South Dakota · Document Recording
Recording a Deed or Document in Clay County, SD
Clay County (population 14,973) records real-property documents through the Clay County Register of Deeds. 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.
Clay County recorder — contact
- Recording office
- Clay County Register of Deeds
- Mailing address
- 211 W Main St, Suite 202, Vermillion, SD 57069
- Phone
- (605) 677-7130
- Checks payable to
- Clay County Register of Deeds
- Electronic recording
- Available via Simplifile, CSC
Clay County recording fees
- First page / base fee
- $30.00 per document (covers first 50 pages) per SDCL 7-9-15
- Additional pages
- $2.00 per page after the first 50 pages
- Other fees
- Certificate of Real Estate Value (PT-56) required with deeds/contracts for deed; transfer fee $0.50 per $500 of value
Counties change fees without notice. Check with the Clay County Register of Deeds before you mail a check.
What Clay County requires
- Page formatting
- Statewide SDCL standard: 3-inch top margin (left half preparer statement), 1-inch other margins, white 20 lb paper, letter/legal size, min 10-pt font, black ink; documents received after 3:30pm recorded next business day
- Hours & turnaround
- Documents received after 3:30 PM recorded next business day; otherwise same day per office notice
Can you e-record in Clay County?
Yes. Clay 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 Clay County, South Dakota
- Prepare the document so it meets Clay 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 Clay County Register of Deeds.
- Pay the recording fee, payable to Clay County Register of Deeds.
- Receive the recorded instrument back with its book/page or instrument number as proof of record.
Looking up a Clay County property
Owner names, parcel numbers and legal descriptions for Clay County property are searchable at Clay County Director of Equalization / Beacon (Schneider Geospatial) property search. A deed or memorandum needs the exact legal description, so pull it from there or from the last recorded deed.
How Jurably helps in Clay 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 Clay 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 Clay
More South Dakota counties
Under contract in Clay County? Secure it.
Jurably files a memorandum to protect your deal, notarizes what you need, and records it — no courthouse trip.