Fairfax County Recorder Information

Land records in Fairfax County are recorded by the Clerk of the Circuit Court. The office is held by Christopher J. Falcon.

StatewideSecure remote access to land records is by paid subscription through each circuit court clerk's office or through designated application service providers.

CPAN subscription: $150 per user, invoiced quarterly. Land records images from 1742 to the present can be viewed free on public computer terminals in the Research Room, open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Deed books prior to 1945 are maintained in the Historic Records Center.

Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: Va. Code § 17.1-275 · Va. Code § 17.1-279 · General Information - Land Records | Circuit Court · Research | Circuit Court

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

Added at recording

Other charges

Fee schedule effective July 1, 2026.

StatewidePlat or map sheets no larger than 8.5 by 14 inches count as ordinary pages; a fee of $17 per page or sheet applies to plat or map sheets larger than 8.5 by 14 inches. $3.50 of each recording and indexing fee is designated for preserving the permanent records of the circuit courts, administered by The Library of Virginia. A cover sheet submitted under § 17.1-227.1(A) is not counted as a page for the recording fee. The recording fees shown are the s. 17.1-275(A)(2) fee ($18 for 1 to 10 pages, $32 for 11 to 30 pages, $52 for 31 or more) with the $8 Technology Trust Fund fee (s. 17.1-279) added in, which is how the clerks publish them.

Oversized plat sheets (larger than 8½ x 14 inches): $22.00 per sheet, including the $3.50 State Library fee and the $8.00 Technology Trust Fund fee. There is no charge for recording regular-sized plat sheets (no larger than 8½ x 14 inches). A Power of Appointment Release carries an additional $5 Clerk's fee under §64.2-2730. Easements for the Town of Herndon, Town of Clifton, Town of Vienna, City of Fairfax and Fairfax County Park Authority, documents resulting from actions of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, and Mine Reclamation Liens from the Virginia Dept. of Mines, Minerals and Energy are recorded for no charge.

Paying the office

StatewideWhere credit or debit cards are accepted, the clerk collects a convenience fee of not more than four percent of the transaction or a flat $2 per transaction. For a returned check or a declined card payment, the clerk may collect $50 or 10 percent of the payment, whichever is greater.

Personal checks are not accepted. By mail: business checks, cashier's checks and money orders; cash is not to be sent through the mail. Only copy requests can be paid over the telephone. EFS recording taxes and fees are collected by ACH.

Transfer tax

Additional tax paid by grantor (grantor tax). 50 cents for each $500 or fraction thereof, when the consideration or value of the interest, whichever is greater, exceeds $100, exclusive of the value of any lien or encumbrance remaining thereon. The tax is collected when the document is recorded. (statewide, Va. Code § 58.1-802(A))

StatewideState recordation tax on deeds: 25 cents on every $100 or fraction thereof of the consideration or the actual value of the property conveyed, whichever is greater (Va. Code § 58.1-801). Recordation tax on deeds of trust or mortgages: 25 cents on every $100 or portion thereof of the amount of bonds or other obligations secured, with a sliding maximum schedule and reduced rates for refinancing (Va. Code § 58.1-803). Recordation tax on a deed of release: fifty cents (Va. Code § 58.1-805). Cities and counties may impose a city or county recordation tax equal to one-third of the state recordation tax (Va. Code § 58.1-814). Regional transportation and congestion relief fees apply in certain regions (Va. Code §§ 58.1-802.3 to 58.1-802.5). The grantor tax is returned one-half to the state treasury and one-half to the locality (Va. Code § 58.1-802(B)).

County recordation tax: $0.083 per $100, rounded to the next highest $100 (§58.1-3800). Regional Congestion Relief Fee: $0.10 per $100, rounded to the next highest $100 (§58.1-802.4). Regional WMATA Capital Fee: $0.10 per $100, rounded to the next highest $100 (§58.1-802.3). Per the instrument breakdown, deeds carry the Regional WMATA Capital Fee and the Regional Congestion Relief Fee.

Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: Va. Code § 17.1-275 · Va. Code § 17.1-279 · Va. Code § 58.1-802 · Va. Code § 58.1-801 · Land Records Recordation Taxes and Fees (CCR A-50) · FAQs About Land Records | Circuit Court

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

Minimum of one inch on the top, left and bottom, and a minimum of one half inch on the right.

StatewideUnless a cover sheet is submitted, the clerk may reject a writing unless the surnames of individual parties are underscored or in capitals in the first clause, each page is numbered consecutively, the consideration and actual value are stated on the first page, any claimed recordation tax exemption is clearly stated, and each party to be indexed is named and identified as grantor or grantee in the first clause. Social security numbers are to be removed. A deed conveying residential property of not more than four dwelling units states on the first page the title insurance underwriter, or that title insurance is unknown to the preparer, and that it was prepared by the owner or by a Virginia-licensed attorney (with name and Virginia State Bar number). In localities with a unique parcel identification system, the tax map reference or parcel identification number goes on the first page or on the cover sheet.

The Fairfax Land Records cover sheet, with its 2-D barcode, is attached as the first page. All deeds must include the consideration and the assumption balance (if applicable) in the left margin of the first page. All trusts must include the full residence or business address of the trustee or trustees. Instruments typed, handwritten, signed, stamped or notarized in highlighter ink are not accepted; red ink is a reason for rejection. Dot matrix and facsimile paper are not accepted. All signatures must be original, in dark blue or black ink. Plats must have a clear white background with dark blue or black inscriptions and be between 8½ x 11 inches and 18 x 24 inches. The property must be located in Fairfax County or Fairfax City, and the document must state which jurisdiction.

Submitting documents

StatewideClerks with an eRecording System record electronic documents under the Uniform Real Property Electronic Recording Act. A clerk without one records a legible paper copy of an electronic document if it is certified by the submitter as a true and correct copy of the electronic original. Recorded writings may be returned to a grantee unless the writing or cover sheet clearly gives another return address.

Over-the-counter documents are submitted in batches of no more than 20 sets from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. They cannot be left overnight, and customers must be present while they are recorded. Documents must be the original, signed and notarized documents. Multi-jurisdiction documents, Blanket Assignments and documents with highway plats cannot be filed through EFS. EFS has no subscription fees, and Land Records staff process EFS documents from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: Va. Code § 17.1-223 · General Information - Land Records | Circuit Court · FAQs About Land Records | Circuit Court · Document Recordation Requirements (CCR A-60) · Electronic Filing System - Land Records | Circuit Court