)
County Recorder/Register of Deeds. Permanent record.
2
Type 2 — UCC (business collateral)
Most filed with Secretary of State. Some real-estate-related UCCs are county.
3
Type 3 — Liens (tax, mechanic's, judgment)
County Recorder for property liens. IRS liens are federal.
4
Type 4 — Personal documents (POA, military DD-214)
Often optional county recording for safekeeping.
5
Type 5 — Maps & subdivisions
County recorder; some at state mapping office.

Five Things People Get Wrong About Recorded Documents

❌ Myth: "UCC filings are at the county."
✓ Truth: Mostly false. Most UCC filings (Article 9) are at the state Secretary of State, not county.
❌ Myth: "All liens show up in a deed search."
✓ Truth: False. Federal tax liens may file at county OR state. Judgment liens vary. Always cross-check.
❌ Myth: "Recording a deed transfers title."
✓ Truth: False. The deed transfers title when delivered. Recording gives public notice — important but different.
❌ Myth: "DD-214 is federal."
✓ Truth: Partially false. The original is federal (NPRC), but many veterans record a copy at their local county for easy access.
❌ Myth: "Old recorded docs are digitized."
✓ Truth: False. Most counties only digitized records back to ~1990-2000. Older docs are paper at the courthouse.

Primary Sources (All .gov / Official)

Related Public Records
Other hubs: Federal databases
By state — popular: California · Texas · Florida · New York · Pennsylvania · Illinois

Recorded Documents by State

Browse recorded documents resources from official sources in all 50 states and DC.

Court Records Criminal Records Wants & Warrants Vital Records Voter Records Licenses Recorded Documents Recorded Documents
Recorded Documents — All 50 States + DC

All 50 States

All 50 states. Click any state for state-level property records sources.

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware DC Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Edited by — Editor & Owner, SearchSystems.net. Public records professional since 1999. NAPBS founding member. Full bio & credentials.

Last reviewed: June 04, 2026 · Methodology: how we vet sources

Frequently Asked Questions

Use the United States Judiciary Public Portal. Search by case number, party name, attorney, or county. The portal covers Civil, Criminal, Family, Probate, and Environmental divisions of the Superior Court for all 50 states.

Online searches and viewing case dockets are free through the public portal. Copies of documents and certified records carry a fee — contact the clerk of the specific Superior Court division.

vermontjudiciary.org/supreme-court publishes opinions and entry orders.

The U.S. District Court for the District of United States uses PACER at pacer.uscourts.gov.

Last reviewed: