Rensselaer County Recorder Information

Land records in Rensselaer County are recorded by the County Clerk. The office is held by Frank J. Merola.

Online searching is free for registered users with 24 hour access; printing is $1.00 per page. Copies by mail are $1.00 per page with a written request and self-addressed stamped envelope.

Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: Staff Directory • County Clerk · Fee Schedule | Rensselaer County, NY · Frequently Asked Questions - County Clerk's Office

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

Added at recording

Other charges

StatewideUnder CPLR 8021(a)(4)(a), the county clerk's fee for recording, entering, indexing and endorsing a certificate on any instrument is $5, plus $3 for each page or portion of a page. A county may opt by county law to raise this to $20, plus $5 for each page. Any cover page counts as an additional page. Each additional town, city, block or other index costs $0.50. An assignment of more than one mortgage, or a release of more than one lease, costs $3 for each one beyond the first. A notice of pendency or notice of attachment costs $35 in counties within New York City and $15 in other counties (CPLR 8021(a)(10)). County clerks charge a recording fee per document plus a fee per page. The per-document amount shown for a county includes the state's $5 records management fee and $15 cultural education fee (CPLR 8021(a)(4)(b)).

Real Property Transfer Gains Tax (TP584) filing: $5. E&A (RP5217): $125 residential, $250 commercial. Each release/discharge of mortgage must be examined and approved before recording; if more than one mortgage is released/discharged, the fees are charged for each mortgage, and releases cost $3 each over one.

Paying the office

Transfer tax

Real estate transfer tax. Two dollars for each five hundred dollars or fractional part thereof. The tax is collected when the document is recorded. (statewide, Tax Law § 1402(a))

StatewideAdditional tax (mansion tax): 1% of the consideration attributable to residential real property when the consideration for the entire conveyance is $1 million or more (Tax Law § 1402-a). In a city with a population of one million or more, an additional $1.25 is levied for each $500 or fractional part thereof when the consideration is $3 million or more for residential real property, or $2 million or more for other property (Tax Law § 1402(a)(2)). A supplemental tax applies to New York City residential conveyances of $2 million or more (Tax Law § 1402-b). Mortgage recording tax, payable when the mortgage is recorded: basic tax of 50 cents per $100 of mortgage debt or obligation secured; special additional tax of 25 cents per $100; additional tax of 25 cents per $100 (30 cents per $100 in counties within the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District) unless the additional tax is suspended in the county; and city or county mortgage tax of 25 to 50 cents per $100 where applicable. New York City, Yonkers and various counties levy local mortgage taxes.

The County Clerk's fee schedule lists mortgages as subject to mortgage tax (Tax Law 253): 1.25% mortgage tax, with a $25 exemption on mortgages over $10,000 on a one or two family dwelling; ¼% if under $10,000. Real estate transfer tax stamps are purchased at the County Clerk's Office and affixed to the instrument when recorded.

Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: NY CPLR 8021 County clerks other than as clerks of court · NY Tax Law 1402 Imposition of tax · NYS DTF Mortgage recording tax · Fee Schedule | Rensselaer County, NY · County Clerk | Rensselaer County, NY

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

StatewideA deed must state the city, town and village in which the property is located (RPL § 333(1-d)). A conveyance must be in English, apart from proper names written in English letters, or have an English translation attached that is executed and acknowledged, or certified as the statute provides (RPL § 333(2)). A conveyance must be accompanied by the real property transfer report form, or by the commissioner's confirmation that the data has been reported (RPL § 333(1-e)).

When a paper or document presented for filing or recording is not legible or otherwise suitable for copying or recording by the imaging process, the County Clerk may require a legible or suitable copy, and the same fees are payable for the copy as for the paper or document (CPLR 8019(b)).

Forms filed along with a transfer

• Form TP-584, Combined Real Estate Transfer Tax Return, Credit Line Mortgage Certificate, and Certification of Exemption from the Payment of Estimated Personal Income Tax Statewide NYS Department of Taxation and Finance
  Conveyances of real property located outside New York City; filed with the county clerk
• Form RP-5217-PDF, Real Property Transfer Report Statewide NYS Department of Taxation and Finance
  Conveyances of real property outside New York City; NYC sales use ACRIS, except Staten Island, which uses RP-5217-NYC
• IT-2663, Nonresident Real Property Estimated Income Tax Payment Form Statewide NYS Department of Taxation and Finance
  Nonresidents not qualifying under an exemption on TP-584 Schedule D
• IT-2664, Nonresident Cooperative Unit Estimated Income Tax Payment Form Statewide NYS Department of Taxation and Finance
  Nonresidents transferring cooperative units, not qualifying under an exemption
• Form MT-15, Mortgage Recording Tax Return Statewide NYS Department of Taxation and Finance
  Property located in more than one locality where the localities impose tax at different rates

Submitting documents

Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: NYS DTF Real estate transfer tax · NY Real Property Law 333 (Onecle) · Fee Schedule | Rensselaer County, NY · County Clerk | Rensselaer County, NY