Costilla County Recorder

The Recording Division of the Clerk and Recorder's Office is responsible for recording and maintaining real property documents in the county. Warranty deeds, easements, and other instruments pertaining to real property located in Costilla are recorded in this office.

Colorado implemented a significant change to recording fees effective July 1, 2025. Beginning July 1, Colorado will implement a uniform flat recording fee of $40 per document, plus a combined $3 surcharge that includes $2 for the Electronic Recording Technology Board and $1 for the Clerk & Recorder technology fee. This brings the total to $43 per recorded document, regardless of page count.

Documentary fee: $.05 per $500 dollars of applicable sales consideration
The consideration amount must be correctly marked on both the deed and transfer declaration.
Treasurer's deeds, public trustee's deeds, sheriff's deeds, and a PT certificate of purchase are exempt from documentary fees.

All fees will be collected at the time of recording. Documents received with insufficient fees will be returned. Personal checks should be made payable to the Costilla County Clerk and Recorder. A return envelope is not required, but it is appreciated.

* The quality of the document and the text within it should be legible. Poor quality documents produce poor quality public records. Black ink on 8.5 x 11 inch white paper should be used. Font size should be at least 10 point.

* All documents are required to have a top and bottom margin of at least 1 inch. Left and right margins should be at least .5 of an inch. The Recorder may refuse to file any documents that do not meet these standards.

* All deeds must include the grantee's mailing address. This address is used to determine where tax statements should be mailed after the property is transferred. Submitters should verify the accuracy and completeness of this address before recording a deed.

* Documents should be sent in the order in which they are to be recorded. Include specific instructions as to what is being recorded and the number of pages in each document. Staples or paperclips can be used to indicate which pages constitute one document.

* On the front or back page of any document submitted, a complete return address should be listed.

* Both the grantor and grantee need to be named in the document. The grantor must sign the deed and must have his/her signature acknowledged.

* Provide an accurate and complete legal description of the real property being conveyed. If an instrument contains a newly created legal description, provide the name and address of the person who created the legal description.

* Immediately before or after the legal description, provide the street address or other comparable identifying numbers, if such address or numbers are displayed on the property. As an aid to identification, the document preparer can provide the assessor's parcel or schedule number pertaining to the property.

* All instruments wherein the parcels of property affected are not separately enumerated or listed but are described as being from one numbered, lettered, or designated parcel to another shall be construed as including the first and last designated parcels and also the intervening parcels, unless a contrary intention is expressly and clearly set forth in the instrument.

The consideration amount must be clearly marked on the deed and the transfer declaration. Some documents may be exempt from this fee.