Tennessee · Document Recording
Recording a Deed or Document in DeKalb County, TN
DeKalb County (population 21,873) records real-property documents through the DeKalb 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.
DeKalb County recorder — contact
- Recording office
- DeKalb County Register of Deeds
- Mailing address
- 732 S. Congress Blvd, Room 101, Smithville, TN 37166
- Phone
- 615-597-4153
- Electronic recording
- Available via Simplifile
DeKalb County recording fees
- First page / base fee
- $12.00 (deeds, first two pages), per TCA 8-21-1001 statewide statutory schedule
- Additional pages
- $5.00 per additional page (plus $5.00 per additional instrument/document)
- Other fees
- State conveyance tax $3.70/$1,000 + $1.00 register fee; state mortgage tax $1.15/$1,000 (first $2,000 exempt) + $1.00 register fee
Counties change fees without notice. Check with the DeKalb County Register of Deeds before you mail a check.
Can you e-record in DeKalb County?
Yes. DeKalb 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 DeKalb County, Tennessee
- Prepare the document so it meets DeKalb County's formatting rules: 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 DeKalb County Register of Deeds.
- Pay the recording fee.
- Receive the recorded instrument back with its book/page or instrument number as proof of record.
Looking up a DeKalb County property
Owner names, parcel numbers and legal descriptions for DeKalb County property are searchable at DeKalb County Property Assessor (via Tennessee Comptroller Property Assessment Data statewide portal). A deed or memorandum needs the exact legal description, so pull it from there or from the last recorded deed.
Filing with Jurably in Tennessee
Tennessee requires the property owner's notarized signature plus a stated expiration date on any recorded contract memorandum (Tenn. Code §66-24-101(a)(29)). See the states we file in.