Norfolk County Recorder

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

Recording fees regardless the number of pages.

Declaration of Homestead $35
Declaration of Trust $255
Deed $155
Mortgage $205
Mortgage Foreclosure Deed & Affidavit $155
Mortgage Discharge, Release or Partial Release $105
Municipal Lien Certificate $80
UCC Documents (up to 2 debtors) $75
Federal Tax Liens (and related documents) $5
Plans (per sheet) $105
All other Documents $105

The above fees are for Registered Land, for Recorded Land add $1.00

Non-statutory marginal references are $1.

Certified copies are $1 per page.


Deeds Excise Tax: An Excise Tax of $2.28 for each $500.00 and any fraction thereof, of the consideration stated on a deed or easement is required to be paid at the time of recording. For example, a deed of real estate of $155,000 requires excise taxes in the amount of $706.80 along with the recording fee. There is no excise tax due where the consideration stated is less than $100.00. An attorney check or bank check is required for excise tax fees.

The postage and document return charge of $1 per document is already included in the recording fee.

The Registry accepts cash and or checks for recording and copy fees, payable to: Norfolk County Registry of Deeds. A separate check is required for the excise tax.

Registered Land and Recorded Land

* Documents submitted for recording should be on paper that is a sufficient weight to reproduce in registry scanners. Do not submit facsimile copies to be recorded.

* Documents cannot be on paper larger than 8.5 x 14.

* Printing should be one-sided only. Double-sided printing will not be accepted.

* Printing should be dark enough that the document can be reproduced legibly.

* The first page of a document submitted for recording must have a 3 x 3 space in the upper right hand corner that is left blank for the recorder's information. This area should be free from all writing or printing.

* Documents need a top margin of 2 inches, a bottom margin of .75 inches, and 1 inch side margins.

* All documents must list a property address on the first page.

* Deeds and mortgages must reference the book and page of the deed associated with the property. Deeds must have the amount of consideration stated in the document.

* The grantee or assignee's address should be included in the document.

* For releases and discharges, include the book and page number of the affected mortgage or lien document.

* The font size should be at least 10 point.

* Documents should include, either on the front or back, a return name and address.

Registered Land or Recorded Land?
The Recorded Land system is the traditional common law system of land records. Each document filed is entered in order of receipt, and referenced by its sequential book and page number of recording. Recorded land constitutes the majority of the properties in Norfolk County.

The Registered Land System is also sometimes referred to as the Torrens or Land Court System. Under the Registered Land system, there is a current and numbered owner's certificate of title for each registered land property. A new certificate is issued when the property is sold or transferred. It was introduced in Australia in the 1850's and is used in a number of countries and American states, including Massachusetts, where it was introduced in 1901. Registered Land records are supervised by the Land Court. Each document receives a sequential document number, and documents affecting a title certificate are referenced in an encumbrance list for that certificate.