Hancock County Recorder

The Registry of Deeds is responsible for recording and maintaining real property records in Hancock County.

First page - $22.00
Each additional page - $2.00 per page

Names in excess of four to be indexed - $1.00 per name (please count all grantors, grantees, aka's, trustees, dba's, partners, nominees)

Marginal references to prior documents - $13.00 each after the first one

Transfer tax (state tax stamps) - based on the value of the property as set forth in the declaration of value, $2.20 for each $500 or fraction thereof, unless transfer is exempt

Add postage for return of document.

* A certificate of acknowledgment or proof of execution must be endorsed on or included in the deed in order for it to be recorded.

* The document should be submitted on white 8.5x11 inch paper without watermarks or visible inclusions. 1.5" top margin on the first page, 1.5" bottom margin last page, 1" top margin all other pages, .75" side margins for all pages.

* The grantee's address, including municipality and state, must be provided on the deed.

* The marital status of grantors should be indicated in the form of the deed.

* Corresponding names should be written or typed beneath signatures in the instrument.

* An exception, reservation, or recital in a deed or other conveyance shall not constitute actual notice unless it contains a reference to the volume and page of the registry or probate court record or other instrument which evidences such other conveyance or an adequate legal description by metes and bounds.

* A legal description of the real property should be provided, or reference to a previous recorded instrument.

* The owner of farmlands may designate a specific name for such lands. The name, together with a description of the land may be filed with the Register of Deeds.

* Unless the transaction is exempt, the seller of residential real property shall provide to the purchaser a property disclosure statement containing the following information: water supply system, insulation, heating system or heating source, waste disposal system, hazardous materials, and known defects. For more specific guidelines on the property disclosure statement, interested parties are directed to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 33, Chapter 7.


The State of Maine derives revenue from the sale of real estate through the sale of state tax stamps. In Hancock County, the seller is obligated to pay the amount of the stamp and the buyer is accountable for the recording fee for the deed or mortgage.

A Real Estate Transfer Tax Declaration form (RETTD) must be submitted with deeds offered for recording. This must be prepared in duplicate and signed by the parties to the transaction. The appropriate tax map and parcel number must be referenced. If no tax map exists for that property, the Declaration of Value must indicate this. For a list of exemptions and instructions, visit the Main Revenue Services webpage.