Nelson County Recorder Information

Land records in Nelson County are recorded by the County Clerk. The office is held by Jeanette Hall Sidebottom.

Land record index data and images are available online from 1977 to present and are updated every 30 minutes. Premium Document Search is offered by daily, monthly, or annual subscription; EZ Document Search is also available. All records are available at the office for public viewing.

Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: KRS 64.012 Fees of county clerks · Nelson County, KY – County Clerk · Online Access 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.

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).

Verified October 2026 against official publications. Sources: KRS 64.012 Fees of county clerks · KRS 142.050 Real estate transfer tax -- Collection on recording -- Exemptions

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

Top 3” of first page recommended for Recorder use, especially on right side of page (not recommended on last 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 Property Records Industry Association (PRIA) standards for Real Estate Document Formatting as of January 1, 2020. Staples or binding: none. Impression seals: none allowed. Colored highlight markers: none allowed. Spacing: 9 lines per inch maximum.

Submitting documents

Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: KRS 382.335 · KRS 382.135 · Recording Format Standards