Hancock County Recorder: Deeds & Records

Not every property question belongs with the Recorder. The Auditor handles parcel ownership and conveyances, while the Treasurer handles property-tax payments.

Choose the service that matches your task.

Hancock County provides an online public-records portal through CountyFusion.

The Recorder’s official website identifies January 1, 1985, as the beginning of its current online indexed-document and image coverage.

How to enter a person’s name correctly

Hancock County gives a specific instruction: enter the last name first, followed by the first name.

This matters because entering names in the wrong order can produce no results even when the document exists.

Search by grantor or grantee

A grantor is the person or organization transferring a property interest. A grantee receives that interest.

For a home purchase, try the buyer’s name and the seller’s name.

For a business-owned property, try the LLC, corporation or trust name shown on the recorded instrument.

Search when you know the recording reference

If you have a document number, book-and-page citation or approximate recording date, use the corresponding available search controls.

Verify the legal description and the parties before treating a result as the correct property document.

The Recorder and Auditor offices are both in the courthouse at 300 South Main Street. Confirm courthouse entry and parking arrangements before traveling.

The Recorder maintains records of legal instruments affecting land ownership, property financing and other real-estate interests.

Recorder records may be used to research a chain of title, but a single deed does not establish that a property is free of liens, judgments or other claims.

The Recorder accepts documents in person, by mail and through approved eRecording services.

Deeds transferring ownership also require the County Auditor’s conveyance process before recording.

1. Prepare the deed

   Check the grantor, grantee, complete legal description, signatures and notarization.

   The Recorder does not provide blank deed forms or prepare legal documents. Contact an Ohio attorney or title company if needed.

2. Check document formatting

   Ohio has recording standards for paper size, margins, font size and ink.

   Incorrect formatting may lead to an additional nonconforming-document fee.

3. Complete Auditor conveyance requirements

   The Hancock County Auditor must review real-estate transfer documents before recording.

   Submit a notarized deed with DTE 100 or DTE 100EX, as appropriate. Certain transfers require additional paperwork.

4. Calculate all charges

   Check the Recorder’s page-based recording fees and any applicable reference charges.

   Auditor conveyance and transfer fees are separate from Recorder fees.

5. Submit the documents

   Bring or mail the document with the correct fee and supporting paperwork.

   For mailed documents, include separate checks where applicable, recording instructions and a self-addressed stamped return envelope.

6. Keep your recorded reference

   Once recorded, save the document number and a copy of the instrument.

   Review the Auditor’s property record later if the transaction changes ownership.

Hancock County increased its standard recording fee effective January 1, 2025, following Ohio Senate Bill 94.

The county’s published schedule lists $39 for the first two pages and $8 for each additional page for most ordinary recordings.

Example: Recording a Four-Page Deed

This example assumes an ordinary four-page deed without extra reference or nonconforming charges.

Auditor conveyance fees are additional when applicable.

Ohio document formatting rules

Ohio Revised Code Section 317.114 establishes standards for many recorded documents.

The county also notes that documents notarized in Ohio require a “Prepared By” statement when applicable.

A deed transferring real estate generally must pass through the Hancock County Auditor before it is recorded.

The Auditor’s official property-transfer page lists a conveyance fee of $3 per $1,000 of taxable value conveyed and a transfer fee of $0.50 per parcel.

Some transfers are exempt from the conveyance fee. Additional documentation may be required for homestead or agricultural valuation situations.

Common Auditor transfer forms

If you know the property address but not the owner’s name, start with the Auditor’s property-search system.

The Auditor maintains property ownership, parcel identification, valuation and related tax records.

Hancock County Auditor contact information

Auditor: Charity Rauschenberg

Address: 300 S. Main Street, Rooms 21 and 22, Findlay, OH 45840

Phone: 419-424-7015

Email: auditor@co.hancock.oh.us

Office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–4:30 PM

Deed-processing cutoff: 4:00 PM

Hancock County provides three common ways to obtain a recorded document: online search, telephone request or an in-person visit.

The Recorder says staff can help locate a deed or mortgage when you provide the owner’s name and property address.

A recorded mortgage may remain visible after a loan has been paid until the appropriate satisfaction or release is recorded.

Search for the original mortgage first. Then look for a later release, assignment or related document.

If a release is missing, contact the lender or settlement professional before concluding that the debt remains unpaid.

Yes. Hancock County states that it accepts electronic recording through approved eRecording service providers.

Its current FAQ says electronic filing can include deeds and other documents requiring Auditor conveyance review.

Verify the available routing for your document before submitting. Electronic submission does not remove the underlying conveyance requirements.

eRecording providers listed by the county

Historical land research often involves searching several owners and deed references over a long period.

The Recorder’s current online records coverage begins on January 1, 1985.

For earlier instruments, the county recommends researching at the Recorder’s Office.

Tips for tracing an older deed

Start with the latest known owner. Find the deed that transferred the property to that owner.

Follow the earlier grantor’s name and recording reference backward to reconstruct the ownership history.

If the property was divided, combined or renamed, parcel maps and legal descriptions may be more useful than the present-day street address.

A property issue can involve more than one office.

For example, the Recorder may have the new deed while an ownership update is still being processed in the Auditor’s property records.

These government sources provide office details, search access, fee schedules and transfer requirements.