Polk County Recorder Information

About Polk County Recorder

The County Clerk is responsible for recording and maintaining real property records.

Recording Fees

All Documents are $91.00 for first page and $5.00 per page thereafter, except for:
Liens and Satisfaction of Liens: $76.00 for first page and $5.00 per page thereafter
Completion Notices $76.00 for first page and $5.00 per page thereafter
Judgments, Lien Record Abstracts and Release of Lien Record Abstracts: $16.00 for first page and $5.00 per page thereafter
Satisfaction of Judgments: $5.00 per page
Vacations: $111.00 for first page and $5.00 per page thereafter
Federal Tax Liens and Release of Federal Tax Liens: $5.00 per page

Military Discharge: Free

Multiple Titles:
A document containing two or more titles on the same document will be charged an additional $5.00 per title. An example of this type of document would be a Deed of Reconveyance and Substitution of Trustee ($96.00 for first page with extra title and $5.00 per page thereafter) or an Affidavit of Mailing, Proof of Service, Trustee Notice of Sale, and Affidavit of Publication ($106.00 for first page with extra titles and $5.00 per page thereafter). Please see ORS 205.236 for more information.

Multiple References:
A document making reference to more than one assignment, release, or satisfaction will be assessed $5.00 for each additional assignment, release, or satisfaction noted within document.

Instruments that do not have the required first page information will face a $20 fee, in addition to other recording costs.

Requesting Certified Copies
If local, you may request certified copies over the counter. Certified Copies may also be requested through the mail. Please include the recording number and the name and address to mail the certified copy/copies back to along with a check. The check needs to be made out to the Polk County Clerk. The fees for a certified copy are as follows: $.25 per page, $3.75 search fee, and $3.75 to certify. Therefore, a 4 page doc would be $1.00 for the pages, $3.75 search fee, and $3.75 to certify for a total of: $8.50.

The Polk County Clerk's office accepts cash, checks, or money orders. Checks and money orders should be made payable to the Polk County Clerk.

If you have questions about recording or recording fees, contact the Polk County Clerk at (503) 623-9217.

Document Formatting Requirements

* The printed paper should be 8.5 x 11 inches or 8.5 x 14 inches.

* The weight of the paper should be 20# opaque.

* On the first page, a space measuring 4-1/4 x 1-3/4 should be in the upper right
corner or in the lower right corner. This is for the recording label.

* The printed or written text must be 8 point font or larger.

FIRST PAGE REQUIREMENTS

The following information is required to be on the first page. If this is not on the first page, an additional fee of $20 will apply to the document. A cover sheet may be used when presenting the document for recording, which will also result in additional costs.

* The name of the transaction shall be clearly labeled. A document describing two or more transactions between the same parties and involving the same properties may be recorded when the document is labeled with the names of the transactions described therein.

* The names of all parties to be indexed must be listed on the first page.

* The name and address of the person to whom the document will be returned should be given. This only applies to documents being sent through the mail. It should read: "After recording, return to NAME and ADDRESS."

* The name and address of the person to where tax statements may be sent. This is required on documents conveying or contracting to convey fee title. This statement should read: "Until a change is requested, all tax statements shall be sent to the following address..."

* The true and actual consideration paid. This is required on documents conveying or contracting to convey fee title.

* For County Clerk lien records documents, the lien amount must be shown.

* Make sure that Oregonian notaries have noted the names of individuals signing and being notarized. All notaries need to make sure they are stamping or putting their notary seal on all documents being notarized.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

* If there is a separate statement of consideration on the instrument, it shall be signed separately from the instrument.

* Section 93.40 of the Oregon Statutes in the Property Title includes a mandatory statement for sales agreements, earnest money receipts, or other instruments for conveyance of fee title to real property. The statement shall be included in the body of the instrument. This is also known as a statutory land use warning.

* A legal description of property shall be described for recordation by giving the subdivision, or by lots, blocks, and addition names; or by partition plat recording and parcel numbers; by metes and bounds; or by book and page of previous recorded document.

Instruments that are being re-recorded to make corrections to the original instrument do not need to be acknowledged again. The person presenting the instrument for re-recording shall cause a recording certificate to be affixed to the instrument. This certificate shall contain the words: RECORDED AT THE REQUEST OF...... TO CORRECT...............PREVIOUSLY RECORDED IN BOOK.........AND PAGE........., OR AS FEE NUMBER........."

ASSESSOR'S CERTIFICATE: The county clerk is prohibited from recording an instrument that conveys fee title of real property to a tax-exempt government transferee that is not accompanied by a certificate issued by the county assessor attesting that all charges against real property as of the date of recording have been paid.
To check on whether taxes are paid prior to obtaining the required Assessor's Certificate, please call the Polk County Tax Office at 503-623-9264. Questions about the Assessor's Certificate, please call the Polk County Assessor's Office at 503-623-8391.