Shelby County, Tennessee • deeds and recorded-property documents • reviewed September 2026
Shelby County Recorder of Deeds: Search Deeds, Find the Office, Check Fees & Record Documents
If you searched for the Shelby County Recorder of Deeds, the Tennessee office you need is officially called the Shelby County Register of Deeds.
The Register records deeds, deeds of trust, mortgages, releases, liens, easements, powers of attorney, plats and other documents affecting real estate in Shelby County.
Use the Register when you need the recorded document itself. Use the Shelby County Assessor when you mainly need a parcel number, current owner, appraisal value or address-based property record.
Start here
Shelby County Recorder of Deeds Quick Facts
Tennessee uses the title “Register of Deeds.”
The current Register was elected in August 2022.
Building W3, Suite W165, Memphis, TN 38134.
Use for recording, copy, fee and office questions.
Most documents; taxes and other charges may also apply.
Verify the current total before requesting certification.
The Register provides several ways to locate recorded documents.
The Register says deeds are generally recorded and returned quickly after receipt.
Register records are open to the public, but the Register states that its staff cannot perform a title search or determine whether a property has every possible lien.
Local office guide
Shelby County Register of Deeds Offices, Addresses and Hours
Mullins Station
1075 Mullins Station Road
Building W3, Suite W165
Memphis, TN 38134
Phone: 901-222-8100
Fax: 901-222-8134
Email: register@shelbycountytn.gov
157 Poplar Avenue
Room 124
Memphis, TN 38103
Phone: 901-222-8100
Useful for people who need a downtown Shelby County location.
Whitehaven
1254 East Shelby Drive
Suite 1267
Memphis, TN 38116
Phone: 901-222-8100
Verify services and holiday schedules before traveling.
Shelby County Archives
980A Nixon Drive
Memphis, TN 38134
Phone: 901-222-8175
Use Archives for permanent historical county records and archival research.
Office-hours note
The Register’s current fee and FAQ pages list regular service hours as Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:15 PM.
Shelby County’s general department directory has also displayed 8:00 AM–4:30 PM. If you plan to arrive after 4:15 PM, call 901-222-8100 first.
Check the top of the homepage for temporary closures, early-closing notices or holiday changes. Then use Property Search, GIS, Fee Calculator or Fraud Alert for your task.
Visit planning
Google Map to the Shelby County Register of Deeds
The main Register office is at 1075 Mullins Station Road, Building W3, Suite W165 in Memphis.
Before making a special trip, confirm office hours and whether your document can instead be searched, copied or filed electronically.
Bring the document or recording reference you already have. If you are researching a parcel, save the parcel ID and current owner name before visiting.
Avoid the wrong office
Register of Deeds vs. Assessor: Which Office Do You Need?
Register of Deeds
- Deeds and quitclaim deeds
- Mortgages and deeds of trust
- Releases and assignments
- Liens and easements
- Plats and recorded instruments
- Certified recorded-document copies
Assessor of Property
- Current owner in assessment records
- Property address
- Parcel ID
- Appraised value
- Assessment details
- Property GIS information
Phone: 901-222-7001
Only know the street address? Start with the Assessor or Register GIS. Already know the owner, instrument number or prior deed reference? Start with the Register search.
Recorded-document search
How to Search Shelby County Deeds and Recorded Records Online
Shelby County’s Register search is more flexible than a simple owner-name database.
Depending on the record, you can search by instrument number, book and page, file number, subdivision, parcel ID, address or party name.
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Open the official Register property search.
Start with the county Register system rather than a commercial deed-copy website.
Open Shelby County Register SearchAfter opening:Choose the search field that matches the information you already have. Instrument number is best for an exact document; name, parcel or address can help when the document number is unknown.
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Use instrument number for an exact document.
If a closing file, old deed or mortgage already shows the instrument number, enter it directly.
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Use Book & Page for older references.
Enter both numbers when an older deed or legal document gives a traditional book-and-page reference.
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Search by owner or party name.
The All Names search provides separate last-name and first-name fields and optional date filtering.
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Search by parcel ID.
The portal instructs users not to enter dashes or spaces in the parcel ID field.
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Search by property address.
The portal recommends leaving off the street direction and street type when simplifying an address search.
If the address search returns no result
Remove directional terms such as N, S, E or W.
Remove street types such as ST, RD, AVE or BLVD.
Try the owner surname instead.
Use the parcel ID without dashes or spaces.
Try a date range around the purchase, refinance or release.
Use the GIS search if you need to identify the parcel first.
Search by street address, owner name, parcel ID or tax map. Select the correct parcel, then review the aerial view, assessment information, sales data, deed references and available tax links.
Understand the record
What to Check After You Find a Shelby County Deed
The best identifier for returning to one specific recorded document.
The date the document entered the public record, not necessarily the date it was signed.
The party conveying or granting an interest in the recorded instrument.
The party receiving the interest in a deed or similar transfer document.
An older recording reference that can help retrieve historical documents.
Connects the recorded document with the assessment and GIS record when available.
Describes the real estate legally and should not be replaced by only a street address.
Use the image to verify names, signatures, legal description and recording stamps.
A title search can require reviewing deeds, mortgages, releases, liens, court matters and other records. The Register states that its office does not perform title searches.
Recording workflow
How to Record a Deed in Shelby County, Tennessee
The Register records documents that meet Tennessee recording requirements, but its staff cannot prepare or revise a deed for you.
An improperly prepared deed can affect property rights, so legal-document questions should go to an attorney or qualified real-estate professional.
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Prepare the original document.
The Register generally requires the original or a certified copy unless Tennessee law allows another format.
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Confirm the parties.
Title-transfer documents generally identify the grantor and grantee.
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Add the property information.
Depending on document type, this can include the property address, parcel number and legal description.
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Include the derivation clause when required.
This connects the new deed with the prior recorded title reference.
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Identify the document preparer.
Most non-UCC documents must contain the preparer’s name and address.
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Complete signatures and acknowledgment.
Check the applicable notarization and acknowledgment requirements before submission.
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Calculate recording tax and fees.
Transfer tax can apply in addition to recording, data-processing and Register fees.
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Submit the document.
Use an eligible e-filing account or the filing method accepted by the Register.
Find your exact document type—such as title transfer, mortgage, assignment, lien, release or plat. Review both the recording requirements and fee components before submitting.
Current fee guide
Shelby County Register of Deeds Recording Fees
Recording cost depends on the document type, page count, taxes and extra instrument references.
Do not calculate a deed filing from only the base recording charge when transfer tax applies.
Up to two pages, including the standard data-processing component reflected in the general fee schedule.
Applies to most documents after the initial page allowance.
Generally based on value or consideration as Tennessee law requires.
Applied to taxable indebtedness above the first $2,000.
The current Register fee schedule lists this general plat-map fee.
Use certification when an agency, lender or legal process requires it.
Transfer-tax illustration
If a taxable transfer is valued at $100,000, the state realty transfer tax portion would be $370 using the published $0.37-per-$100 rate.
Recording, data-processing and other applicable charges are separate.
Match your document to the correct category, count the pages, then add applicable transfer tax, mortgage tax, additional instrument numbers or other charges before paying.
Select the instrument type, indicate whether it is e-filed, enter the number of pages and review the calculated recording, e-file, Register and data-processing fees.
Document copies
How to Get a Shelby County Deed Copy or Certified Copy
The Register says recorded deeds are scanned and preserved as permanent records.
Many recorded documents can be viewed and copied from the website without paying a private deed-copy company.
Need a research copy?
Search the online Register system first and open the document image when available.
Save the instrument number before leaving the search results.
Need a certified copy?
Contact the Register with the instrument number, party name and document information.
The published certified-copy charge is $1 per page.
Expand the deed-copy question for the current copy procedure. If you need certification, call the Register before ordering so you request the correct document.
Electronic filing
Who Can e-File with the Shelby County Register?
Shelby County accepts electronic recording, but Tennessee changed who may submit electronic records effective July 1, 2025.
The Register says e-filing is limited to qualifying professional, financial, title and government submitters listed by Tennessee law.
Licensed attorneys may qualify to submit electronically.
Banks and qualifying financial institutions may qualify.
Licensed title companies and title agents may qualify.
Specified government bodies and agencies may qualify.
Other filers: if you do not fit a permitted category, the Register states that you cannot e-file.
Each electronic filing also requires the certification required by Tennessee law.
Open Shelby County e-filing instructionsFirst check whether your filer category is eligible. If eligible, download the electronic certification or ACH/account material and follow the Register’s account setup instructions.
Property monitoring
Shelby County Property Fraud Alert
The Register offers a Property Fraud Alert program that can notify property owners when a document involving a registered name is recorded.
An alert does not stop a fraudulent filing or replace title insurance, legal advice or regular record review.
Its practical value is early notice so you can investigate a recording you do not recognize.
Open Property Fraud AlertChoose the sign-up option and register the name variations you want monitored. Use variations that could appear on recorded documents, then keep your alert contact information current.
Older records
Shelby County Archives and Historical Records
The Register of Deeds and Archives operation also maintains historical Shelby County records beyond ordinary modern deeds.
Archive collections include historical court material, marriage records, death records, maps, aerials and other permanent county records.
The Archives office is at 980A Nixon Drive, Memphis, TN 38134. The published phone number is 901-222-8175.
Open Register services and Archives linksChoose Archives for historical county collections. Use Property Search when your main goal is a modern deed, mortgage, lien or release.
Avoid delays
Common Shelby County Deed and Record Search Mistakes
Searching the Recorder for an appraisal value: start with the Assessor when value is your real question.
Entering parcel dashes: the Register search instructs users to omit dashes and spaces in parcel searches.
Overtyping an address: simplify the address by removing street direction and street type when the portal does not return a match.
Assuming the Register performs title searches: public access to deeds is not the same as a professional title examination.
Using the base recording fee as the whole cost: state transfer or mortgage taxes may substantially change the amount due.
Preparing a deed from a random template: Register staff cannot provide legal advice or revise a deed for you.
Ignoring a prior instrument number: assignments and releases often need the document number being assigned or released.
Decision path
What Should You Do Next?
Start with the Register GIS or Assessor property search to identify the parcel and owner.
Search the Register by owner, parcel, address or instrument number and confirm the recording date.
Locate the instrument first, then contact the Register for the certified copy.
A complete lien/title determination may require a title company or attorney rather than only a Register search.
Use a qualified real-estate attorney or professional. The Register cannot draft or revise the document.
Use the Assessor for assessment data and the appropriate tax office for tax-payment questions.
Important caution
Independent Information, Legal Caution and FCRA Notice
This page is independent informational content. It is not the official Shelby County Register of Deeds website and is not affiliated with Shelby County Government.
This page does not provide legal advice, title advice, a title examination, a deed-preparation service or a guarantee that a document is legally sufficient.
Recording fees, Tennessee taxes, filing requirements, electronic-recording eligibility, office hours and portal features can change. Verify current details with the Register before recording or paying.
Public property records should be used for property, title-reference, recording and public-record research only.
Do not use these records for employment screening, tenant screening, credit eligibility, insurance underwriting or another purpose regulated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act. This website is not a Consumer Reporting Agency.
Fast answers
Shelby County Recorder of Deeds FAQs
What is the Shelby County Recorder of Deeds called in Tennessee?
The official office is the Shelby County Register of Deeds. It records deeds and other legal documents affecting real estate in Shelby County, Tennessee.
Who is the Shelby County Register of Deeds?
Shelby County identifies Willie F. Brooks, Jr. as the current Register of Deeds.
Where is the Shelby County Register of Deeds office?
The main office is at 1075 Mullins Station Road, Building W3, Suite W165, Memphis, Tennessee 38134.
How do I search Shelby County deeds online?
Use the official Register property search at search.register.shelby.tn.us. Searches include instrument number, book/page, file number, subdivision, parcel ID, address and names.
How should I search by Shelby County parcel number?
The Register search instructs users to enter the parcel ID without dashes or spaces.
What if a Shelby County address search does not work?
The Register search recommends simplifying the address by leaving off street direction and street type. You can also try owner name, parcel ID or GIS search.
How much does it cost to record a deed in Shelby County?
The general Register fee schedule lists $12 for most documents up to two pages and $5 for each additional page. Transfer tax and other charges can also apply.
Can the Shelby County Register prepare my deed?
No. The Register states that its staff cannot prepare, revise or give legal advice about deeds. Use an attorney or qualified real-estate professional when document preparation is uncertain.
How do I get a certified Shelby County deed copy?
Find the document in the Register search first, save the instrument number and contact the Register for certification. The published certified-copy fee is $1 per page.
Can anyone e-file documents with the Shelby County Register?
No. Effective July 1, 2025, Tennessee law limits electronic submission to qualifying categories such as licensed attorneys, certain financial institutions, title professionals and specified government entities.
Official resources