Tennessee · Document Recording
Recording a Deed or Document in Shelby County, TN
Shelby County (population 910,226) records real-property documents through the Shelby 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.
Shelby County recorder — contact
- Recording office
- Shelby County Register of Deeds
- Mailing address
- 1075 Mullins Station Rd, Building W3, Suite W165, Memphis, TN 38134
- Phone
- (901) 222-8100
- Website
- register.shelby.tn.us
- Checks payable to
- Shelby County Register of Deeds
- Electronic recording
- Available via Simplifile
Shelby County recording fees
- First page / base fee
- $12.00 (first 2 pages) for deeds and deeds of trust
- Additional pages
- $5.00 per additional page
- Other fees
- $5.00 per additional instrument/document; $3.70 per $1,000 State Conveyance Tax + $1.00 Register fee (deeds); $1.15 per $1,000 State Mortgage Tax (first $2,000 exempt) + $1.00 Register fee (deeds of trust)
Counties change fees without notice. Check with the Shelby County Register of Deeds before you mail a check.
What Shelby County requires
- Page formatting
- See official Filing Guidelines page; 3-inch top margin on first page required under TN state recording law; fee calculator available on site
Can you e-record in Shelby County?
Yes. Shelby 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 Shelby County, Tennessee
- Prepare the document so it meets Shelby 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 Shelby County Register of Deeds.
- Pay the recording fee, payable to Shelby County Register of Deeds.
- Receive the recorded instrument back with its book/page or instrument number as proof of record.
Looking up a Shelby County property
Owner names, parcel numbers and legal descriptions for Shelby County property are searchable at Shelby County Assessor of Property. 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.