A deed is an instrument through which a buyer obtains title to the property being sold.

All documents recorded must have original signatures except in the case of certified copies from certain courts. 

Yes, or witnessed by two people.  Notary is the preferred method of authentication. 

There are several steps that each document goes through before it is returned to the filer.  It must first be determined whether the document is recordable and if correct fees are enclosed.  The document is given an instrument number, scanned into the computer system, entered into the computer, indexed, information verified, and returned to the customer.

Once a document is recorded, it is returned to the filer.  The document is scanned and saved in a computer system here and saved at an off-site facility.

Recording fees are set by Tennessee Statute.  (See the Recording Fees)

The earliest records in the Register of Deeds office, transcribed by hand in elaborate manuscript, date back to the late 1700’s.

Most documents can be located by simply giving us the owner’s name, the legal description, and approximate recording date. 

Absolutely.  All of our records, excluding military discharges, are public records

The records in the Register of Deeds office will list liens such as mortgages, fixture filings, Deeds of Trust, and Construction Liens.  State and Federal tax liens are filed against an individual.  But not all liens are filed in this office; you may wish to check with the courts and Secretary of State.

You may come to our office and attempt to locate easements on a property by searching the indexes for your property.  Our records will show any easements that have been recorded in our office.  Some easements are also recorded on deeds and may not be easily located.  Easements are often difficult to find because many of them have not been recorded in our office.  The services of a lawyer or abstract company may be required to sort through easement issues.

The Knox County Register of Deeds office is now offering a free Fraud Notification System to the public.  The service sends you an email notification when a document is recorded in the Knox County Register of Deeds office that matches the name(s) you entered in the system.  

https://alertme.knoxrod.org/

Not in our office.  The Assessor’s office may have some information regarding the date a house was built.

You may find records in the Fourth Circuit Court and Chancery Court concerning divorce records, Probate Court concerning probate records, and County Clerk concerning marriage records.  The Tennessee Department of Vital Statistics has records concerning birth and death records.

No.  You must enlist the services of a professional title company or abstractor who search records other than those in the Register of Deeds Office to determine if the title is clear.

Everything recorded in the Register of Deeds Office, excluding military discharge, is a public record.

No.  Copies of birth and death certificates may be obtained through the Tennessee Bureau of Vital Statistics.

When military members are discharged, the military encourages the discharged member to record the military discharge papers, also known as DD214’s, with the Register of Deeds office.  If you choose to record your DD214, you may bring it into the Knox County Register of Deeds office where it will become part of the permanent record.  There is no fee for this service.  These records are confidential.

A deed should be recorded as soon as possible after the transaction takes place.  Numerous legal problems could arise regarding the property if not recorded.  However, there is no time limit on recording deeds.

No, each county records only the documents pertaining to the real estate in their county.

No.  Any change in ownership generally requires that a new deed be prepared, signed, and recorded.  Exceptions to this rule may result either from court cases (i.e., divorces, foreclosures, probate, etc.) or from deaths where certain legal verbiage exists in the document and a death certificate has been recorded in our office.  In these cases, the deed itself will not change even though ownership does.  Evidence of ownership exists in the combination of the related documents.

No.  Records in the Courthouse show your original deed and the deed(s) for portions sold.

We accept maps/plats that are 24×36, as well as 18×24 for recording.  These are the only two sizes we accept.

Yes you may; however, we always recommend consulting an attorney regarding property transfers and changes, because minor changes in the wording of the document can completely change the legal meaning of the document.  The Register of Deeds office is a recording agency only; we cannot make out deeds or answer questions regarding legal matters.

No. The Register of Deeds does not provide forms for documents to be filed.  Again, we urge you to use a real estate attorney/title company.

No problem!  The primary evidence of ownership of land is not so much the deed itself as the recording of the deed.  If your deed is lost, a certified copy may be obtained from our office for a fee of $1.00 per page and acts as the original document. 

A document is generally recorded the same day it is received.  It usually takes a day to complete the process of checking data entry, scanning, etc.  The original is then returned to the filer.

The most common types of documents recorded are, but not limited to:

• Deeds of Trust
• Liens, lien releases
• Powers of Attorney
• Bonds
• Property plat maps
• Warranty Deeds
• & other miscellaneous documents designated by state law to be recorded by the Register of Deeds. If you have a question as to whether you can record a particular document, please contact the Register of Deeds office for clarification.