New Shoreham Recording Information

Office location, recording fees, and document requirements for land records in Washington County, Rhode Island

Recorder Office

Contact the recorder's office directly for its records, copies, and recording requirements.

New Shoreham Town Clerk
16 Old Town Road, Block Island, Rhode Island 02807
Mailing address: P.O. Box 220, Block Island, RI 02807
Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Recording cutoff: 2:45 p.m.
401-466-3200 fax 401-466-3219
Checked September 2026 against the office's own page.

About the New Shoreham Town Clerk

Land records in New Shoreham are recorded by the Town Clerk. The office is held by Millicent McGinnes Highet, MMC.

New Shoreham's land records date back to 1675 and all records can be viewed at Town Hall. Records are in paper format up to June 1, 1973. The Town Clerk's Office does not perform title searches.

Checked September 2026 against official publications. Sources: Staff Directory • Town Clerk · Land Records | New Shoreham, RI - Official Website

Recording Fees

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

Deeds and other conveyances$84.00 first page, $1.00 each additional page (Warranty, quitclaim, fiduciary, foreclosure deeds; Land Trust forms extra)
Mortgages and deeds of trust$64.00 first page, $1.00 each additional page (per mortgage)
Releases and satisfactions$49.00 first page, $1.00 each additional page (Discharge of mortgage; partial release also $49)
Other standard documents$49.00 first page, $1.00 each additional page (any instrument not otherwise specified)

Other charges

Document that does not meet the formatting standards$2.00 per document when Signatories' and notaries' names are not typed or printed immediately beneath or adjacent to their signatures
Copies, per page$1.50
Certification$3.00

Fee schedule effective June 21, 2012.

StatewideRecording officers may charge $1.00 for each additional page or fraction over. Ten percent (10%) of the recording fees is used by each city or town for document preservation and technological upgrades. Other statutory fees include: lease $60.00; assignment of mortgage $45.00; lis pendens $80.00; power of attorney $45.00; maps, plats, surveys, drawings (not attached to another instrument) $45.00; federal tax lien and its discharge $7.25 each. The fee to record or discharge lis pendens and/or bail property liens recorded by bailbondsmen is $10.00.

Block Island Land Trust Form A $6.00; Cert. B $1.00; Cert. C $1.00. Easement $49.00. UCC – 1 or 2 pages $16.00; UCC – 3 or more pages $32.00. Lis Pendens recorded by a bail bondsman $14.00. Highlighting Represents HTA Fee Included.

Paying the office

AcceptedCheck
Checks payable toTown of New Shoreham

Checks for the Land Trust fee should be made out to "Block Island Land Trust". A bank, certified, or attorney's check, or cash, separate from recording fees, must be included when a Land Trust transfer fee is due. Land Trust payments are not accepted via the E-Recording platforms.

Transfer tax

Real Estate Conveyance Tax. Three dollars and seventy-five cents ($3.75) for each five hundred dollars ($500), or fractional part of it, that is paid for the purchase of property, when the consideration paid exceeds one hundred dollars ($100). The tax is collected when the document is recorded. (statewide, R.I. Gen. Laws § 44-25-1(a))

StatewideIn addition to the tax imposed by § 44-25-1(a), a tax of $3.75 for each $500, or fractional part of it, is imposed on the consideration in excess of the threshold paid for residential real property (R.I. Gen. Laws § 44-25-1(b)). The statute sets the threshold at $800,000 and adjusts it by CPI-U for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2026. The Division of Taxation gives the Tier 2 threshold for calendar year 2026 as $824,000. Where no consideration is paid, the instrument of conveyance must contain a statement that the consideration is such that no documentary stamps are required (§ 44-25-1(c)).

Block Island Land Trust fee: the Land Trust charges the purchaser a fee of 3% of the purchase price of all property transactions in New Shoreham; timeshare transactions pay one quarter of the 3% fee. Collected with recording and payable to "Block Island Land Trust".

Checked September 2026 against official publications. Sources: R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-13-7. General recording fees · R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-11-1.1. Signing and printing names · R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-13-9. Fees for copies of record · R.I. Gen. Laws § 44-25-1. Tax imposed — Payment — Burden · RI Division of Taxation Advisory 2026-01, Real Estate Conveyance Tax Indexed for Inflation · Recording | New Shoreham, RI - Official Website · Town of New Shoreham Recording Fees · Land Trust Forms and Filing Requirements

Document Requirements

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

Grantee address requiredYes (statewide, R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-11-1.2)
Printed names under signatures requiredYes (statewide, R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-11-1.1)

StatewideEvery deed presented for recording due to the sale of property shall contain or have endorsed upon it the total dollar amount of the actual sale (§ 34-11-1.4). Every mortgage deed shall contain or have endorsed upon it the name and address of the mortgagor and mortgagee (§ 34-11-1.3). Survey plans shall be drawn on archival mylar or linen not exceeding 24″ x 36″ (§ 34-13-1(14)).

Forms filed along with a transfer

Submitting documents

In personAccepted
By mailAccepted
Electronic recordingAccepted

StatewideAny instrument presented for recording whose original is to be returned to the person recording or to an address previously indicated shall be forwarded within one hundred eighty (180) days of the date it was actually recorded.

Documents must be received by 2:45 p.m. for same-day recording. Documents to be recorded must be originals or certified copies. All transfers of property that have consideration must be done by mail, or a paper check for the Land Trust Fee must be mailed to the Clerk's Office ahead of time. When using FedEx or UPS, ship to Town Clerk's Office, New Shoreham Town Hall, 16 Old Town Road, Block Island, RI 02807.

Checked September 2026 against official publications. Sources: R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-11-1.1. Signing and printing names · R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-11-1.2. Name and address of grantee — Recording · R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-11-1.4. Sale price recording · R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-13-10. Return of recorded documents · Recording | New Shoreham, RI - Official Website · Land Trust Forms and Filing Requirements · Land Records | New Shoreham, RI - Official Website

Deeds.com Resources & Services

Using Deeds.com is optional. Contact the recorder's office directly for its services and submission options.

How to Get a Copy of Your Deed

Read Deeds.com's guide to requesting document copies from the recorder's office.

Deeds.com eRecording

Not available through Deeds.com

Deeds.com does not currently offer eRecording in Washington County. Contact the recorder's office about its submission options.

Recorder Office

Contact the recorder's office directly for its records, copies, and recording requirements.

New Shoreham Town Clerk
16 Old Town Road, Block Island, Rhode Island 02807
Mailing address: P.O. Box 220, Block Island, RI 02807
Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Recording cutoff: 2:45 p.m.
401-466-3200 fax 401-466-3219
Checked September 2026 against the office's own page.

Deeds.com Customer Care

For help with Deeds.com products, services, or your account. This does not contact the recorder's office.

Contact Deeds.com
Deeds.com is an independent, private website. We provide this free directory for informational purposes and are not affiliated with any government agency. No purchase is required to use this information.