Cuyahoga County OH Recorder of Deeds: Search & Office

What should you bring?

Cuyahoga County’s Official Records Search is the direct public lookup for deeds, mortgages, releases and other recorded instruments.

The system supports names, document numbers, subdivision terms, parcel numbers, date ranges and full-text searching.

1. Open Official Records Search.

   Use the county’s designated public search portal.

2. Enter the search term.

   Search a grantor, grantee, subdivision, document type or document number.

3. For parcel searches, include the dashes.

   Use the portal’s parcel format, such as 999-99-999.

4. Select a date range.

   Filter by recorded date when looking for a transaction from a particular period.

5. Choose search scope.

   Select Search Index Only or Search Index & Full Text (OCR).

6. Review the matching documents.

   Compare parties, recording dates, document types and available images.

Index search versus full-text search

How far back do records go?

Cuyahoga County states that its recorded-document collection covers 1810 to the present.

Image quality and available indexing fields may vary for older documents. If an old document is difficult to locate online, contact the Recorded Documents department or County Archives.

If you only know a street address in Cleveland, Lakewood, Parma, Euclid, Strongsville, Shaker Heights or elsewhere in Cuyahoga County, begin with MyPlace.

MyPlace is the county’s free property-information system. It helps locate the owner, parcel number, transfer history, values and legal recording references.

1. Open MyPlace.

   Use the official county parcel search.

2. Choose Address, Owner or Parcel.

   Enter the information you know about the property.

3. Select the correct parcel.

   Click its parcel ID to load the property information.

4. Open Transfers.

   Review ownership-transfer dates and related property history.

5. Open Legal Recordings.

   Select Get a Document List to find available recording references.

6. Open the full record search if needed.

   Use the recording reference in Official Records Search to inspect the underlying document.

Which system should you use?

A deed transfer in Cuyahoga County can require legal-description review, conveyance processing and final recording.

The Fiscal Officer’s Transfer and Recording Division coordinates functions historically handled by the Auditor, Engineer and Recorder.

Step 1: Prepare the deed correctly

The county’s conveyance standards require complete grantor and grantee names, a legal description, the Fiscal Officer’s parcel number and the property address when available.

The document must meet Ohio execution, acknowledgment and recording requirements.

Step 2: Check legal-description approval

Cuyahoga County offers an online Legal Description Approval request form.

This is particularly useful when a deed contains a metes-and-bounds description, survey changes, a parcel split or a complicated property description.

Step 3: Complete the proper Ohio DTE form

Cuyahoga County requires one of two forms to accompany every transfer:

Step 4: Submit for recording

Once the applicable transfer and document requirements are met, submit the instrument for recording. The county’s posted recording hours end at 4 PM on weekdays.

Cuyahoga County publishes adopted standards governing real-property conveyances, legal descriptions, surveys and plat approval.

The published standards were revised March 8, 2023 and became effective March 18, 2023. Later Ohio law changes may still affect current submissions.

Items the county reviews

Plat and subdivision approval

The county also provides an online Plat Approval Submission form for surveys and subdivision plats that need review before recording.

Effective October 24, 2024, Cuyahoga County increased its standard recording fee to $39 for the first two pages and $8 per additional page.

The county’s main Transfer and Recording page identifies the current higher rate. Some older lines on its detailed fee page still display the former $34 amount, so use the newer announcement for standard documents.

Simple recording example

A five-page standard deed would have three pages beyond the first two.

This example does not include conveyance charges, special filing fees, nonconforming-document charges or other transaction-specific costs.

When ownership changes, recording fees and real-property conveyance fees are separate parts of the transaction.

The Fiscal Officer’s Real Estate Services Department reviews the transfer and the appropriate DTE form. The Recorded Documents function then preserves the accepted instrument.

When might a transfer be exempt?

Ohio law provides exemptions for certain qualifying transfers. Examples can involve particular family, estate or other statutorily exempt circumstances.

The correct legal reason must be documented using the appropriate transfer paperwork. A deed being labeled a gift or quitclaim does not automatically establish an exemption.

Many recorded documents can be viewed through the public records portal. If an organization needs official certification, request a certified copy from the Recorded Documents department.

The county’s published copy rate is $2 per page for recorded instruments. Confirm the additional certification charge directly because its online fee schedule includes differing certification entries.

1. Find the deed in Official Records Search.

   Search by name, parcel number or document reference.

2. Save the document number.

   Keep the recording reference, parties and date.

3. Contact Recorded Documents.

   Call 216-443-7420 or use the county’s public records request resources.

4. Ask for the required copy type.

   Specify an ordinary copy or officially certified copy.

5. Confirm costs and delivery.

   Check the total page and certification charges and ask whether the copy can be picked up or mailed.

The Fiscal Officer’s website provides a Property Alert link intended to help people monitor potentially fraudulent claims or recorded transactions involving real property.

Registration and notification settings are managed through the county’s linked alert service.

How to use property alerts

1. Open the county Property Alerts link.

   Use the official county page as the starting point.

2. Review enrollment options.

   Check which property identifiers or names the service can monitor.

3. Register the requested information.

   Complete the provider’s verification or activation steps.

4. Investigate unfamiliar notifications.

   Look up the recorded instrument and compare the parties and legal description.

The Recorded Documents department maintains more than deeds. Some searches involve mortgage releases, government liens, plats or historical records.

These official county resources support the procedures, office contacts and fees described above.