How do I get a copy of my deed in McHenry County?

The Recorder's Office accepts copy requests in person, by mail, email, fax and phone. Tapestry is also available for occasional online record access. Call 815-334-4110 when you need help identifying the document or ordering a certified copy.

How far back do McHenry County land records go online?

The county states that its real-estate document index and document images cover records from 1839 through the current effective search date.

How do I add or remove someone from a deed in McHenry County?

The Recorder's Office states that changing ownership or adding or removing a name requires a new deed. Because choosing and preparing a deed can affect legal rights, the office recommends consulting an attorney or title professional.

Can the Recorder tell me whether a property has clear title?

No. Recorder staff can help you locate recorded information, but the office states that it cannot perform or guarantee a complete title search. A title company or attorney can provide a professional title examination.

Where do I find McHenry County property taxes and assessed values?

Use the McHenry County Office of Assessments for assessment, ownership, parcel and exemption information. Use the McHenry County Treasurer for current and prior property tax bills, balances and payments.

Does McHenry County offer a property fraud alert?

Yes. McHenry County offers a free Property Fraud Alert that can send an email, text or phone notification when a document is recorded under a subscribed name.

McHenry County, Illinois · Deeds, mortgages, liens, plats, copies and recording

McHenry County Recorder of Deeds: Search Records, Copies & Office

Q: Where is the McHenry County Recorder of Deeds office?

The walk-in McHenry County Recorder office is at the Administration Building, 667 Ware Road, Room 109, Woodstock, Illinois 60098. The mailing address is McHenry County Recorder, Government Center, 2200 N. Seminary Avenue, Woodstock, IL 60098.

Q: Can I search McHenry County deeds online for free?

Yes. McHenry County provides a Free Web Search for indexed land-record information. The free service can be searched in several ways, including name, PIN and address, but the county states that document images are not provided through the free search.

If you landed here because you need a deed, mortgage, lien, release, subdivision plat, legal description or proof that a document was recorded, start with the McHenry County Recorder. McHenry County officially styles the department as the County Recorder; it is the land-record office commonly meant when people search for the “McHenry County Recorder of Deeds.”

The most efficient workflow is usually to identify the document in the county’s free index first, save its document number and recording details, and then decide whether you need only the index information, an ordinary copy, a certified copy or an actual online image.

Search official land-record index Compare official search options Recorder office details

MCHENRY COUNTY LAND RECORD INDEX

Document

Grantor

Grantee

PIN / Legal

WOODSTOCK
ILLINOIS

Know which record you actually need. A Recorder document is not the same thing as a property-tax bill or an assessment record. The Recorder preserves recorded instruments such as deeds, mortgages and liens. The Office of Assessments handles assessed values, exemptions, parcel maintenance and much ownership information, while the Treasurer handles tax bills and payments.

Free search County land-record index search by several fields.

Historic coverage County says index and images extend from 1839 to the current effective date.

Walk-in office 667 Ware Road, Room 109, Woodstock.

Phone 815-334-4110 for Recorder assistance and copy orders.

Office hours Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Go directly to your McHenry County Recorder task

Choose the section that matches what you are trying to accomplish.

Start with user intent

Which McHenry County property office should you use?

Many failed property-record searches happen because the user starts with the wrong office. Pick the task first, then use the government system that controls that information.

Find a deed or mortgage

Use the Recorder when you need a recorded deed, mortgage, assignment, release or other recorded instrument.

Search Recorder records

Check for a recorded lien

Search Recorder records after identifying the owner name and property. Recorded liens can be indexed against a person or property.

Review lien-search strategy

Find assessed value

Use the Office of Assessments for valuation, exemptions, parcel maintenance and assessment-related records.

Open Assessments

Pay or print a tax bill

Use the Treasurer for current or prior property tax bills, balances, payment status and payment options.

Open Treasurer

Change a name on title

A new deed is generally required. Recording staff cannot choose the correct deed or provide legal advice.

See ownership-change guidance

Report suspicious deed activity

Use the Recorder’s fraud resources and contact the office promptly if an unfamiliar instrument has been recorded.

Review fraud protection

Official search walkthrough

How to search McHenry County Recorder of Deeds records online

The county provides a Free Web Search for indexed land-record information. The Recorder’s own guidance says the service can be searched in multiple ways, including by name, parcel identification number and address. McHenry County is indexed by grantor and grantee, so party names are especially important when tracing a chain of recorded documents.

Best practice: If you know the owner, former owner, buyer, seller, trust or business name, start with that name. If you already have the document number, use it because it identifies one specific recorded instrument.

Open the official McHenry County Recorder search Go directly to the county-linked Fidlar AVA search. If you prefer to verify the link first, open the county’s Public Records Search Options page and choose “Recorder’s Free Web Search.”
Open Recorder’s Free Web Search

Start with the strongest identifier you have Try the grantor or grantee name first when you know a party to the transaction. You can also use a PIN, address or other available search field. For a trust, LLC or estate, search the exact organization or fiduciary name as well as the individual’s name when appropriate.

Use fewer search terms if you receive no result Search a surname before using a full legal name. Remove middle initials, punctuation and unnecessary street suffixes. Documents may be indexed using a different spelling or name format than the one you expect.

Compare the document type and recording date A warranty deed, quitclaim deed, mortgage, release, lien, assignment or plat serves a different purpose. Also remember that a closing date and a recording date may not be identical.

Verify the property before relying on the result Compare the PIN, legal description, address or subdivision information when available. A matching person’s name alone may not prove that you have the correct property.

Save the document number Write down the document number, recording date, document type and indexed parties. That information makes it much easier to order a copy, ask Recorder staff for help or locate the same instrument through a paid image service.

Confirm property or party

Search free Recorder index

Match document details

Save document number

Order image or certified copy

Choose the least expensive useful route

Free Web Search vs. Tapestry vs. Laredo

McHenry County offers three distinct land-record search routes. You do not need the professional subscription product just to identify a document.

McHenry County land-record search options
Search option	Best for	What the county says it provides	Practical choice
Free Web Search	Homeowners and occasional users identifying a recorded document.	Indexed information using multiple search methods; the county states that free search does not provide document images.	Use this first when you need a document number, recorded date or confirmation that an instrument appears in the index.
Tapestry Eon	Occasional users who need paid online access without a recurring professional plan.	Pay-as-you-go internet land-record search using a credit card.	Choose this if you need only a small number of document images or searches.
Laredo Anywhere	Title companies, law firms, real-estate professionals and frequent researchers.	Expanded searching by party, document number, dates, document types, parcel, subdivision tract, address and associated documents, with image viewing and printing.	Choose this for repeated professional land-record research rather than a one-time homeowner search.

Official search-options page Open Tapestry

Historical research: McHenry County states that the real-estate document index and document images available through its land-record system run from 1839 through the current effective search date. That makes the Recorder useful not only for recent closings but also for older title, subdivision and genealogy research.

Troubleshooting

What to do when the McHenry County deed search returns no result

Search only the grantor or grantee surname.

Try a former owner rather than the current owner.

Search a trust, corporation or LLC name separately.

Remove punctuation, middle initials and extra address words.

Use the PIN after confirming it with county assessment records.

Widen the recording-date range around the closing date.

Try the document type instead of assuming every transfer is a warranty deed.

Call 815-334-4110 with the property and party details if you still cannot locate the instrument.

A missing free-search result does not automatically mean the document was never recorded. Indexing conventions, party-name variations, recording dates and historical document formats can all affect a search. Verify the county and property first, then broaden the search before drawing a conclusion.

Copies and certification

How to get a copy of a McHenry County deed

According to the Recorder’s official FAQ, deed copies can be requested in person, by mail, email, fax or phone. If you request by phone, email or fax, the office says payment is made by credit card. Mailed requests should include the correct payment and a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Ordinary copy

Useful when you simply need to read or retain the recorded document for personal research or reference.

Certified copy

Request certification when an agency, court, lender, attorney or transaction specifically requires an official certified copy.

Online image

For remote image access, occasional users can consider Tapestry; frequent professional users may prefer Laredo.

Micro-step copy request

Find the instrument first Use the free Recorder search and capture the document number, recorded date and party names.

Decide whether you need certification Do not pay for certification unless the receiving party actually requires a certified copy.

Contact the Recorder Call 815-334-4110 or use the official contact page if you need the current copy price or help identifying the document.
Open official Recorder contact page

Give the document number Providing the exact Recorder document number reduces the chance of receiving the wrong instrument, especially when several people have similar names.

Official office information

McHenry County Recorder office address, hours, phone and email

Walk-in Recorder office

McHenry County Recorder
Administration Building
667 Ware Road, Room 109
Woodstock, IL 60098

Hours Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Phone 815-334-4110 Fax 815-334-0276 Email recorders@mchenrycountyil.gov

Mailing address

McHenry County Recorder
Government Center
2200 N. Seminary Avenue
Woodstock, IL 60098

Do not confuse the mailing address with the walk-in counter. The county lists the walk-in Recorder location at 667 Ware Road, Room 109, while Recorder mail is directed to the Government Center address on Seminary Avenue.

Official County Recorder homepage Verify contact information

Before submitting a document

Recording a deed in McHenry County: practical checklist

Recording a deed is different from merely searching for one. The Recorder accepts the document into the public land-record system, but Recorder employees are not attorneys and cannot select the right deed, determine how title should be held or advise you about the legal consequences of a transfer.

Adding or removing an owner is not a clerical edit. The Recorder’s FAQ states that a new deed is required to change ownership or add or remove a name. Consider an Illinois real-estate attorney or qualified title professional when ownership rights, trusts, estates, divorce, survivorship or creditor issues are involved.

Document preparation points published by the Recorder

Use a legible document on appropriate white paper.

Maintain clean margins of at least one-half inch.

Leave a clear 3-by-5-inch area in the upper-right corner for recording information.

Include required signatures and clearly printed or typed names where applicable.

Include “Prepared By” with the preparer’s name and address.

Include “Mail To” or “Return To” with the return name and address.

Provide the complete McHenry County legal description.

For deeds, include the grantor signature and grantee address.

Check whether a Plat Act Affidavit is required for a metes-and-bounds legal description.

Include the required transfer declaration or a valid exemption notation/documentation.

Illinois transfer declaration: MyDec / PTAX-203

Illinois uses real-estate transfer declarations to report property transfers. The Illinois Department of Revenue operates MyDec at MyTax Illinois for participating counties and explains the PTAX-203 series of forms. The McHenry County Recorder’s recording-forms page also directs users to MyDec.

Open McHenry County’s recording forms page Check the county-provided deed, affidavit and recording forms before preparing your submission.
Official Recorder forms

Determine whether a transfer declaration is required Illinois generally requires a PTAX-203 or applicable declaration with a taxable real-estate transfer unless a statutory exemption applies. Do not guess at an exemption.
Illinois Department of Revenue guidance

Use MyDec where applicable MyDec allows individuals, attorneys and settlement agencies to create, submit and track real-property transfer declarations for participating counties.
Open MyDec at MyTax Illinois

Run a final Recorder compliance check Compare your document with McHenry County’s “Tips for Good Recordings,” especially margins, legal description, return address, signatures, document number references and accompanying forms.
Recorder recording checklist

Confirm the current fee before submission Document type, RHSP status, page count, non-standard formatting and other statutory charges can affect the amount.
Check official Recorder fee schedule

Published Recorder charges

McHenry County Recorder fees: useful examples

Recording and copy fees depend on the service and document. The county’s currently linked Recorder fee schedule lists the examples below. Always recheck the official schedule immediately before mailing or presenting a document because statutory and county fees can change.

Examples from McHenry County’s published Recorder fee schedule
Item	Published fee example	Important note
Standard deed	$83	Published standard-document amount; separate treatment applies when RHSP exempt.
RHSP-exempt deed	$64	Use only when the document legally qualifies for the exemption and required documentation is included.
Regular copy	$1.50 first page; $0.50 each additional page	Applies to standard-size copy requests under the county’s published copy schedule.
Certified copy	$12 up to four pages; $1 each additional page	Use certification only when the receiving party requires it.
Map / subdivision or condominium plat copy	$4 per page	Large-format and plat charges differ from ordinary document copies.

Recording cost is not always just one flat number. Transfer tax, Rental Housing Support Program treatment, non-conforming document charges, page count and document category may change the total. When the correct fee is uncertain, call the Recorder at 815-334-4110 before submitting the document.

Verify current Recorder fees

Recorded encumbrances

How to look for liens, releases and foreclosure-related recordings

If you are trying to determine whether a property has a recorded lien, first identify the correct owner and property. Then search the Recorder index under the owner’s name and review the relevant document types and dates.

Search broadly

A lien may be indexed under an owner, former owner, business, trust or another party. Search name variations and review the recording date rather than relying only on the street address.

Look for related releases

Finding a lien does not by itself prove that the obligation remains outstanding. Search for releases, satisfactions, assignments or other later documents tied to the same parties or instrument.

The Recorder does not guarantee title. McHenry County states that Recorder staff can provide the recorded information available to them but cannot perform a full title search. A professional title search may require tracing deeds, mortgages, liens, releases, judgments, estates and other records beyond a single search result.

Tax-sale questions are different

A recorded lien search should not be confused with checking delinquent real-estate taxes. For property sold because of unpaid taxes, McHenry County directs users to the Treasurer and County Clerk tax functions. Use the Treasurer’s system for tax-bill lookup and the County Clerk for tax-redemption matters.

McHenry County Treasurer County Clerk property-tax information

Ownership changes

Adding or removing a name from a McHenry County deed

The Recorder’s Office cannot simply edit the owner name inside an already recorded deed. Its FAQ explains that a new deed is required to change ownership. The same principle applies when someone wants to add or remove a person from title.

That distinction matters because the deed form and ownership language can affect survivorship, inheritance, marital rights, trusts, creditor exposure and future transfers. The Recorder provides forms as a public convenience, but it does not decide which form is legally appropriate for your circumstances.

A safer sequence: locate the existing recorded deed → confirm the exact legal description and current vesting → determine the intended ownership result → obtain legal or title guidance if needed → prepare the new deed and required transfer declaration → verify the Recorder checklist and fee → record the completed instrument.

Recorder deed forms Recorder ownership FAQ

2026 property protection

McHenry County Property Fraud Alert and deed-fraud referral process

McHenry County offers a free Property Fraud Alert that can notify a subscriber by email, text message or phone when a document is recorded under the subscribed name. The system is name-based, so owners with trusts, businesses or common spelling variations should read the county’s subscription guidance carefully.

McHenry County also announced a formal Deed Fraud Referral and Review process in March 2026. If an owner believes an unfamiliar or fraudulent real-estate document has been recorded, the Recorder can be contacted at 815-334-4110 and suspected cases may be referred to appropriate investigative authorities.

Enroll in the free alert service Use the Recorder’s Property Fraud Alert page to reach the county-supported enrollment service.
Open Property Fraud Alert information

Add relevant name variations If your ownership is under a trust, business or alternate spelling, subscribe under the name formats that could appear in Recorder indexing.

Investigate an unfamiliar alert immediately Use the Recorder index to identify the document number, document type, date and indexed parties instead of ignoring an unexpected notification.

Contact the Recorder about suspected fraud Call 815-334-4110 if a suspicious deed or other document appears in the official record.

A fraud alert does not block a recording and does not replace title insurance, legal advice or periodic review of your property records. Its value is early notification so an owner can investigate an unfamiliar filing quickly.

Do not get routed to the wrong department

Recorder vs. Assessments vs. Treasurer vs. County Clerk

Which McHenry County office controls your property question?
Your question	Correct office	What to do
I need a recorded deed, mortgage, lien or release.	County Recorder	Search the Recorder index.
I need an assessed value, exemption or parcel information.	Office of Assessments	Use official assessment resources.
I need my current tax bill, prior bill or payment status.	County Treasurer	Use the Treasurer’s bill lookup.
My unpaid taxes were sold and I need redemption information.	County Clerk	Review tax-redemption information.
I need to electronically submit documents for recording.	County Recorder / approved eRecording provider	Review official eRecording options.

Frequently asked questions

McHenry County Recorder of Deeds FAQs

Where is the McHenry County Recorder of Deeds office?

The walk-in Recorder office is in the McHenry County Administration Building at 667 Ware Road, Room 109, Woodstock, IL 60098. The county lists a separate Recorder mailing address at 2200 N. Seminary Avenue, Woodstock, IL 60098.

What is the McHenry County Recorder phone number?

Call 815-334-4110 for general Recorder assistance, document-copy questions and recording information. The Recorder’s published email is recorders@mchenrycountyil.gov.

Can I search McHenry County deeds online for free?

Yes. McHenry County provides a free web search for indexed land-record information. The county states that the free option does not provide document images, so an image may require Tapestry, Laredo or a copy request from the Recorder.

What can I search in the McHenry County Recorder index?

The county says the free service supports multiple search methods, including name, PIN and address. Its professional Laredo system includes expanded searching by party name, document number, recording date, document type, parcel, subdivision tract, address and associated documents.

How far back do McHenry County recorded land records go?

McHenry County states that its real-estate document index and document images include records from 1839 through the current effective search date.

How do I get a certified copy of a deed?

First locate the deed and save its Recorder document number. Then call the Recorder at 815-334-4110 or use the office contact information to order the copy. Tell staff that you need a certified copy rather than an ordinary copy.

Can the Recorder change an owner name on an existing deed?

No. The Recorder’s official FAQ explains that a new deed is required to change ownership or add or remove a name. Because deed preparation affects legal rights, the office recommends consulting an attorney or title company when appropriate.

How do I find out whether there is a lien against a McHenry County property?

Identify the correct property owner first, then search the Recorder’s land-record index for recorded liens and related instruments. Also search later releases or satisfactions. For a guaranteed title examination, use a qualified title professional or attorney because Recorder staff do not perform complete title searches.

Where can I see the sale price of a property?

Many deeds include revenue stamps that can help indicate consideration, but the Recorder also notes that the full actual consideration may appear on a PTAX-203 or MyDec transfer declaration associated with the transaction. These transfer-declaration records can be researched through the appropriate Recorder or Illinois MyDec resources.

Does McHenry County have a free deed-fraud alert?

Yes. The Recorder participates in Property Fraud Alert, a free name-based notification service. McHenry County also launched a formal deed-fraud referral process in 2026 for suspected fraudulent real-estate recordings.

Bottom line

The fastest way to use the McHenry County Recorder

For most homeowners and occasional researchers, the simplest path is to start with the McHenry County Recorder’s Free Web Search. Search the grantor or grantee name, PIN or address, identify the correct recorded instrument, and save the document number.

If you then need the actual image, choose Tapestry for occasional paid access, Laredo for frequent professional research, or contact the Recorder for a regular or certified copy. If your real question concerns assessed value, exemptions or current property ownership data, move to the Office of Assessments; if it concerns the tax bill or payment, move to the Treasurer.

Search McHenry County land records McHenry County Recorder Contact the Recorder