what does the salt lake county recorder's office do

Recorder Mission

The mission of the Salt Lake County Recorder’s Office is to record and protect the citizen’s right to hold and own real property by maintaining comprehensive, accurate and searchable records of all property transactions, and ensuring a permanent chain of title. We strive to provide great customer service to the public and other County agencies.

How far back do the records go?

Brigham Young established the Recorder's Office in 1850. Many early Utah residents had lost land in the Midwest, land that was purchased with a handshake, so they were very anxious to establish a public record of land transactions.

How many records are on file in Salt Lake County Recorder's Office?

There are over 13,000,000 documents in the custody of the Salt Lake County Recorder's Office. Every day we add and record on average of 1,000 and 1,200 documents.

Why is the Recorder an elected official?

The Recorder's Office is independent by statute for many reasons. One of which being the potential conflict of interest if the County, who buys and sells property, also establishes boundary lines while being the custodian of Public Record. The County Recorder is elected to assure that the Recorder's Office is responsible to the citizens of the County

Why does the Recorder's Office charge to place documents in the Public Record? 

By State Statute, there is a fee for services in the Recorder's Office for two reasons: the exchange of funds is required by law to complete real property transactions and fees collected in Salt Lake County are enough to cover 100% of operating costs for the Recorder's Office. This means only those who use the Recorder's Office pay for it, not all taxpayers.

Does the Recorder's Office do anything other than record documents? 

The Recorder's Office is responsible for the creation and the accuracy of the County plat maps. These maps define every parcel of land in the County for ownership and tax assessment purposes.