Darke County Recorder: Deeds & Records

Official agency

Darke County Recorder, Ohio

County Recorder

Hillary Holzapfel

Physical address

504 South Broadway, Courthouse, Greenville, OH 45331

Telephone

937-547-7390

Email

hillaryh@co.darke.oh.us

Office hours

Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:00 PM

Online land records

Official Fidlar AVA search portal

Confirmed historical coverage

May 1996 onward; older indexing may also be available

Darke County links directly to the Fidlar AVA public land-record search from its official county website.

The county describes online records beginning in May 1996 and previously announced work to extend searchable historical records back to January 1980.

Because the older-record expansion status is not clearly confirmed on the county page, check the live search system before assuming every 1980s deed is available.

1. Open Darke County’s official Recorder search.

   Use the county-linked Fidlar AVA records website.

   Open Darke County Land Records Search

   After opening: select the available public search option. If prompted, review the system terms before searching.

2. Search by a person’s or business’s name.

   Start with the grantor or grantee shown on the recorded document.

   The grantor generally transfers an interest in property. The grantee generally receives it.

3. Use other search details when available.

   If you know a recording date, document type, document number or book/page reference, use the corresponding search fields supported by the portal.

4. Compare matching entries.

   Review the document type, recording date, party names and recording information.

5. Open the recorded document.

   Review the available document image to verify that the instrument relates to the correct property and transaction.

6. Save the document reference.

   Record the identifying number or book/page information for future research or copy requests.

What if you only know the property address?

The Recorder primarily handles recorded instruments, while the Darke County Auditor maintains the property assessment database.

Start with the Auditor to identify the owner and parcel. Then use the relevant owner names in the Recorder’s search.

After opening: use the search field for parcel, owner or address. Open the matching parcel and note its owner, parcel number and property description.

Why a deed may not appear

Under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 317, county recorders preserve and index documents affecting real estate and other legally recordable interests.

Does the Recorder confirm legal ownership?

The Recorder maintains the public recording history but does not guarantee that a deed conveys clear title.

A property can have earlier mortgages, easements, liens or ownership issues not resolved by reviewing a single document.

For a purchase or complex transfer, consider a professional title examination.

Recording a deed and transferring it through the Auditor are related but distinct steps.

Depending on the document, an Ohio deed transfer can require legal-description review, conveyance forms, Auditor endorsement and recording with the Recorder.

1. Prepare the correct deed.

   Verify the grantor and grantee names, property legal description, required signatures and acknowledgment.

   Use a qualified attorney or title professional if you are unsure which deed type fits the transaction.

2. Check the parcel information.

   Confirm the parcel number and legal description using the Auditor or appropriate county mapping office.

3. Review conveyance requirements.

   Ownership transfers generally require processing through the County Auditor before the deed is recorded.

4. Complete the required Ohio forms.

   A conveyance may require DTE 100 or DTE 100EX, depending on whether the transaction is taxable or exempt.

5. Confirm signatures and formatting.

   Follow Ohio’s standardized document recording requirements, including the first-page recording margin.

6. Verify the recording fee.

   Ohio’s general fee framework charges $34 for the first two pages, plus $8 for each additional page. A county may add an authorized document preservation surcharge of up to $5.

7. Submit the document.

   Bring the properly prepared original to the Darke County Recorder with the required approvals and payment.

8. Keep the recording reference.

   Retain the document number or book/page details and check that the recording appears in the public index.

Ohio document formatting checklist

After opening: review Ohio Revised Code sections 317.32 and 317.114 for recording fees and standardized document requirements.

Ohio Senate Bill 94 changed the statewide county Recorder fee framework and authorized an additional document preservation surcharge.

The statutory recording amounts are confirmed below. Darke County’s exact application of the optional surcharge should be verified directly with the Recorder before sending payment.

Example: Four-page deed

This illustration excludes special document charges, references, nonstandard-document fees and Auditor conveyance charges.

Darke County has not published a clearly accessible 2026 Recorder fee schedule on the county office listing used for this guide. Call 937-547-7390 for the amount required for your exact document.

Auditor conveyance costs

Deed transfers may also incur an Ohio conveyance fee and parcel-transfer fee through the Auditor.

Those charges are separate from the Recorder’s document recording fee. Taxable and exempt transfers have different requirements.

Darke County’s Auditor property website includes a Conveyance Fee Calculator, which is useful for estimating a taxable transfer.

After opening: look for Calculators, then select Conveyance Fee Calculator. Verify any exemption and the final amount with the Auditor.

Recorded deed copies can be researched through the Recorder’s online system or requested directly from the Recorder’s Office.

If a court, financial institution or title company specifically requires certification, ask for a certified copy rather than an ordinary printed image.

1. Find the recorded document.

   Search the Recorder’s Fidlar AVA system using party names or known recording information.

2. Write down the reference.

   Record the instrument number, book/page or other identifying details.

3. Choose regular or certified copy.

   Decide whether a standard printed copy is sufficient for your purpose.

4. Contact the office if necessary.

   Call 937-547-7390 or email hillaryh@co.darke.oh.us to confirm availability, copy fees and delivery options.

5. Complete payment and receive the record.

   Follow the Recorder’s instructions for in-person or remote requests.

What information should you give the Recorder?

Ohio law provides a framework for copy and certification charges, but the current Darke County counter-copy price was not separately verified here.

Confirm the total directly with the office before mailing payment.

Darke County Recorder offers a free Property Fraud Alert service to help owners monitor new recordings associated with their names.

When a matching instrument is recorded, the system can notify registered users.

1. Open the official alert service.

   Use the Property Fraud Alert website linked by the county.

   Register for Free Property Fraud Alerts
2. Select Darke County, Ohio.

   Choose the correct jurisdiction when prompted.

3. Enter the name to monitor.

   Use the name shown on your recorded property documents.

4. Complete registration.

   Follow the current email or telephone notification instructions.

5. Review any unexpected notification.

   Check the recorded instrument and contact the Recorder if the document appears unfamiliar.

Darke County Recorder also helps veterans preserve DD214 military discharge documents.

The office has offered outreach services at the Great Darke County Fair to assist veterans with discharge record preservation and veteran identification procedures.

Military discharge records have special access protections. They should not be treated like unrestricted online property records.

Veterans can contact the office to confirm how to record a DD214, what identification to bring and how authorized copies can be requested.

The Darke County Recorder serves property located throughout the county, not only within Greenville.

That includes property in Versailles, Arcanum, Ansonia, Union City, Gettysburg, New Madison, Pitsburg and other Darke County communities.

Check county boundaries

A postal town or mailing address does not always establish the property’s recording jurisdiction.

Confirm the property’s actual county in the Auditor or parcel system before searching its deed.

Researching farmland or multiple parcels?

Rural deeds may refer to section, township and range descriptions, older surveys, multiple parcels or land splits.

For complicated descriptions, confirm the legal information through the appropriate Auditor, Engineer or title professional.

Looking for a mortgage discharge?

A paid-off loan does not necessarily mean the Recorder’s index already shows a discharge.

Search the recorded mortgage and any subsequent release. If no release appears, contact the lender or servicer about its recording status.