Kent County Recorder of Deeds: Search Records, Fees & Office Guide
The Kent County Recorder of Deeds is the office to use when you need the actual recorded instrument affecting real estate in Kent County, Delaware—such as a deed, mortgage, satisfaction, release, assignment or other land record.
If your goal is simply to identify a property owner, parcel number, assessment, sales history or tax account, a different Kent County property database may be faster. This guide routes you to the correct official system and shows exactly how to search, verify, print, record or correct the next step.
What are you actually trying to find?
Many frustrating searches happen because the user opens the deed system when the information is actually maintained by Assessment, the Tax Office or the Register of Wills. Use the route below before searching.
Use the Recorder of Deeds land-record database.
Search land records →Use Kent County’s Property Records System.
Search property records →Use the Kent County Tax Account Search rather than the deed index.
Search tax account →Estate administration is handled by the Register of Wills.
Open Wills & Estates →Kent County deed search guide
Jump directly to the task you need to complete.
How to search Kent County Recorder of Deeds records online
Kent County’s official land-record portal provides separate searches for real-property records and financing statements. For a house, lot, acreage parcel, deed or mortgage, you normally want the Real Property section.
Open Kent County Real Property Search
Which Kent County deed search should you use?
| What you know | Best search | How to use it | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner, seller or buyer name | Name Search | Search surname/business name first, then narrow with first name, party type, document type or date. | Using only the current owner’s name when researching an older transaction. |
| Document number | Document Search | Enter the recorded document identifier to bypass broad name results. | Re-running a name search when the exact document number is already available. |
| Book/reference information | Book Search | Use the historical book/reference information shown in a prior deed or property record. | Assuming a parcel/account number is the same as a deed-book reference. |
| Approximate recording date | Date Search | Search a controlled recording-date range, then inspect matching document types and names. | Searching the closing date when the instrument was recorded on a later date. |
| Only street address | Property Records first | Find the parcel in Kent County Property Records, capture the owner/map/deed reference, then return to land records. | Expecting the Recorder’s deed index to behave like an address-based property-search portal. |
How to verify that you found the correct deed
A search result is only the starting point. If the information will be used for a purchase, title question, probate matter, boundary issue or legal filing, match several identifiers before relying on it.
Is the Kent County deed search free?
Yes for basic research. Kent County’s official portal states that searching and viewing watermarked document images are free.
Charges apply when you download or print through the land-record system. The portal currently lists $2 per page for casual-access real-property and financing-statement documents. Registration is not required for casual access, and users can choose which pages they want to purchase.
Free to research online.
Free for online document review.
The portal currently lists $2 per selected page.
The portal lists a $75 unlimited monthly download/printing subscription per user.
The portal warns that printed search results may also be charged per page.
Request through the Recorder when a certified rather than ordinary copy is required.
How far back do Kent County deed records go?
The official online land-record portal states that real-property indices and images are certified from January 30, 1874 to the present. New recordings are added as processing is completed, so researchers should also look at the certification information displayed by the search system.
Kent County’s Recorder has separately explained that historic deed books maintained by the office extend much further back, into the colonial period. If the transaction you need predates electronic coverage, contact or visit the Recorder’s Public Access Property Records Research Library rather than assuming no record exists.
Kent County Recorder of Deeds office address, hours & contact
Dover, DE 19901
Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m., excluding holidays.
Kent County states that a drop box for Deeds materials is located outside.
How to record a deed or other document in Kent County
Recording is different from searching. A document presented for recording must satisfy Kent County formatting rules, include the required supporting forms, and arrive with the correct fees and any applicable transfer taxes.
Open official Recording Forms
Kent County Recorder of Deeds fees
Kent County warns that forms, formats and fees may change. The county’s posted Recorder fee schedule provides the following common charges. Use these figures for planning, then open the current official schedule immediately before submitting a document.
| Charge | Posted amount | When it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Document fee | $36 per document | Base document charge listed by the Recorder. |
| Page fee | $10 per page | Applies to covered recorded documents, including the first page. |
| Deed parcel charge | $5 per tax parcel | Added for each parcel/map number on a deed. |
| Ordinary office copy | $1 per letter/legal page | For standard copies requested from the office. |
| Certified copy | $7 per page | When an official certified copy is required. |
| Non-conforming document | $40 | May apply when a submission does not meet formatting standards. |
| Rejected document | $20 | May be charged when a submission fails applicable recordability requirements. |
Recording standards that commonly cause problems
Kent County publishes specific formatting requirements. A clean document is not automatically recordable merely because it has signatures and a notary.
The county standards call for the full parcel/map number on documents directly involving specific real property.
These statements belong in the upper portion of the first page in the location described by Kent County’s standards.
Kent County’s standards specify 8½ × 11-inch paper for recorded documents.
The standards call for 10-point Times New Roman or an equivalent/larger readable typeface.
The first-page top margin and succeeding-page margins must preserve the recording space specified in the county standards.
Names, titles and applicable notary information must be legible and satisfy the Recorder’s published requirements.
Can the Kent County Recorder “change” an existing deed?
Not by editing the document already on file. Kent County’s Recorder explains that recorded deeds remain part of the permanent chain of title. A name change, divorce, sale, gift or other ownership event does not cause staff to erase or rewrite the prior deed.
When title actually needs to change, the usual process involves preparing and recording a new legally valid instrument. Kent County specifically recommends appropriate Delaware legal assistance for property transfers rather than asking recording clerks to draft a deed.
A new transfer document is generally required. Use a Delaware professional who can determine the correct legal instrument and tax treatment.
Do not assume a new deed is automatically required. Probate, survivorship language or another estate process may control. Start with the Register of Wills when appropriate.
Call the Recorder before creating a replacement document. Staff can explain recording procedure even though they cannot provide individual legal advice.
Transfer on Death Deeds in Kent County
Delaware authorized Transfer on Death Deeds in 2025. A properly completed and recorded TOD deed can name a beneficiary to receive real property at the owner’s death while allowing the owner to retain control during life.
Kent County provides a dedicated TODD page with forms, recording requirements and explanations. The Recorder emphasizes that the document must be properly completed and recorded before the owner’s death to be effective.
Sign up for Kent County Property Fraud Alert
Kent County offers a free Property Fraud Alert service that can send an email notice when a document is recorded using a registered name. The alert does not block a filing or prove that a document is fraudulent; its value is helping an owner learn quickly that something has been recorded.
Open official Property Fraud information
Recorder of Deeds vs. Property Records vs. Tax Office vs. Register of Wills
| Your question | Correct Kent County resource | What you can find |
|---|---|---|
| Who received title under a recorded deed? | Recorder of Deeds | Recorded deed image, grantor/grantee, document number and recording information. |
| What is the parcel number or assessment? | Property Records System | Owner, address, map number, sales, parcel, assessment and property information. |
| How much property tax is due? | Kent County Tax Office | Tax-account and payment information. |
| What happened after an owner died? | Register of Wills | Estate and probate records that may explain how ownership passes. |
| Where is the parcel on a map? | Kent County Property Records / GIS | Map-based parcel research and related property information. |
Why can’t you find the Kent County deed?
The deed index is primarily an instrument and party-name system. Search the property database by address first, then use the resulting ownership/deed information in the land-record portal.
Try legal-name variations, maiden/former names, initials, business suffixes and trust naming conventions. The portal recommends searching possible spelling variations.
Records before the portal’s certified electronic date may require research in the Recorder’s historical books or assistance from office staff.
Work backward through grantors. An older transaction will normally be indexed under the parties who participated in that transaction, not today’s owner.
A signed deed is not the same as a recorded deed. Check the portal’s certification/current-recording information or contact the office if the transaction should already have been recorded.
Estate or survivorship records may explain the ownership change. Search the Register of Wills rather than assuming a conventional sale deed exists.
Kent County Recorder of Deeds resources
Kent County Recorder of Deeds FAQs
How do I search Kent County, Delaware deeds online?
Open the official Kent County land-record portal, stay under Real Property, and choose Name Search, Document Search, Book Search or Date Search based on the information you already have.
How far back do Kent County online deed records go?
The official search portal states that Kent County real-property indices and images are certified from January 30, 1874 to the present. Older deed books are maintained by the Recorder’s office and may require historical-record research.
Can I search a Kent County deed by property address?
The deed system is better suited to party names and recorded-document identifiers. If you only know an address, begin with the Kent County Property Records System, find the parcel and ownership information, then use those details in the Recorder’s search.
Is searching Kent County deed records free?
Searching and viewing watermarked documents online is free. The official portal currently charges for printing and downloading non-watermarked pages, so review the displayed charge before completing a purchase.
Where is the Kent County Recorder of Deeds office?
The office is at 555 Bay Road, Dover, Delaware 19901. The main phone number is 302-744-2314, and the general email address is Recorder@kentcountyde.gov.
What are Kent County Recorder of Deeds recording hours?
The office lists weekday office hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and recording hours of 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., excluding holidays.
Can the Recorder change or remove an old deed?
An existing recorded deed is not simply edited or erased. If title needs to change, a new legally valid instrument may need to be prepared and recorded. Contact an appropriate Delaware legal professional when ownership rights are changing.
How do I get a certified deed copy?
Contact the Recorder of Deeds when a certified copy is required rather than relying on a watermarked online research image. Kent County’s posted fee schedule lists a separate per-page certified-copy fee.
Can Kent County deeds be recorded electronically?
Yes. Kent County accepts e-recorded documents. Start on the official Recording Forms page and review the Electronic Filing Agreement and current approved-provider process.
What if a deed search does not explain ownership after someone died?
Search the Kent County Register of Wills. Probate filings, survivorship rights or estate documents may control the ownership change even when you do not find a conventional sale deed.
Use the deed record that answers your actual question
For a recorded deed, mortgage, satisfaction, release or other land instrument, begin with the Kent County Recorder of Deeds search. If all you have is an address, use Kent County Property Records first to identify the parcel and owner, then move into the deed index with stronger search information.
Before recording anything, reopen the official Recording Forms page, confirm the current standards, calculate the exact fee and transfer-tax requirements, and verify the completed recording afterward. That workflow is faster and safer than relying on an old deed package, an unofficial database or a generic statewide search.