Recording

If your question has not been answered after reading the following information, please call 541-440-4320 before you present your document for recording.

• All documents presented for recording must have original signatures. (ORS 93.804)
• All documents presented for recording must be properly notarized. (ORS 93.410; 205.130 (4))

At this time the only exceptions are:

• Certified copies of Death Certificates
• DD214 (Military Discharge)
• Documents certified by the State Court
• Fixture Filings (notary not required)
• Liens signed by the U.S. of America or the State of Oregon
• Mining Locations (notary not required)
• Vacations signed by the Douglas County Board of Commissioners

Document Requirements

Your document must:

• Be on paper no larger than 8 1/2 by 14
• Have a font no smaller than 8 point
• Be on paper heavy enough not to allow bleed-through from the back side when copied
• The first page of your document must contain:
  • The name(s) of the transaction
  • The name(s) of the grantor(s) and grantee(s)
  • The person and address (for mailing purposes) to whom the document is to be returned
  • For instruments conveying or contracting to convey fee title, the true and actual consideration paid for the transfer
  • For instruments conveying or contracting to convey fee title, tax statement information
  • Information required for the county clerk lien record including the name of the claimant, name of the debtor, amount of the lien

If your document lacks any of the above items, a $20 nonstandard fee will be added to the regular recording fee)(ORS.205.327)

Legal Description

Your document must also have an acceptable legal description such as:

• The book and page and/or instrument number of a recorded deed where the legal can be found
• A lot, block, subdivision
• A metes and bounds description
• Or a parcel in a partition

Please note: The Assessors map and tax lot number and/or account number is not acceptable as a legal description for recording.

Fee Information

• All fees must be paid at the time of recording. We accept cash, check, money order or credit/debit cards. Note: credit/debit cards cannot be accepted for recording by mail. Please make your check or money order payable to "Douglas County Clerk".
• If you do not include the correct amount or are more than $10 over the correct fee, we will return the instrument(s) to you unrecorded for proper fees. Under County Ordinance 2013-06-01, Section 3.12.206 ("Refund of Overpayments"), we may retain overages up to $10 unless we are specifically requested otherwise. If we are asked not to retain the overage, we will return the document to you unrecorded for proper fees.
• You may wish to send a "not to exceed" check with the recording.

Call us at 541-440-4320 or come into the office if you have specific questions about recording fees.

Please note: The Douglas County Clerk requires that a Recording Certificate (PDF) page be attached to each document presented for recording. We will attach the Recording Certificate form for you or you may print your own and affix it to your document.

Fee Schedule

View the Current Recording Fee Schedule as of June 2, 2018 (PDF).

The Recording Division does not do research by telephone, fax or email request. If you need research done and are unable to come to the Courthouse, contact the Archives Division at 541-440-4320 for information.

Remember, you can now access all of the direct/indirect indexes of property records at the Recording Inquiry portion of this website under Deed Indexes 1990 and Older. Although no images are available, you may search by the names of the grantors and grantees and locate document identifiers. The Recording Division also offers a subscription (PDF) to the index and images from 1992 to yesterday and of images of documents back to 1965 by instrument number. The minimum fee is $90 for 3 months of service.

Fees

Fees for copies/research, generally:

205.244 Recording of corrected instruments:

1. An instrument that has been previously recorded may be rerecorded to make corrections in the original instrument.
2. The County Clerk shall record an instrument presented for rerecording as provided in subsection (1) of this section. The corrected instrument need not be acknowledged again. The person presenting the instrument for rerecording shall cause a rerecording certificate to be affixed to the first page of the instrument or added as a new first page to the instrument. The rerecording certificate shall contain the words "Rerecorded at the request of ____________________________________ to correct ____________________________________. Previously recorded in book _________________ and page _____________________, or as fee number __________________________."
3. A certified copy of a recorded instrument may not be altered for the purpose of correcting the original instrument. The person presenting the instrument may present an unaltered certified copy of the recorded instrument when it is attached to a cover sheet authorized by ORS 205.234 (2). The cover sheet must contain the rerecording certificate described in subsection (2) of this section. The rerecorded document may include attachments identified on the cover sheet that are necessary to make the corrections.
4. A county clerk shall not incur civil or criminal liability, either personally or in an official capacity, for recording a corrected instrument under this section. [1991 c.230 §9; 2009 c.302 §1]

How to Present Your Rerecording

Original previously recorded document:

1. You must have the original previously recorded document including the recording certificate page with the recording information on it.
2. Make the changes to the original document.
3. Prepare the rerecording page per ORS 205.244 (2).
4. Place the rerecording page on top of the recording certificate that is part of the recorded document; place a new recording certificate page on top of the rerecording page.
5. Using the Rerecording Fees list (PDF), choose the fee for the first two pages of the rerecording. Add $5 per each additional page after the first two pages.

Certified Copy

1. If you do not have the original recording you may rerecord a certified copy of the recorded document.
2. You cannot alter the certified copy in any way per ORS 205.244 (3).
3. You may add information to the document by attaching new pages with an explanation of what needs to be changed; adding new legal description, changing Grantors/Grantees etc.
4. Add the pages explaining what you are changing.
5. Prepare the rerecording page per ORS 205.244 (2).
6. Place the rerecording page on top of the certified copy of the document; place a new recording certificate on top of the rerecording page.
7. Using the Rerecording Fees list (PDF), choose the fee for the first two pages of the rerecording. Add $5 for each additional page after the first two pages.

Remember: You cannot alter the certified copy in any way.