Montana · Document Recording
Recording a Deed or Document in Lake County, MT
Lake County (population 31,134) records real-property documents through the Lake County Clerk and 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.
Lake County recorder — contact
- Recording office
- Lake County Clerk and Recorder
- Mailing address
- 106 4th Avenue E, Room 214, Polson, MT 59860
- Checks payable to
- Lake County Clerk and Recorder
- Electronic recording
- Available via Simplifile, CSC
Lake County recording fees
- First page / base fee
- $20.00 (per MCA 7-4-2636 as amended by HB 192, eff. 10/1/2025; was $8.00 before)
- Additional pages
- $10.00 per additional page
- Other fees
- Non-standard document surcharge $10.00/document; entire-document filing fee reference of $5 noted on site (pre-HB192 fee schedule); UCC/AG-1 filings $7.00
Counties change fees without notice. Check with the Lake County Clerk and Recorder before you mail a check.
What Lake County requires
- Cover sheet
- Realty Transfer Certificate for real-property transfers; MCA 7-4-2636 document standards (margins/paper/ink) apply or non-standard fee applies
- Submission & return
- Original documents scanned/indexed then mailed back to submission address weekly
- Hours & turnaround
- Documents recorded promptly; indexed/scanned daily, originals returned by mail weekly
Can you e-record in Lake County?
Yes. Lake County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile, CSC, so a properly formatted document can be recorded the same or next business day without mailing paper.
How to record a document in Lake County, Montana
- Prepare the document so it meets Lake 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, or by mail to Lake County Clerk and Recorder.
- Pay the recording fee, payable to Lake County Clerk and Recorder.
- Receive the recorded instrument back with its book/page or instrument number as proof of record.
Looking up a Lake County property
Owner names, parcel numbers and legal descriptions for Lake County property are searchable at Montana Department of Revenue - Property Assessment Division (Property Record Card / Montana Cadastral, statewide, covers Lake County). A deed or memorandum needs the exact legal description, so pull it from there or from the last recorded deed.
How Jurably helps in Lake County
Jurably isn’t a deed-filing desk. It’s how real-estate investors get the important paperwork done. If you’re under contract on a Lake County property, we file a memorandum of contract to put your equitable interest on the public record, where every title search will find it. The online notary session is included: you sign it alone, and the seller is notified by certified mail. Then we record it (electronically through the county’s approved network) and return the recorded instrument. It’s a self-help filing service, not legal advice.
Guides for investors
Counties bordering Lake
More Montana counties
Under contract in Lake County? Secure it.
Jurably files a memorandum to protect your deal, notarizes what you need, and records it — no courthouse trip.