Land Services

The County Clerk is the registrar of deeds, mortgages, satisfactions of mortgages, judgments and liens. A search of land records can be done at the Clerk's Office in person or you can call, or email. Please be as specific as possible when requesting a search.

If the Clerk's Office performs the search it is a $5.00 per name for land records back to 1968. For land record searches prior to 1968 it is $5 for every two years per name. Copies are $0.65 per page, $1.30 minimum. The fee to certify a document is an additional $5.00.

The County Clerk's office accepts cash or check for payment.

Mortgage Tax and Recording Fees

  • Tompkins County Mortgage Tax: 1%

If the mortgage is over $10,000 and is a one or two family dwelling there is a $25.00 deduction. It must be clearly stated on the mortgage that it is a one-or-two family dwelling to claim the exemption

  • First Page: $50
  • Each Additional Page: $5
  • Mortgage Tax Affidavit (one original): $5
  • Notations, if requested, please clearly write notations on the back of the document: $0.50 each

Assignment of Mortgage

  • First Page: $50
  • Each Additional Page: $5
  • Each Additional Mortgage being assigned: $3.50 each

Discharge of Mortgage

  • First Page: $50
  • Each Additional Page: $5
  • Each Additional New Money Mortgage being discharged on the same document: Double the fee of the first
  • Each Additional Mortgage without new money i.e. CEMA, Mod: $0.50 per notation

Deeds

  • First Page (includes cover page): $50
  • Each Additional Page: $5
  • Transfer Tax: $6/per $1000
  • Deed Notice - for all residential deeds recorded on or after 03/11/2020: $10/per deed
  • TP-584(PDF, 521KB): $5
  • RP-5217(PDF, 88KB) (we no longer carry this form in our office, please download using the link)
    • If one of the following boxes is checked: 7A, 7B, 7E or both 7G AND box 8 or if the property class code in item 18 is 100 through 199; or 200 through 299; or 411-C: $125
    • If none of the above apply: $250
    • What fee do I pay when there are two parcels with different property class codes on one RP-5217? The fee would be which ever parcel has the higher assessed value. For example: One parcel is a property class 210 (Single Family dwelling) and parcel is a property class code 311 (Vacant Land) - the 210 is assessed at $150,000 and the 311 is assessed at $25,000. The fee for the RP would be $125 because the 210 parcel has a higher assessed value.

Out of State Sellers - NYS Requires an IT-2663 be filled out. For more information on the IT-2663 please click here. NYS changes the IT-2663 every year, please make sure the form you printed is for the current year.

Additional Resources

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