Otero County Recorder

The County Clerk is responsible for recording and maintaining records related to real property situated in Otero County.

RECORDING FEE PER DOCUMENT
To record 1-10 indexed entries, the fee is $25.
Each additional block of 10 indexed entries is $25.

DETERMINATION OF RECORDING ENTRIES
The County Clerk's Office will review the grantor/grantee's and legal description of each document and determine how many entries will be required for indexing. Every name indexed counts as one entry.
For example:
GRANTOR/GRANTEE: EVERY NAME INDEXED COUNTS AS 1 ENTRY
Ben White, an unmarried man =1
John Smith and Sue Smith (no vesting) = 2
Ben White and Ellen White, husband and wife = 2
John Smith and Sally Taylor, husband and wife = 2
John Smith and Mary Smith Revocable Trust = 1
John Smith and Mary Jones Revocable Trust = 2
Ellen White, aka Ellen Smith = 2
Ellen Ferguson-Smith = 1
Ellen White, Individually and Attorney in fact for Ben White =2

LEGAL DESCRIPTION: EVERY SEPARATE DESCRIPTION COUNTS AS 1 ENTRY
Lot, Subdivision = 1
Lot 1 & Lot 2, Subdivision = 2
Lot 1, Apt. A, Subdivision = 1
Unit A of XYZ Condos, located on Lot 1, Subdivision = 2
Lot 1 and a portion of Lot 2, Subdivision = 2

Copy Fee $1.00 per page
Certification $2.00 per document
Images emailed/faxed: $1.00

Recording fees are due at the time of recording.

* Original documents should be submitted for recording.

* The document must be signed by all pertinent parties and must also be notarized. The notary information must be completed. A signature, date, seal, and expiration date are required.

* Paper should be white, at least 8.5 x 11 inches, and no larger than 8.5 x 14 inches.

* On the first page, a 1 x 4 blank space should be provided in the upper right corner. This is reserved for the recording label. If sufficient space for the recording label is not provided, an additional page will be added. This will result in extra fees.

* Black ink with a font size of at least 10 point is required.

* The real property must be identified with a grantor and grantee. A name and mailing address for the grantee should be provided.

* All deeds submitted for recording must have the grantor's signature.

* The marital status of male grantors should be given on documents of conveyance.

* Although a street address is required, it is not an adequate legal description. A complete legal description is required for all transfers of property. If a previously recorded document contains the legal description, this can be referred to in the legal description.

Every name indexed counts as one entry in the indexes. For example, Ben White, an unmarried man would be one entry. Ellen White, individually and attorney-in-fact for Ben White would be two entries.

All lots within the same block in a legal description are one entry.

Lots and tracts that are not inclusive of a block in a legal description are indexed as one entry.