Illinois · Document Recording
Recording a Deed or Document in Ford County, IL
Ford County (population 13,216) records real-property documents through the Ford County Clerk & Recorder. Below is what it costs and how to submit. Filing a memorandum of contract? We record it with the county for $199, notary included — no trip to the courthouse.
Ford County recorder — contact
- Recording office
- Ford County Clerk & Recorder
- Mailing address
- Ford County Clerk & Recorder, 200 W. State St., Paxton, IL 60957
- Phone
- 217-379-9400 (office); 217-379-2208 (per-page rate confirmation line)
- Checks payable to
- Ford County Clerk & Recorder
- Electronic recording
- Available via Simplifile, CSC, ePN, Indecomm
Ford County recording fees
- First page / base fee
- Per current 2025 fee schedule (PRDCBLEES-JAN-1-2025); real estate documents include $10 RHSP surcharge; standard subdivision plat/survey $84.00
- Additional pages
- Non-standard subdivision plat/survey $95.00; certified copy $20.00; see full PDF fee schedule for per-page details
- Other fees
- RHSP surcharge $10 (exempt: school districts, government entities, public utility easements)
Counties change fees without notice. Check with the Ford County Clerk & Recorder before you mail a check.
What Ford County requires
- Page formatting
- White 20 lb weight paper, 8.5"x11", English language only, original signatures and notary seal with date, no white-out corrections, minimum 10-point typeface, at least 0.5" margins all sides
- Cover sheet
- Yes — upper right-hand corner must have a 3"x5" blank space for recording information
- Submission & return
- Recorded documents returned within one business day; documents received after 4:00 PM recorded next business day
- Hours & turnaround
- Same/next business day; documents after 4:00 PM processed next business day
Can you e-record in Ford County?
Yes. Ford County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile, CSC, ePN, Indecomm, so a properly formatted document can be recorded the same or next business day without mailing paper.
How to record a document in Ford County, Illinois
- Prepare the document so it meets Ford County's formatting rules (above): legal description, grantee address, signature block, and the blank space the recorder reserves for its stamp.
- Notarize it if the instrument requires acknowledgment. Most deeds and affidavits do.
- Submit electronically through Simplifile, CSC, ePN, Indecomm, or by mail to Ford County Clerk & Recorder.
- Pay the recording fee, payable to Ford County Clerk & Recorder.
- Receive the recorded instrument back with its book/page or instrument number as proof of record.
Looking up a Ford County property
Owner names, parcel numbers and legal descriptions for Ford County property are searchable at Ford County Supervisor of Assessments (Chief County Assessment Officer) — Governmax property search. A deed or memorandum needs the exact legal description, so pull it from there or from the last recorded deed.
Filing with Jurably in Illinois
Illinois isn't available quite yet — it's coming soon. See the states we file in.