Washington County Recorder Information

Land records in Washington County are recorded by the Register of Deeds. The office is held by Arron Hoden.

Online grantor/grantee and legal description searches, with free printing, cover January 1, 1993 to present. Documents recorded before January 1, 2013 have book and page numbers; later documents have instrument numbers. Records date back to 1857.

Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: Nebraska Revised Statute 23-1503.01 · Contact | Washington County NE · Register of Deeds | Washington County NE

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

Other charges

Fee schedule effective January 1, 2013.

StatewideOf the $10 first-page fee, $2.50, and of each $6 additional-page fee, $0.50, is used exclusively for preserving and maintaining register of deeds public records and for modernization and technology needs. If the required blank space at the top of the first page, or the information required by section 23-1510, is missing, the register of deeds may add a page or use the back of an existing page and charge the section 33-109 recording fee for that page.

UCC fixture filings are $14.00 flat, with no fee for terminations. No fee is charged for lots or sections. The office records federal and state tax liens only when received from the Nebraska Secretary of State's Office.

Paying the office

Recording fees are collected at the time of filing. Payment is required in advance for all copies.

Transfer tax

Documentary stamp tax. Three dollars and thirty-two cents for each one thousand dollars value or fraction thereof for transfers before January 1, 2032, and at the rate of two dollars and thirty-two cents for each one thousand dollars value or fraction thereof for transfers on or after January 1, 2032. The tax is collected when the document is recorded. (statewide, Neb. Rev. Stat. 76-901 (as amended by Laws 2026, LB1067))

StatewideThe tax is imposed on the grantor executing the deed and is evidenced by stamps attached to the deed. Value means the full actual consideration, including any liens assumed, or, for a gift or a deed with nominal or no stated consideration, the current market value of the property transferred. All deeds purporting to transfer legal title or beneficial interest are presumed taxable unless it clearly appears on the face of the deed, or sufficient documentary proof is presented to the register of deeds, that the instrument is exempt under section 76-902.

Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: Nebraska Revised Statute 33-109 · Nebraska Revised Statute 76-901 · Register of Deeds Fees | Washington County NE · Register of Deeds FAQ | Washington County NE

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

StatewidePrinted forms primarily intended for recording have a one-inch margin on both vertical sides and at the bottom. Nonessential information such as page numbers or customer notations may be placed within the side and bottom margins.

StatewideNo attachment or affirmation may cover any information or printed material on the instrument. An embossed or inked stamp may not cover or materially interfere with any part of the instrument. Signatures may be digital or electronic. These requirements do not apply to instruments signed before August 27, 2011; instruments executed outside the United States; certified copies issued by governmental agencies; instruments signed by an original party who is incapacitated or deceased at presentation; instruments formatted to meet court requirements; federal and state tax liens; Uniform Commercial Code forms; and plats, surveys, or related drawings.

Documents must have original signatures, be properly signed and notarized, and include the long-form legal description; the GIS/Assessor abbreviated legal description or the one on tax statements is not accepted. Type or print must be legible, with a recommended font size no smaller than 10 point.

Forms filed along with a transfer

• Real Estate Transfer Statement, Form 521 Statewide Nebraska Department of Revenue
  Filed with the register of deeds when a deed, land contract, memorandum of contract, or a death certificate being recorded pursuant to a transfer on death deed is presented for recording; not required for easements or oil, gas, or mineral leases, except conservation, preservation, and qualifying recreational trail easements

Submitting documents

Checked September 2026 against official publications. Sources: Nebraska Revised Statute 23-1503.01 · Real Estate Transfer Statement - Form 521 · Register of Deeds FAQ | Washington County NE