King County Recording Requirements

The Office of the Registrar is responsible for the registration and maintenance of real property records in King County. Documents you can find at the King County Registrar`s Office include: Real Property Documents (Deeds, Mortgage Documents, Property Tax Affidavits, etc.) Survey, condominium and platform maps Privileges Marriage applications and certificates Miscellaneous documents (powers of attorney, wills, condominium agreements, military release documents, etc.) For birth and death certificates, divorce certificates, property tax records, and asset valuation records, please contact these agencies directly. Between 1854 and 1969, the King County Auditor kept all documents submitted for public records. In 1969, the county auditor`s registration functions were taken over by the newly formed registrar`s office. Over the years, the method of recording documents has evolved from a manual transcription system in general ledgers to digital digitization and indexing of documents submitted for registration. The recorder office follows a six-step process to review documents that may contain multiple transactions that require additional registration fees. It is the responsibility of the requester to carefully review the content of the legal documents. The Office of the Recorder is solely responsible for ensuring that the formatting and readability requirements imposed by the government are met. Keep in mind that once your document is recorded in the public folder, it will be permanent and cannot be removed or modified. We strongly recommend that you consult a lawyer when collecting legal documents. You can register a document by bringing it personally to the King County Registrar`s Office, sending it by mail or electronic registration.

If you arrive at our office before 3:30 pm, you can request the immediate scanning of your document (maximum of three documents at a time) so that you can leave with the original. Downtown Seattle: Visit us at the bottom of this page between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. Bring the document(s) to be registered and be prepared to pay the admission fee. For more information, please see our payment information. For example, a document for the replacement of the trustee and for the complete retransfer is a document with several titles. There are two transactions, and each could be a separate document – the trustee`s subsitution replaces the existing trustee and could be a stand-alone document, the full assignment publishes a trust deed and could be a separate document. Therefore, an additional admission fee would be charged for this document at the time of filing. In some cases, we may register your document for a $50 non-compliance fee in addition to other record-keeping fees.

Complete the cover page of a Washington State recorder and sign it with your registration. Documents can be brought personally to the recorder`s office or mailed. The Bureau does not interpret or review documents for accuracy (other than compliance with the Washington State RCW with respect to formatting). – Documents must be submitted on white paper, 8.5×11 or 8.5×14 inches. The font size should not be less than 8 points. – Documents must have a margin of 3 inches at the top of the first page. This area is reserved for the recorder. The following margins must be at least 1 inch. – On the first page, the following information should be listed: title, reference number, scholarship holder, concessionaire, legal description of the property and plot number of the appraiser.

If this information is not on the first page, the document must have a cover page. The cover page must meet the margin requirements. It is calculated as an extra page. – On the first page in the upper left corner, the name and address should be indicated. If you specify the return address on the first page, it can be specified in the following format: « If re-registered: NAME AND ADDRESS. » – The names of the grantor and beneficiary must appear on the first page. If other names are used, the page number in which the names are found in the document must be indicated on the first page. – The legal description on the first page can be abbreviated, meaning land, block, flat or section, municipality, area and quarter/neighborhood section. The first page must contain a page reference indicating where the full legal description is found in the document, if applicable. – The first page of the document must contain the reference numbers of the documents assigned or published by reference to the page number of the document, where additional references can be found. – The appraiser`s parcel number must be indicated separately from the legal description or any other text.

– All fields must be completed, legible and imageable. « See attached » is not acceptable. – Attachments such as stapled, pasted or pasted notary stamps will not be accepted. – When a deed, other than those filed by government agencies, is presented to the registry office, it must not contain full Social Security numbers, the date of birth of a specific person, or the maiden name of a person`s parent to be identified with a particular person. – A document can be submitted for registration with an « emergency clause ». If you do, the following statement must be used on the cover page or first page: « I am requesting an emergency file for an additional fee under RCW 36.18.010. I understand that record processing requirements may obscure or otherwise obscure some of the text of the original document. Each document must be in writing, signed by the parties and confirmed by the parties by a person authorized to receive confirmations. – A deed of sale or transfer proving a sale subject to tax will not be accepted for submission or registration by the District Auditor until the tax has been paid and payment verified. If the fee is not due at the time of the transfer, the deed will only be accepted after the treasurer has made a note to that effect on the deed.

Most real estate transactions require registration under state law. These documents include deeds, mortgage documents, liens, notices and subdivision and real estate contracts. The answers to these questions inform our staff of the intent of the document and they must decide if an additional admission fee is required. You can help make the record-keeping process faster and more accurate by ensuring that your document has a clear and understandable title and that you clearly communicate the full intent of the document, either through the title or in a guidance sheet submitted with the document. Once saved, your document becomes part of the persistent public record and cannot be deleted or edited. If you have made a mistake that needs to be corrected, you will need to re-save your document. You must provide the original or a certified copy of the original with the correction made and a statement on the first page indicating the correction. Example: « Reincluded for correct legal description ». The document is registered, given a new registration number and refers to the original registration.

In case of readmission, a new admission fee is required. Note: There are no additional page fees when capturing multiple documents in a single transaction. A document with multiple titles is a single document that contains more than one transaction, where each transaction can stand alone and requires separate entries in our database. Under state law, each transaction in a single document that meets this definition requires a separate admission fee. The registrar`s office is responsible for registering all documents submitted for registration, provided they meet formatting and readability requirements and important indexing information is present. Different documents have different requirements for legal functioning. Some require notarization of signatures and others do not. The recorder office cannot guide you to the legal requirements of your specific documents. It is recommended that you research and carefully review your documents before submitting them for a memorandum.

If you need help preparing your documents, you should consult a lawyer. Standard fee: First page $103.50 for each additional page $1.00 Exceptions: assignment of escrow, resignation and appointment of an estate trustee, appointment of a trustee and replacement of a trustee. 1st page $18.00 Each additional page $1.00 Trust Deed: 1. Page $104.50 Each additional page $1.00 Documents with multiple titles – First page fee for each transaction title Non-standard documents include a fee of $50.00 in addition to the normal registration fee. Birth/death certificates $39.00 for each additional page $1.00 Replacement of trustee by deed of reassignment First page $121.50 Each additional page $1.00 Dishes – Surveys – Short dishes – Condominium – BSP First page $187.50 Each additional page $5.00 Adjustment of the dividing line First page $167.50 Each additional page $1.00 Licenses issued by the county Marriage Licence $60.00 Processing Server $10.00 Copy requests and Other fees: Certified copy 1st page $3.00 Regular copy 1st page $1.00 Each additional page $1.00 file search (per hour – 1 hour minimum $8.00 fees are subject to change without notice. The King County Registrar`s Office accepts electronic submission of documents through a process called electronic registration. If you submit documents frequently, you may find this process more convenient and efficient than submitting paper copies of your documents. You can submit your documents electronically through a third-party provider or directly through a King County Agent account. If you are interested, please contact the Office of the Clerk directly. When someone is added to a title or names are changed on a title, people usually register a document/deed of transfer.

You can get blank legal documents at a stationery or office supply store. It must be completed and notarized. The secretariat cannot help you complete your certificate.