Kent County DE Recorder of Deeds: Search & Office

Kent County offers a modern PublicSearch portal for recorded land documents.

The system includes Quick Search, Advanced Search and searches of document indexes or available OCR text.

1. Open the official search portal.

   Start at the county’s public land-record search.

   Open Kent County Land Records
   After opening: confirm the department is Land Records. Choose Quick Search or Advanced Search.
2. Enter a grantor or grantee name.

   Search the seller, buyer, business, trust or other recorded party.

   If an exact spelling fails, try reasonable variations.

3. Select the search scope.

   Use Search Index Only for recorded index fields.

   Use Search Index & Full Text (OCR) to search available document text.

4. Refine by date and document type.

   Narrow results by the approximate transaction date, deed, mortgage or release.

5. Compare the results.

   Check the parties, recording date, document type and legal description.

6. Open or order the matching document.

   Save the recorded document reference before purchasing or requesting copies.

Search by document number

If you have a document number from a deed, title report or closing package, use it to narrow your search.

The portal supports searching by document number as well as names and subdivisions.

What if you only know the property address?

Find the tax parcel number or owner information through Kent County’s assessment and property resources first.

Then search the Recorder’s system using the name or recorded-document reference.

Alternate records search

Kent County also maintains a legacy US Land Records search interface.

Its indexed search allows users to review names, document types and recorded dates.

Kent County Recorder of Deeds

Recorder: Hon. Eugenia Thornton

Deputy Recorder: Darin Dell

Address: 555 Bay Road, Dover, DE 19901

Building: Kent County Levy Court Administrative Complex

Phone: 302-744-2314

Fax: 302-736-2035

Email: Recorder@kentcountyde.gov

General office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM

Recording hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–3:00 PM

Related Kent County services

Destination: Kent County Levy Court Administrative Complex, 555 Bay Road, Dover, Delaware 19901.

The county also has a drop box outside the building for deed-recording materials.

A drop-box submission does not necessarily mean a document has already been recorded. Verify receipt and completed recording if timing matters.

The Recorder accepts legally recordable instruments affecting real property in Kent County.

Recording a deed may require tax forms, a new-owner information form and tax payments in addition to the deed itself.

1. Prepare the correct deed.

   Confirm the grantor, grantee, legal description and intended property transfer.

   Use an attorney for complex ownership, estate, trust or lien matters.

2. Check execution and notarization.

   Make sure signatures, acknowledgment and applicable legal requirements are satisfied.

3. Follow county recording standards.

   Include the complete tax parcel number and the required Prepared By and Return To details.

4. Complete ownership and tax forms.

   Review the New Property Owner Information Form, realty transfer tax affidavit and any applicable first-time homebuyer certification.

5. Determine transfer taxes and exemptions.

   Use the correct state and local tax treatment for the property’s municipality and transaction.

6. Calculate the recording fee.

   Include the document charge, all pages and the $5-per-parcel deed charge.

7. Submit the completed package.

   File during recording hours, use the county drop box or follow its mail or approved eRecording procedures.

8. Keep the recording reference.

   Retain the document number or other recording confirmation for future searches and copies.

Kent County Code §128-44 establishes the standard Recorder fee structure.

For ordinary deeds, the base fee is $36 per document, plus $10 for each page and $5 for each tax parcel number.

Simple deed recording examples

These figures exclude realty transfer tax, applicable special fees and any mailing charges.

Mortgage and release fees

The county lists ordinary mortgage recordings at $36 per document plus $10 per page.

A mortgage satisfaction adds a $10 satisfaction fee. Releases and assignments can incur $7 mortgage-notation charges.

Copy and certification fees

Deeds involving taxable transfers can require both state and local realty transfer tax.

The rate and exemption treatment depend on the property’s municipality, transaction and applicable Delaware law.

Common rate structure

The county’s published tax-rate chart shows many Kent County locations using a 2.5% state rate and 1.5% county or town rate.

That creates a common combined rate of 4%, but some locations allocate taxes differently.

First-time homebuyer relief

Delaware law provides qualifying first-time homebuyer treatment in specified circumstances.

The county’s rate chart describes special state-tax treatment for qualifying buyers, including a benefit capped at $2,000 under the applicable rules.

Use the current county forms and legal guidance before claiming relief.

Documents to review before filing

• Realty Transfer Tax Return and Affidavit of Gain and Value.
• State and applicable local transfer-tax information.
• First Time Home Buyer Certification, if eligible.
• New Property Owner Information Form.
• Estimated state income-tax form where applicable.

State tax assistance: Delaware Division of Revenue Tax Conferee — 302-577-8651.

Kent County maintains specific standards for document content, legibility, formatting and supporting forms.

Review these points before submitting a deed or mortgage.

• Include the complete county tax parcel/map identifier.
• Place the Prepared By statement in the required first-page area.
• Include the Return To name and address.
• Use the required legal description for the real estate.
• Provide proper signatures and acknowledgment.
• Make text legible and follow county formatting standards.
• Include required transfer-tax and owner-information forms.
• Provide correct recording fees and tax payments.
• Include a prepaid envelope if originals should be returned by mail.

Why the first-page information matters

The county’s Standards for Recording require Prepared By and Return To information in designated areas of the first page.

For documents directly affecting real property, the complete tax parcel number must also appear in the required location.

Delaware introduced a Transfer on Death Deed (TODD) law effective December 4, 2025.

A qualifying TODD allows a real-property owner to designate beneficiaries who receive the property after the owner’s death.

The owner retains control during life and may revoke or replace the TODD according to the law.

Kent County TODD recording fees

Kent County Levy Court approved the special TODD recording fee in October 2025.

This fee differs from the ordinary deed page-based calculation.

Key requirements

• The TODD must be recorded before the owner’s death.
• All owners must participate when required by the ownership arrangement.
• The deed needs the required witnesses and notarization.
• At least one witness must not be a beneficiary.
• The document must identify the property and beneficiaries properly.
• Revocation or replacement must follow the statutory process.

You can research recorded instruments through the county’s online search or its public access records library.

For legal or lender use, request a certified copy if the receiving organization requires certification.

1. Find the deed.

   Search the relevant owner, seller, buyer or recording reference.

2. Confirm the correct property.

   Check the names, legal description and recorded date.

3. Choose the copy type.

   Determine whether an ordinary image or a certified record is needed.

4. Pay the applicable charge.

   Check the county fee schedule or online cart before payment.

5. Retain the document number.

   Save the recorded reference for future property or title research.

The Recorder accepts eligible documents through its electronic-recording program.

An approved Electronic Filing Agreement, also called an MOU, is required before submitting documents through a participating technology partner.

How electronic filing works

1. Review the electronic filing agreement.

   Use the MOU published on the county’s Recording Forms page.

2. Select an approved technology partner.

   The agreement identifies participating third-party vendors.

3. Submit documents through the provider.

   Follow the provider’s image, format and payment requirements.

4. Check the final recording confirmation.

   An electronic receipt showing submission is not necessarily proof that the document was recorded.

Kent County offers a free property-fraud notification service for recorded documents associated with selected names.

The service can alert property owners to unexpected deeds, liens or other recordings.

1. Review existing recordings.

   Search your name first to identify the way it appears in recorded documents.

2. Open the county Property Fraud page.

   Read the county’s guidance on how the alert system operates.

   Open Property Fraud Information
3. Register the relevant names.

   Use your name and any appropriate business or trust names.

4. Review alerts carefully.

   An unfamiliar recording should be checked against the official record.

Plat recording costs

The county lists a $36 document fee plus $35 per page for a 24-by-36-inch plat.

Larger plats incur a $60-per-page charge plus the document fee.

UCC filing charges

The current fee schedule lists a $25 financing-statement fee plus the $36 document charge for applicable UCC financing statements.

Different amendment and partial-release charges apply.

• Only have the address? Identify the parcel or owner through assessment resources before searching deeds.
• Too many name matches? Narrow the recording dates and check legal descriptions.
• Document not found? Try alternative name spellings and the county’s alternate record-search system.
• Recording after 3 PM? The office’s published recording hours end at 3 PM.
• Incorrect fee? Count all pages, parcel numbers, notations and applicable taxes.
• Missing transfer paperwork? Check the ownership-information and realty transfer-tax forms.
• Nonconforming document? Review first-page information and county recording standards.
• Electronic submission rejected? Review the vendor error, payment and required attachments.
• Preparing a TODD? Use the county’s specific transfer-on-death forms and statutory requirements.
• Concerned about property fraud? Use the free alert service and review suspicious documents.

Independent Information, Legal Disclaimer and FCRA Notice

This article is an independent informational guide. It is not the official website of Kent County, the Recorder of Deeds or the State of Delaware.

Recorded documents are public records, but recording alone does not guarantee clear title or establish the legal validity of a transaction.

For deed preparation, estate planning, transfer-on-death deeds, title disputes, liens and realty transfer-tax exemptions, consult a qualified Delaware professional.

Recording fees, forms, deadlines, laws and office procedures can change. Verify requirements directly with the county before submitting original documents or payments.

Do not use public land records for employment screening, tenant screening, credit eligibility, insurance underwriting or other purposes governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

This independent website is not a Consumer Reporting Agency.