Kenton County Recorder Information

Land records in Kenton County are recorded by the County Clerk. The office is held by Gabrielle Summe.

Real estate documents (deeds, wills, mortgages) can be obtained online at Kenton Record Search. The office does not fax or email copies of documents and does not give recording information over the phone.

Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: KRS 64.012 Fees of county clerks · Contact Us - Kenton County Clerk · Real Estate FAQ

These government fees are separate from any Deeds.com service fees. Confirm current charges with the recorder's office.

Other charges

Fee schedule effective July 15, 2026.

StatewideOf the $33 fee under KRS 64.012(1)(a), $27 is retained by the county clerk and $6 is paid to the affordable housing trust fund established in KRS 198A.710. Of the $63 real estate mortgage fee, $57 is retained by the county clerk and $6 is paid to the affordable housing trust fund. Recording plats, maps, and surveys not exceeding 24 inches by 36 inches is $40.00 per page. Filing or recording state tax or other state liens is $5.00, and filing a release of a state tax or other state lien is $5.00. The recording fees shown are what county clerks charge: $50 for a deed, $80 for a mortgage and $46 for a release or other document. KRS 64.012 sets $33 (first 5 pages) and $63 for a mortgage (first 30 pages); the clerks add the $10 permanent storage charge and other state charges before quoting a price.

Certified copies are $5.00 plus 50 cents per page after 5 pages. The Kenton County schedule lists Mortgage + Assignment of Rents & Leases at $126.00, Mortgage + Fixture Filing at $172.00, Mortgage + Assignment of Rents & Leases + Fixture Filing at $218.00, Mortgage with MERS/Assignment at $126.00, Fixture Filing at $96.00, Plat at $50.00, Power of Attorney at $50.00, Bond to Release a Mechanic Lien at $60.00, City Lien at $23.00, and Will/Contest of Will at $47.00.

Transfer tax

Real estate transfer tax. Fifty cents ($0.50) for each $500 of value or fraction thereof. The tax is collected when the document is recorded. (statewide, KRS 142.050(2))

StatewideThe county clerk computes and collects the tax as a prerequisite to acceptance of the deed for recordation, based on the value of the transferred property as set forth in the deed. The tax is collected only once on each transaction, in the county where KRS 382.110(1) requires the deed to be recorded. The clerk certifies the date of payment and the amount collected on the deed, keeps 5% as a collection fee, and remits the rest to the county treasurer for the county general fund. Exemptions are listed in KRS 142.050(7) and (8).

Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: KRS 64.012 Fees of county clerks · KRS 142.050 Real estate transfer tax -- Collection on recording -- Exemptions · Recording Delivery Options, Formatting Standards & Fee Schedule

Confirm current requirements with the recorder's office before submitting documents.

The 3-inch first-page top margin is for Recorder use, especially on the right side of the page.

StatewideA deed to real property shall contain the full name of the grantor and grantee; the mailing addresses of the grantor and grantee; a statement of the full consideration; the in-care-of address for the property tax bill; and a sworn, notarized certificate of consideration signed by the grantor and grantee or their agents, or, for a gift or a transfer with nominal or no consideration, a certificate stating that the transfer is by gift and setting forth the estimated fair cash value of the property. No county clerk shall lodge for record any deed that does not comply with KRS 382.135. An instrument conveying real estate must comply with the county's official indexing system. A county clerk that requires a parcel identification number must provide a computer terminal, at no charge to the public, for finding it.

The Kentucky County Clerks Association adopted the PRIA standards for real estate document formatting as of January 1, 2020. No staples or binding; no impression seals unless inked; no colored highlight markers; 9 lines per inch maximum. A Property Identification Number (PIDN) is required for each property.

Submitting documents

Include contact information for any questions concerning the documents. Documents must be completely filled out before recording; the office cannot help prepare documents and has no blank forms.

Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: KRS 382.335 · KRS 382.135 · Recording Delivery Options, Formatting Standards & Fee Schedule · Deed KRS 382.110 (requirements sheet) · Parcel Identification Number (P.I.D.N.) KRS 382.335