The Register of Deeds office files and records documents that pertain to real estate. These documents include deeds, mortgages, easements, oil and gas leases, affidavits and plats. Filing fees are set by state statute. Documents presented for filing are given a filing time, book and page and then indexed according to names, and legal descriptions. With all these indexing methods, documents are usually easy to find. Copies of any documents are made for a small fee. This office also files liens on personal property ‑ also known as UCC (Uniform Commercial Code) filings. These would include federal and state tax liens, liens for automobile repair and liens on irrigation equipment (fixtures).

Kinds of records filed in the office of the Register of Deeds

• Patents
• Final Receipts
• Deeds
• Mortgages
• Leases
• Assignments
• Affidavits
• Articles of Incorporation
• Certificates of Death
• Power of Attorney
• Honorable Military Discharges
• Plats
• Surveys
• UCC's (Uniform Commercial Code)
• County School Records
• Tax Liens (State and Federal)
• Cemetery Plats

General Recording Requirements

The following information outlines general recording requirements:

Documents must be signed and notarized
Signatures and Notaries must be original. Photocopies cannot be recorded unless they are certified copies from another recording office. Notary seals must be legible and must include the expiration date, if applicable. If a raised seal is used, the name must be typed or printed below the signature line. An additional $1.00 fee will be charged if the typed or printed name is missing.

Legal Description of Real Property
Examples include: Lot, Block & Addition or Subdivision name. Boundaries by a metes and bounds description including the Section, Township and Range.

Documents must be legible
The document shall be of sufficient legibility so as to produce and clear and legible reproduction thereof. If a document is judged not to be of sufficient legibility so as to produce a clear and legible reproduction, such document shall be accompanied by an exact copy thereof and which shall be of sufficient legibility so as to produce a clear and legible reproduction thereof and which shall be recorded contemporaneously with the document and shall be counted as additional pages. The register of deeds may reject any document which is not of sufficient legibility so as to produce a clear and legible reproduction thereof.

Real estate documents are recorded and returned after processing
Real estate documents are returned, in Graham County, within 24 hours. Personal property documents are filed and kept until expired or terminated.

Fees to be paid at the time of filing.
Fees are set by state statute. For the complete fee schedule see KSA 28‑115. A shortened version of the fee schedule is available using one of the links on this site.

Mortgage registration tax is required to be paid when a mortgage is filed.
The tax is calculated by multiplying the principal indebtedness by $.0026. This tax is in addition to regular filing fee.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the Register of Deeds Office?
The Register of Deeds office is the county office where all transactions involving real estate are recorded; i.e.: deeds, mortgages, mortgage releases, assignments, oil & gas leases, tax liens, etc. This office also files financing statements on personal property. These records are open to the public. Military discharges are also filed here.

2. What is a deed?
A deed is a document that transfers real estate from one party to another.

3. How do I change the name on my deed?
Once a document has been filed in this office, the document itself will not be changed ‑ in order to transfer the property you will have to have a new deed prepared. To avoid future legal problems, we recommend that you have an abstractor or an attorney do this for you.

4. What happens if I lose my deed?
Nothing, providing it was filed in this office ‑ for a nominal fee you will always be able to receive a copy of your deed.

5. Can the Register of Deeds office issue a statement showing who owns (holds title to) a particular parcel of land?
We can assist you in searching our records, but only an abstractor can issue a certificate of title.

6. What are the requirements for filing a document?
A document has to have a legal description, original signatures and be notarized. The proper filing fees have to be paid. A deed has to be accompanied by a Kansas Sales Validation Questionnaire ‑ a form that assists the County Appraiser in assessing the property.

7. Can I find birth, death and marriage records in the register of deeds office?
Sorry ‑ these records are filed with the Division of Vital Statistics in Topeka, Kansas. We do have forms that you can fill out to obtain certified copies of these records ‑ or you can visit their website and download the forms. Their phone number is 785‑296‑1400. http://www.kdhe.state.ks.us/vital/

8. My spouse recently died ‑ how do I change the name on my deed?
If you owned the property in joint tenancy you need to file a certified copy of the death certificate with the register of deeds office. This will remove the name of the deceased party from the title to the real estate. A new deed will not be made but the records will reflect that one party is deceased.