The primary function of the Recorder's office is to accurately record and maintain public records according to the statutes of the State of Indiana and make them accessible for viewing by the public. We preserve a wide variety of official documents affecting real estate and numerous other valuable miscellaneous documents including affidavits, plats, military discharges, contracts, and federal tax liens.
About the Elkhart County Recorder
Recorders Duties
- Record any document submitted for recording, as long as it meets essential requirements.
- Records and/or Files the following types of documents: Deeds, Mortgages, Assignments, Releases, Affidavits, various types of Liens, Uniform Commercial Code documents, various types of Corporation and Business documents, Subdivision Plats and Condominiums, Military Discharges, various Court documents, and all other Miscellaneous documents.
- Provide copies of any document that is recorded, including certification, upon request.
Essential Recording Requirements
- Notarization or Acknowledgement – Most documents must be notarized or acknowledged to be recorded. The notary must include County of Residence, Commission Expiration Date, and Notary Seal. Per the Secretary of State’s office, a Notary seal must include the following requirements:
- The words “notary public”
- The words “State of Indiana”
- The word “seal”
- The name of the notary public exactly as it appears on the individual’s commission certificate.
- The words “commission number” followed by the commission number of the notary public.
- The words “My commission expires” followed by the expiration date of the notary public’s commission.
- Legibility of Names – All signatures must be printed or typed beneath them exactly as signed.
- Name Consistency - The name of each person who executed the instrument appears identically in the body of the instrument, in the acknowledgment or proof, the person's signature, and beneath the person's signature.
- Name of Person Preparing Document – Documents notarized, executed, or acknowledged in the State of Indiana, must have a Prepared By Statement at the conclusion of the document, including the preparer’s name, which should be printed.
- Transfer of Documents for Taxation – All documents purported to convey title, transfer title, or change title, must have the endorsem*nt of the Auditor’s Office prior to recording.
- Social Security Numbers on Documents – Beginning January 1, 2006, it is illegal to present for recording a document that contains a Social Security Number, unless the Social Security Number is required to be on the document by Federal or State statute.
- Tax Mailing Address - A conveyance may not be recorded after June 30, 2007, unless the conveyance includes a statement containing substantially the following information:
- "The mailing address to which statements should be mailed under IC 6-1.1-22-8.1 is [insert proper mailing address]. The mailing address of the grantee is [insert proper mailing address]."
Beginning July 1, 2006, every document acknowledged, executed, or notarized in the State of Indiana, must have the following Affirmation statement at the conclusion of the document.
I affirm, under the penalties for perjury, that I have taken reasonable care to redact each Social Security Number in this document, unless required by law.
This Affirmation Statement must be followed by an individual’s name that can be handwritten or typed. If it is a signature, it is required that the name be printed underneath the signature.
All documents must have a CLEAR two (2) inch margin at the top and bottom of the first and the last page, and CLEAR one-half (1/2) inch margins everywhere else.
Regular documents are to be no smaller than 8½ by 11 inches and no larger than 8½ by 14 inches. Anything over that will be charged as an oversized document. Plats, Surveys, and Horizontal Properties are to be 18 by 24 inches.
Real Estate Searches
For liability reasons, this office does not conduct real estate searches. Please contact an abstractor, a title company, or visit our office to view our records.
For liability reasons, this office does not give out recording information over the phone.
Preparing a Document
The Recorder’s Office does not have blank forms and cannot prepare a document for you. You may either contact an attorney, title company, prepare it yourself, etc. Our office does NOT give legal advice and cannot help you fill out a document.
Miscellaneous Document & Recording Notes
Blanket assignments and releases are not accepted. Each assignment or release must be an individual document. The original document will always be returned after progressing through the archival process. Self Addressed Stamped Envelopes are required for document returns.
Military Discharges
Effective May 15, 2007, in response to the ongoing identity theft crisis, a Military Discharge Document (DD-214) is considered by Indiana State Statute to be a confidential document. According to Indiana Code 10-17-2-4, only specific persons and/or entities are allowed to view and obtain copies of these documents after providing photographic identification. The list is very specific and set out within the statute. In order to comply with this statute, you will be asked to provide a photo ID. If you would like to obtain a copy of a DD214 please visithttps://www.in.gov/dva/request-dd214/and fill out the request form before visiting the office. If you have any questions please call the office
A Note about Illegible Documents
The Recorder’s Office is required by law to furnish copies and certified copies of any recorded document upon request. The Indiana Statutes also instruct us to refuse to record illegible documents that will not be able to provide a clear reproduction after filming and/or digitally imaging. Unfortunately, filming and/or digitally imaging cannot make a poor quality document better, it stays the same, or in some cases, get worse.
The following qualities are not good for reproduction:
- Too Light – after filming and/or imaging, a portion of the document may disappear from view.
- Too Dark – after filming and/or imaging, a portion of the document may be obscured from view.
- Blurry – after filming and/or imaging, a portion of the document may become too degraded to read and reproduce.
- ‘Bleeding’ Letters – after filming and/or imaging, the ‘bleeding’ could obscure surrounding portions of the document rendering it unreadable.
- Words and Letter Overlapping Others – after filming and/or imaging, overlapping words and letter obscure each other from view.
- Parts of Words, Letters, or Paragraphs Missing – after filming and/or scanning, these missing parts do not ‘magically’ reappear. They are gone and no one will ever know what was printed there.
- Streaks or Shadings Over the Page – after filming and/or imaging, these streaks and shading could obscure from view a portion of the document.
- Print too Small – State statute requires a minimum of 10 point type. Type smaller than this makes the document very difficult to read, and nearly impossible to produce a clean, crisp reproduction after filming and/or scanning.
Online Resources Available
View and print digital recorded documents (nominal fee required).
For account holders who regularly search recorded documents. Please contact the office for more information.
A free service that can alert you any time a document is recorded in your name.
Honor Rewards is a program that enables local veterans to receive discounts and benefits from local businesses and retailers that elect to participate in the program. Select the link above and go to Elkhart County’s page to sign up and see the discounts offered.
Doing Business As Form
When finished please bring into the Recorders Office. If you are mailing it please send a check payable to the Elkhart County Recorder’s Office along with a self-addressed stamped envelope to return it. Cost is $25.00 to record.
E-Recording Information
The Elkhart County Recorder’s Office accepts e-recording from businesses. We accept documents submitted by businesses through the following eRecording vendors.
Because of unforeseen errors and technical problems, the Elkhart County Recorder’s Office cannot guarantee any documents that are submitted electronically will be recorded that same day.
Simplifile
Phone: 1-800-460-5657
Email: Support@simplifile.com
Website: www.simplifile.com
EPN -
Phone: 888-325-3365
Email: Support@GOePN.com
Website: www.GOePN.com
CSC
Phone: 1-866-652-0111
Email: erecording@cscglobal.com
Website: www.erecording.com
Indiana County Recorders Fee Schedule
(Effective July 1, 2017)
Mortgages and Liens
Mortgages & Subordinate Mortgages, including re-records $55.00
Deeds and all other instruments, including re-records, UCC's and UCC Information Request $25.00
Plats (18”x24”) $25.00
- Each additional page (18”x24”) $5.00
Mechanic’s Lien (including one mail out) $25.00
- Each additional mail out $2.00
Copies 11” x 17” or smaller, per page $1.00
Copies larger than 11” x 17”, per page $5.00
Certification of Document $5.00
Make Checks Payable To: Elkhart County Treasurer
There will be a $20.00 Returned Check Fee to the Elkhart County Treasurer on any returned check, no matter what the reason. All fees for the Elkhart County Recorder’s Office are set by state statute and cannot be waived, increased, or decreased.
