Indiana · Document Recording
Recording a Deed or Document in St. Joseph County, IN
St. Joseph County (population 272,908) records real-property documents through the St. Joseph County 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.
St. Joseph County recorder — contact
- Recording office
- St. Joseph County Recorder
- Mailing address
- St. Joseph County Recorder, 227 W. Jefferson Blvd, Room 321, South Bend, IN 46601
- Phone
- (574) 235-9525
- Website
- sjcindiana.gov/390/Recorder
- Checks payable to
- St. Joseph County Recorder
- Electronic recording
- Available via Simplifile
St. Joseph County recording fees
- First page / base fee
- Deeds/other instruments $25.00 (includes 1 oversize page); Mortgages $55.00
- Additional pages
- $5.00 per additional page over 8"x14"
- Other fees
- Mechanic's Lien $25.00 incl. 1 mail-out, $2.00 each addl mail-out; multi-transaction/blanket docs $25.00 + $7.00 per addl cross-reference
Counties change fees without notice. Check with the St. Joseph County Recorder before you mail a check.
What St. Joseph County requires
- Page formatting
- Per IN statewide statute IC 36-2-11-16: white paper ≤8.5x14in, ≥20lb, black ink, min 10-pt type, 2in top margin on first/last page reserved for recorder stamp, 1/2in margins elsewhere, names printed under signatures, notary county/state/commission expiration, preparer statement per IC 36-2-11-15, grantee mailing address required per IC 32-21-2-3(b)
- Submission & return
- Include self-addressed stamped envelope for mailed-in documents; recorded doc returned by mail
- Hours & turnaround
- E-recording (Simplifile): typically same day/minutes
Can you e-record in St. Joseph County?
Yes. St. Joseph County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile, so a properly formatted document can be recorded the same or next business day without mailing paper.
How to record a document in St. Joseph County, Indiana
- Prepare the document so it meets St. Joseph 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, or by mail to St. Joseph County Recorder.
- Pay the recording fee, payable to St. Joseph County Recorder.
- Receive the recorded instrument back with its book/page or instrument number as proof of record.
Looking up a St. Joseph County property
Owner names, parcel numbers and legal descriptions for St. Joseph County property are searchable at St. Joseph County Assessor / Land Records 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 Indiana
Indiana isn't available quite yet — it's coming soon. See the states we file in.