Arizona Property Records: How to Search Deeds, Liens, and Title Statewide
Find Owners · Deeds · Liens · Title Search · Preliminary Reports
Arizona property records are public and recorded by the County Recorder in each of the state’s 15 counties, with an affidavit of value filed at most conveyances and no transfer tax. This guide explains how to find deeds, deeds of trust, liens, owners, and title information in Arizona, in person, online, or through a professional report. For a complete title search, lien search, certified deed copy, or preliminary title report on any Arizona property, U.S. Title Records delivers an abstractor-prepared report by email, from $29, with no subscription.
How to Access Arizona Property Records
Arizona property records are public documents recorded and maintained by the County Recorder in the county where the property is located, and there are three ways to access them: in person at the Recorder’s office, online through the county’s index, or through a professional title search. Arizona has 15 counties, each with a County Recorder that records deeds, deeds of trust, and liens against a parcel number and legal description, while value is set separately by the county assessor, which carries two values for every parcel: the Full Cash Value reflecting the market and the Limited Property Value, the taxable value capped at 5 percent annual growth under Proposition 117. Three more Arizona features shape a records search: home loans are secured by a deed of trust that is typically foreclosed without a court at a trustee’s sale, with no redemption after that sale; most conveyances record with an affidavit of value, and Arizona charges no transfer tax, which voters banned in the state constitution in 2008; and Arizona is a community property state, so a married owner’s spouse can hold an interest that does not appear on the face of a deed.
In person: visit the County Recorder in the county where the property sits and search the grantor-grantee index, and check the assessor and treasurer for values and tax status. Online: most counties, led by Maricopa’s high-volume systems, offer an online recording index and an assessor parcel search, though the depth of older records varies. Professional report: for a complete picture across the Recorder’s records, the assessor and treasurer, and the court records in one document, a title search compiles ownership, the chain of title, deeds of trust, liens, and tax status without an in-person visit.
U.S. Title Records performs Arizona property records research for any of the 15 counties, delivering a title search, lien search, deed copy, or preliminary title report by email, from $29, with no account or subscription. For the rest of the country, see our property records by state directory.
County Recorder and the Affidavit of Value
Each of the 15 Arizona counties records deeds, deeds of trust, and liens through the County Recorder, with most conveyances filing an affidavit of value stating the price or an exemption code. Arizona charges a flat recording fee and no transfer tax. Documents are indexed by grantor, grantee, and parcel number. We cover every Arizona county at the same price.
Deed of Trust and the Trustee’s Sale
Arizona secures home loans with a deed of trust, and a default is typically foreclosed without a court: the trustee records a notice of trustee’s sale at least ninety days before the auction, and once the trustee’s deed issues there is no redemption on that path. Our reports flag open deeds of trust and recorded sale notices. Title search from $29.
Two Values: Full Cash and Limited Property Value
The Arizona assessor carries two values for every parcel: the Full Cash Value tracking the market and the Limited Property Value, the taxable value capped at 5 percent annual growth under Proposition 117, with an assessment ratio of 10 percent for most homes. Our $29 report shows the parcel, values, and tax status.
Tax Lien Certificates and Community Property
Delinquent Arizona taxes are sold as liens at the treasurer’s February tax lien sale, where buyers bid the interest rate down from 16 percent and receive a certificate of purchase, and community property can put a spouse’s interest on title. Both must be checked. Lien search from $95.
Arizona Property Records at a Glance
The key facts and figures behind an Arizona property records search, from the recording office to the statewide market and tax picture
Figures are approximate statewide medians (U.S. Census American Community Survey, household income approximately $77,000 and median home value approximately $395,000, with Phoenix-metro market measures around $410,000 and above; SmartAsset, Ownwell, and ACS-derived measures, an effective rate of roughly 0.4 to 0.6 percent, among the lowest in the nation, with a typical bill near $1,850) and vary by county, from Maricopa near the statewide rate to Pima at the high end. The Arizona assessor carries a Full Cash Value and a Limited Property Value, the taxable value capped at 5 percent annual growth under Proposition 117, with an assessment ratio of 10 percent for most homes; deeds and deeds of trust are recorded by the County Recorder with an affidavit of value and no transfer tax; foreclosure is typically a non-judicial trustee’s sale; delinquent taxes are sold as liens each February with interest bid down from 16 percent; and Arizona is a community property state. Arizona property is identified by a parcel number and a legal description. For exact figures on a specific property, order a Property Detail Report ($29).
Types of Arizona Property Records
Arizona property records cover every recorded document that affects a parcel, and knowing the main types makes any search faster, with two features that set Arizona apart: the two-value assessment system and the February tax lien sale. The records you will encounter most are deeds and deeds of trust, judgments and liens, and the assessment and tax records.
Deeds and deeds of trust. A deed conveys ownership, and Arizona uses the general warranty deed (warranting title against all claims), the special warranty deed (very common in Arizona, warranting only against the grantor’s own acts), and the quitclaim deed (conveying whatever interest the grantor has, without warranty). Arizona adds two of its own: the beneficiary deed, a recorded, revocable deed that passes the property at the owner’s death outside probate, and the disclaimer deed, by which a spouse disclaims any community property interest when the other spouse takes title separately. A deed of trust is different: it secures a loan among the borrower, the lender, and a trustee, and when the loan is paid off a deed of release clears it from the record. Because a defaulted deed of trust can proceed straight to a trustee’s sale, the recorded deed of trust, any assignment, and any notice of trustee’s sale are central records.
Judgments and liens. Liens are voluntary (the deed of trust you give a lender) or involuntary. In Arizona, a money judgment becomes a lien on the debtor’s real estate in a county when the judgment is recorded with the County Recorder there, and it must be recorded county by county to reach property across the state. Other involuntary liens include federal and state tax liens, a mechanics lien filed by a contractor or supplier on short statutory deadlines, and assessment liens in Arizona’s many planned communities. Delinquent property taxes add the treasurer’s layer: the taxes are sold as liens at the February tax lien sale, and the buyer holds a certificate of purchase.
Assessment and taxes. The county assessor carries two values for every parcel: the Full Cash Value, which reflects the market and is not capped, and the Limited Property Value, the taxable value capped at 5 percent annual growth under Proposition 117, to which an assessment ratio, 10 percent for most homes, is applied. With effective rates among the lowest in the nation and no transfer tax, the tax records are simple but still decisive. A reliable Arizona search reads the County Recorder’s records, the assessor and treasurer, and the court records together.
Arizona Title Search
An Arizona title search examines the recorded history of a property to establish who owns it and what claims are attached to it, reading the County Recorder’s records, the assessor and treasurer, and the court records together. A complete property title search reads the chain of recorded deeds in the Recorder’s grantor-grantee index to confirm current ownership and how title is held, traces any beneficiary deed or disclaimer deed in the chain, identifies every open deed of trust and verifies the deeds of release for the paid ones, checks for a recorded notice of trustee’s sale, searches for judgments recorded against the owner, checks for mechanics liens and federal and state tax liens, and reviews the assessor and treasurer for the two values, the tax status, and any tax lien sold at the February sale. Because Arizona deeds of trust can move to a trustee’s sale without a court, because a sold tax lien is a clock running against the title, and because community property can put a spouse’s interest on title, a reliable title search reconciles all of these sources rather than reading the deed index alone.
U.S. Title Records performs Arizona title searches for buyers, sellers, investors, attorneys, and lenders without an in-person county visit, in Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, Yavapai, and every other county. A Title Search by Name ($75) locates property tied to a person or entity, while the Full Owner Lien Report ($195) and the Expanded Title Search ($375) deliver a comprehensive examination. Learn more about our real estate title search service.
What an Arizona Title Search Reveals
Current owner and the chain of conveyance, how title is held, beneficiary and disclaimer deeds, open deeds of trust and missing releases, any recorded notice of trustee’s sale, recorded judgments, federal and state tax liens, mechanics liens, tax status and any sold tax lien with an outstanding certificate of purchase, and easements. The examination covers the County Recorder, the assessor and treasurer, and the courts together.
Why Use a Professional Search
Records are public, but the trustee’s sale timeline, the sold-lien and redemption status through the treasurer, and the community-property wrinkle make a self-search easy to get wrong. A professional search compiles it into one report. From $29.
Arizona Lien Search
An Arizona lien search identifies every recorded claim against a property or an owner, and in Arizona that means reading the County Recorder’s records for deeds of trust, recorded judgments, and mechanics liens, and the treasurer’s records for sold tax liens. Liens attach to Arizona real property from many directions: a deed of trust securing a loan, a judgment recorded with the County Recorder, a federal or state tax lien, a mechanics lien filed on short statutory deadlines, and an assessment lien in a planned community. Two Arizona features matter to a lien picture. First, a judgment reaches only the counties where it is recorded, so an owner clear in one county can carry recorded judgments in another, and the search must follow the person as well as the parcel. Second, delinquent property taxes do not simply sit as a charge: the treasurer sells the tax lien at the February tax lien sale, buyers bid the interest rate down from a 16 percent ceiling, the winning buyer takes a certificate of purchase, and interest accrues against the owner until redemption through the treasurer. If the lien is never redeemed, the certificate holder can eventually sue to foreclose the right to redeem, and the court’s judgment leads to a treasurer’s deed that cuts off the old title. A complete search reads the Recorder’s records and the treasurer and court records together.
Our lien search options scale to the need. The Lien Report ($95) covers recorded property liens, the Full Owner Lien Report ($195) adds judgments, tax, UCC, and bankruptcy against the owner, and a UCC lien search covers business filings.
Liens We Search
Deeds of trust and assignments, missing deeds of release, recorded judgments, state and federal (IRS) tax liens, mechanics liens, planned-community assessment liens, sold tax liens with outstanding certificates of purchase, and UCC financing statements.
Sold Tax Liens and Recorded Judgments
A tax lien sold at the February sale, or a judgment recorded against the owner, can cloud title and survive a careless purchase, and an unredeemed lien can mature into a treasurer’s deed. Our $195 report identifies open deeds of trust, recorded judgments, and which liens are actually attached.
Arizona Deed Copies and Deed Search
A deed is the recorded instrument that conveys Arizona real property, and a deed copy from the County Recorder is often needed to confirm ownership, prepare a transfer, or resolve a title question. Arizona conveyances run through the general warranty deed (the strongest protection), the special warranty deed (warranting only against the grantor’s own acts, and common in Arizona sales), and the quitclaim deed (conveying whatever interest the grantor has, without warranty), joined by two Arizona instruments: the beneficiary deed, a recorded, revocable deed that passes the property at death outside probate, and the disclaimer deed, by which a spouse disclaims a community property interest. An Arizona deed must be signed, acknowledged before a notary, and recorded with the County Recorder to give notice, with an affidavit of value stating the price or an exemption code, a flat recording fee, and no transfer tax, and it is indexed by grantor, grantee, and parcel number. In a community property state, a conveyance of community real estate generally requires both spouses. A deed of trust, by contrast with a deed, is not a conveyance of ownership to a buyer but a security instrument, cleared by a recorded deed of release when the loan is paid.
U.S. Title Records retrieves recorded Arizona deeds and supporting documents. A Deed Copy ($45) delivers the recorded vesting deed, and the Property Detail Report ($29) confirms the current owner, the parcel, and how title is held. For the full conveyance history, the Chain of Title ($275) assembles every deed in order.
Arizona Preliminary Title Reports
A preliminary title report sets out the condition of title before a transaction closes, so a buyer, lender, or investor knows the ownership, the liens, and the exceptions in advance. A preliminary report identifies the current owner and how title is held, any beneficiary or disclaimer deed in the chain, the open deeds of trust and the release status of the paid ones, any recorded notice of trustee’s sale, the recorded judgments and tax liens, the mechanics liens, the tax status and any sold tax lien with an outstanding certificate of purchase, the easements and restrictions, and any other matters of record that affect the title. In Arizona it is where an unreleased deed of trust, a recorded judgment, a pending trustee’s sale, or a tax lien sold at the February sale first comes to light, and it is the standard due-diligence document at the front of an Arizona transaction.
U.S. Title Records prepares preliminary title search reports as a records-based examination of the recorded chain, the deeds of trust and releases, the recorded judgments and mechanics liens, the trustee’s sale status, the sold-lien and redemption status, and the assessment and tax data. This is a property records and title search product, not title insurance or a commitment to insure, and it gives buyers, investors, attorneys, and lenders a clear pre-closing picture at a fraction of the cost and delay of a full underwriting file. The Chain of Title ($275) and the Expanded Title Search ($375) serve this preliminary-report purpose. See the full schedule of fees.
What a Preliminary Report Shows
Current owner and how title is held, beneficiary and disclaimer deeds, open deeds of trust and missing releases, any recorded notice of trustee’s sale, recorded judgments and tax liens, mechanics liens, tax status and any sold tax lien, easements, and restrictions. It is the pre-closing due-diligence picture for an Arizona property.
Records-Based, Not Insurance
Our preliminary title report is a comprehensive search of the public record, not a policy of title insurance or a commitment to insure. It gives buyers, lenders, and investors a fast, professional read on title before they commit. Reports from $275.
Arizona’s Two Values: Full Cash vs Limited Property Value
Every Arizona parcel carries two assessed values, and knowing which one your taxes ride on changes how the assessment record is read
The taxable value, capped
- What it is: the value your property taxes are actually computed on, both primary and secondary.
- The cap: growth limited to 5 percent per year under Proposition 117, approved by voters in 2012.
- The ratio: an assessment ratio by legal class is applied, 10 percent for most homes.
- Resets: new construction, splits, or changes in use can reset it toward market.
- In practice: in rising markets it sits well below the market value, holding bills down.
The market reflection
- What it is: the assessor’s estimate of market value for the parcel.
- No cap: it follows the market up and down without a growth limit.
- The role: the reference point for valuation appeals and for tracking what the county thinks the property is worth.
- The gap: in fast markets it can run far above the Limited Property Value.
- In practice: useful for research and appeals, but not what the bill is computed on.
Because the two values serve different jobs, an Arizona assessment record has to be read with both in view, alongside the tax status and any sold lien at the treasurer. Our $29 Property Detail Report shows the parcel, the values, the owner of record, and the tax status for any Arizona property.
Arizona Title Search and Records Reports
One pricing schedule in every Arizona county, from a quick ownership check to a full title examination, with no subscription
Property Detail Report ($29)
Ownership, parcel, and tax data for any Arizona property.
- Current owner
- Parcel number and legal description
- How title is held
- Full Cash and Limited Property Values and tax status
- Open deeds of trust of record
- Most recent recorded sale
Full Owner Lien Report ($195)
Comprehensive property AND owner lien and title search.
- Everything in the $29 report
- All recorded deeds of trust and assignments
- Recorded judgments
- Mechanics liens
- Sold tax liens and certificates of purchase
- UCC financing statements and bankruptcy
Expanded Title Search ($375)
The most comprehensive Arizona examination and preliminary report.
- Everything in the $195 report
- Complete recorded chain of title
- Release and vesting verification
- Easement and restriction research
- Preliminary title report scope
Full ladder: Property Detail $29 | Deed Copy $45 | Title Search by Name $75 | Lien Report $95 | Full Owner Lien $195 | Chain of Title $275 | Expanded $375 | Schedule of fees
Arizona Property Records by County
Professional title, lien, and deed searches in all 15 Arizona counties at the same statewide pricing, recorded by each County Recorder
Maricopa County
Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler, and Scottsdale, home to more than half of Arizona’s population and one of the busiest recording offices in the nation. Full title, lien, and deed search.
Pima County
Tucson and southern Arizona, the state’s second most populous county, with the highest effective tax rates in Arizona. $195 recommended for due diligence. Full title, lien, and deed search.
Pinal County
Casa Grande, Maricopa, and Queen Creek’s growth corridor between Phoenix and Tucson, among the fastest-growing counties in the country. Title, lien, and deed retrieval. Same pricing statewide.
Yavapai & Coconino
Prescott and the Verde Valley (Yavapai) and Flagstaff and Sedona country (Coconino), with strong second-home and land markets. $375 Expanded for full chain verification. Same pricing statewide.
Mohave & Yuma
Lake Havasu City, Kingman, and Bullhead City along the Colorado River (Mohave) and Yuma in the southwest corner, each with its own County Recorder. Title, lien, and deed retrieval. Same pricing statewide.
Cochise, Navajo & Apache
Sierra Vista and the southeast border country (Cochise) and the high country of Navajo and Apache counties, recorded county by county. Deed and title search with lien review. Same pricing statewide.
Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz & Santa Cruz
Payson and Globe (Gila), the Gila Valley (Graham and Greenlee), Parker (La Paz), and Nogales (Santa Cruz), completing the state’s 15 counties. Title, lien, and deed retrieval.
All 15 Arizona Counties
Every Arizona county, recorded by its County Recorder. Search by address or parcel number. BBB A+ since 2009, reports from $29, no subscription.
Arizona Counties We Cover
U.S. Title Records covers all 15 Arizona counties at the same pricing: Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, Yavapai, Mohave, Yuma, Coconino, Cochise, Navajo, Apache, Gila, Santa Cruz, Graham, La Paz, and Greenlee. Submit any Arizona address or parcel number to begin.
Property Records Beyond Arizona
U.S. Title Records covers Arizona and every other state at the same statewide pricing
All 50 States
Nationwide property records, title searches, lien searches, deed copies, and preliminary title reports, one schedule of fees in every state. BBB A+ since 2009.
California Property Records
Neighboring California, with its county recorder and non-judicial trustee’s sale under the Civil Code. Full title and lien search across every county.
Colorado Property Records
Colorado, with its County Clerk and Recorder and foreclosure through the Public Trustee. Title, lien, and deed search across every county.
Start a Search
Enter any Arizona or U.S. property address and choose a report from $29 to $375. Delivered as a PDF by email, no account or subscription required.
Property Owner Search
Find the current owner of any Arizona property by address or parcel number, with the recorded vesting deed and how title is held. From $29.
Deed Search
Retrieve the recorded deed or the full chain for any Arizona property, with the grantor, grantee, and recording reference. From $45.
Three Arizona Title Risks That Require Professional Examination
1. The trustee’s sale runs on ninety days of notice and ends with no redemption. An Arizona home loan is secured by a deed of trust, and when it defaults, the standard path runs outside the courts: the trustee records a notice of trustee’s sale at least ninety days before the auction, and the borrower’s chance to reinstate by paying the arrears runs until shortly before the sale. Once the auction closes and the trustee’s deed issues, Arizona gives the borrower no right of redemption on this path, which makes the sale final in a way that surprises many owners. The trade-off is Arizona’s anti-deficiency protection: on qualifying residential property, generally two and a half acres or less with a one- or two-family dwelling, the lender who forecloses at a trustee’s sale gives up any deficiency against the borrower. A judicial foreclosure through the superior court remains available, foreclosing the deed of trust like a mortgage, and it leaves a redemption period, commonly six months, and can preserve a deficiency claim subject to the same anti-deficiency limits, which is exactly why buyers must know which path produced the deed they are relying on. For a buyer or a researcher, a recorded notice of trustee’s sale is a hard deadline. U.S. Title Records flags open deeds of trust and recorded sale notices in the $195 Full Owner Lien Report.
2. Delinquent Arizona taxes are sold as liens each February, and an unredeemed certificate can mature into a treasurer’s deed. Arizona handles delinquent property taxes through the tax lien sale, and the system quietly puts a clock on the title. Each February the county treasurer auctions the tax liens on delinquent parcels, and investors bid down the interest rate they will accept from a 16 percent ceiling; the winning buyer pays the taxes and receives a certificate of purchase, and interest accrues against the owner until the lien is redeemed through the treasurer. The owner keeps the property while the certificate is outstanding, but if the lien is never redeemed, the certificate holder can eventually sue in the superior court to foreclose the right to redeem, generally after three years from the sale, and the court’s judgment leads to a treasurer’s deed that cuts off the old title. For an owner, redemption is urgent; for a buyer, an outstanding certificate of purchase on a parcel is a running clock that a deed search alone will not show, because the sold lien lives in the treasurer’s records. U.S. Title Records verifies tax status and sold liens in the $195 Full Owner Lien Report.
3. Community property, disclaimer deeds, and county-by-county judgments complicate the Arizona chain. Arizona is a community property state, so real estate acquired during marriage is generally community property regardless of whose name is on the deed, and conveying or encumbering it generally requires both spouses; Arizona practice answers with the disclaimer deed, by which a spouse disclaims any community interest when the other takes title separately, and those disclaimers, along with revocable beneficiary deeds that pass property at death outside probate, are part of the chain a search must trace. Judgments add a county dimension: a money judgment becomes a lien only in the counties where it is recorded with the County Recorder, so the search must follow the owner across county lines, and in Arizona’s many planned communities, association assessment liens add one more layer. With 15 counties, two assessed values on every parcel, and an affidavit of value on most conveyances, a thorough Arizona search is both parcel-specific and person-specific. U.S. Title Records traces the vesting, the disclaimers, and the recorded judgments in the $195 Full Owner Lien Report and the $375 Expanded Title Search.
Arizona Property Records: The Essentials
Arizona property records are the deeds, deeds of trust, and liens recorded by the County Recorder in each of the state’s 15 counties, together with the ownership and two-value assessment data held by the county assessor, the tax and tax-lien-sale records held by the treasurer, and the superior court’s judgments and foreclosure records, establishing who owns a property and what claims are attached to it. Because the standard foreclosure is a trustee’s sale with no redemption after it, because delinquent taxes are sold as liens each February, and because community property can put a spouse’s interest on title, a complete property records search reads the Recorder’s records, the assessor and treasurer, and the courts together.
The five things people search for most in Arizona are: a title search to establish ownership and encumbrances, a lien search to find claims against a property or owner, deed copies and deed records to confirm ownership, a preliminary title report for pre-closing due diligence, and the chain of title. U.S. Title Records delivers all five for every Arizona county, from $29, with no subscription.
How an Arizona Property Records Search Works
The same simple process for a title search, lien search, deed copy, or preliminary report
Enter the Address or Parcel
Provide the Arizona property address or the parcel number through the order portal. We confirm the county, parcel, and recorded chain.
Choose Your Report
From a $29 ownership check to a $375 preliminary title examination. $195 is the recommended due-diligence report; $375 for full chain and vesting verification.
Multi-Source Search
County Recorder deeds, deeds of trust, releases, and sale notices, recorded judgments, assessor values, treasurer tax status and sold liens, superior court records, UCC, and bankruptcy.
Report Compiled
Ownership and chain, how title is held, beneficiary and disclaimer deeds, open deeds of trust, judgment and lien status, both assessed values, deed copies, with references.
PDF Delivered
Report emailed. Email office@ustitlerecords.com with questions. Asset investigation through U.S. Asset Records.
No Courthouse Visit
No trip to the County Recorder or the assessor. Full examination without in-person access. One property, one fee, no subscription. BBB A+ since 2009.
Arizona Property Records Questions
Title searches, lien searches, deed copies, and preliminary reports
How Do I Search Arizona Property Records Online?
Start with the county assessor for ownership, the parcel number, and the two values, the County Recorder for recorded deeds, deeds of trust, and liens, and the treasurer for tax status and sold liens, in the county where the property sits. Most counties offer an online recording index and an assessor parcel search, led by Maricopa’s high-volume systems. Free tools rarely combine the recorded chain, the release status, the recorded judgments, and the sold-lien picture in one place. For a complete Arizona property records search, submit the address or parcel number to U.S. Title Records. From $29.
How Do I Find Out Who Owns a Property in Arizona?
The county assessor shows the owner of record by address and parcel number, and the most recent recorded deed in the Recorder’s records confirms the vesting and how title is held, including entity or trust ownership, though community property means a spouse can hold an interest not shown on the deed, and disclaimer deeds shape the vesting. A Property Detail Report ($29) combines both into one report, and a Title Search by Name ($75) finds all property tied to a person or entity in Arizona.
How Do I Find Liens on an Arizona Property?
An Arizona lien search must cover the County Recorder’s records for deeds of trust, missing releases, recorded judgments, and mechanics liens, the treasurer for delinquent taxes and any tax lien sold at the February sale, and the UCC index. Because judgments attach only in the counties where they are recorded and a sold tax lien lives in the treasurer’s records, the sources have to be read together. Our Full Owner Lien Report ($195) covers all of it against the property and the owner.
How Do I Get a Copy of a Deed in Arizona?
Recorded deeds are public, held by the County Recorder. Arizona uses the general warranty deed, the special warranty deed, and the quitclaim deed, joined by the beneficiary deed and the disclaimer deed, recorded after acknowledgment before a notary with an affidavit of value and no transfer tax, and indexed by grantor, grantee, and parcel number. A deed of trust is a security instrument cleared by a deed of release, not a conveyance to a buyer. We retrieve a recorded deed by address or parcel. A Deed Copy is $45.
What Does an Arizona Preliminary Title Report Show?
It shows the condition of title before closing: the current owner and how title is held, beneficiary and disclaimer deeds, open deeds of trust and the release status of paid ones, any recorded notice of trustee’s sale, recorded judgments and tax liens, mechanics liens, tax status and any sold tax lien with an outstanding certificate of purchase, easements, and restrictions. Our preliminary title report is a records-based examination, not title insurance, giving buyers, lenders, and investors a fast pre-closing read. The Chain of Title ($275) and Expanded ($375) serve this purpose.
How Much Does an Arizona Title Search Cost?
Property Detail $29, Deed Copy $45, Name Search $75, Lien Report $95, Full Owner Lien $195, Chain of Title $275, Expanded $375. One fee per property, no subscription. Schedule of fees.
Arizona Property Records FAQ
Are Arizona property records public?
Yes. Arizona property records are public documents. Deeds, deeds of trust, and liens are recorded with and maintained by the County Recorder in the county where the property is located, and anyone may search the grantor-grantee index or obtain a copy, in person, online through the county, or through a professional report. Ownership and assessment information is public and is held by the county assessor, which carries a Full Cash Value and a Limited Property Value for every parcel, and tax status is held by the treasurer. The main practical points are that the standard foreclosure is a trustee’s sale with no redemption after it, that most conveyances record with an affidavit of value and no transfer tax, and that community property can put a spouse’s interest on title. U.S. Title Records compiles the public record into one report from $29.
How do I find out who owns a property in Arizona?
The fastest way to find the current owner of an Arizona property is the county assessor for the county where the property sits, which lists the owner of record by address along with the parcel number and both assessed values. To confirm legal ownership and how title is held, the most recent recorded deed in the County Recorder’s records is the controlling record, and it will show whether the property is held by an individual, a married couple, a trust, or an entity such as an LLC. One Arizona wrinkle is community property: real estate acquired during marriage is generally community property regardless of whose name appears on the deed, and Arizona practice uses disclaimer deeds when one spouse takes title separately, so the vesting has to be read with those instruments in view. A Property Detail Report ($29) combines the assessor’s owner with the recorded vesting deed, and a Title Search by Name ($75) finds every property tied to a given person or entity across Arizona. Property owner search.
How do I do a title search in Arizona?
An Arizona title search reads the chain of recorded deeds in the County Recorder’s grantor-grantee index to confirm ownership and how title is held, traces any beneficiary deed or disclaimer deed in the chain, identifies every open deed of trust and verifies the deeds of release for the paid ones, checks for a recorded notice of trustee’s sale, searches for judgments recorded against the owner in each relevant county, checks for mechanics liens and federal and state tax liens, and reviews the assessor and treasurer for the two values, the tax status, and any tax lien sold at the February sale. Because judgments attach county by county, a sold tax lien lives in the treasurer’s records, and community property shapes the vesting, a reliable search reconciles the Recorder’s records, the assessor and treasurer, and the courts. You can do much of this yourself through the county, but the sold-lien status and the vesting questions are where a professional search earns its keep. U.S. Title Records performs the full examination from $29, with the Expanded Title Search ($375) as the most comprehensive option.
How does an Arizona trustee’s sale work, and is there redemption?
An Arizona trustee’s sale is the standard, non-judicial way a defaulted deed of trust is foreclosed. The trustee, a neutral third party named in the deed of trust, records a notice of trustee’s sale at least ninety days before the auction and gives the required mailed and published notices, all without a court case. The borrower’s opportunity to reinstate the loan by paying the arrears runs until shortly before the sale; once the auction closes and the trustee’s deed issues to the winning bidder, Arizona provides no right of redemption on this path, which makes the sale final. The trade-off is Arizona’s anti-deficiency protection: for qualifying residential property, generally two and a half acres or less with a one- or two-family dwelling, the lender that forecloses by trustee’s sale gives up any deficiency against the borrower. The lender can instead choose judicial foreclosure through the superior court, which is slower, leaves the borrower a redemption period, commonly six months, and can preserve a deficiency claim subject to the same limits. For anyone buying at or after a foreclosure, which path produced the deed determines whether a redemption right exists. U.S. Title Records flags open deeds of trust and recorded sale notices in the Full Owner Lien Report ($195).
How does the Arizona tax lien sale work?
Arizona handles delinquent property taxes by selling the tax lien, not the property. Each February, the county treasurer auctions the liens on delinquent parcels, and investors bid down the interest rate they are willing to accept from a 16 percent ceiling; the lowest bid wins, the buyer pays the taxes, and the treasurer issues a certificate of purchase. The owner keeps the property and can redeem at any time by paying the taxes plus the accrued interest through the treasurer, and most liens are redeemed. But if the lien is never redeemed, the certificate holder can sue in the superior court to foreclose the right to redeem, generally after three years from the sale, and the resulting judgment leads to a treasurer’s deed that conveys the property and cuts off the old title. For an owner, the sold lien is an interest meter running; for a buyer or researcher, an outstanding certificate of purchase is a title risk that sits in the treasurer’s records rather than the deed index, which is why a complete search reads both. U.S. Title Records verifies delinquent taxes, sold liens, and redemption status in the Full Owner Lien Report ($195).
What is the difference between a deed and a title in Arizona?
A deed and a title are related but not the same. A deed is a physical, recorded document that transfers ownership of real property from a grantor to a grantee, and Arizona uses the general warranty deed, the special warranty deed, and the quitclaim deed, joined by the beneficiary deed, which passes property at death outside probate, and the disclaimer deed, which waives a community property interest. Title, by contrast, is the legal concept of ownership itself, the bundle of rights to possess, use, and dispose of the property; it is not a single document but a status established by the chain of recorded deeds. You take title to a property by receiving and recording a deed, and a title search examines the full chain of deeds and other recorded instruments, and in Arizona also the deeds of trust and their releases and the community-property vesting, to ensure the seller holds clear title. In short, the deed is the instrument; the title is the ownership it conveys. U.S. Title Records retrieves the deed in the Deed Copy ($45) and examines the title in a title search.
How much does an Arizona title search or report cost?
Pricing is the same in every Arizona county: Property Detail Report $29, Deed Copy $45, Title Search by Name $75, Lien Report $95, Full Owner Lien Report $195, Chain of Title $275, and Expanded Title Search $375. The $29 report is the quick ownership, parcel, and value check with both assessed values, the $195 report is the recommended due-diligence search that includes recorded judgments, mechanics liens, and sold tax liens, and the $375 Expanded is the full title examination with chain and vesting verification. There is no account, subscription, or recurring charge, one flat fee per property, delivered as a PDF by email. See the full schedule of fees. BBB A+ since 2009.
How far back does an Arizona title search go?
A standard Arizona title search typically examines the chain of title back about 40 to 60 years, which is generally enough to establish a marketable chain and surface the deeds of trust, judgments, liens, and defects that matter for a current transaction. A full chain of title can go back much further, to the original federal land patent, and is assembled when a transaction or a legal matter requires it, such as a quiet-title action, an estate, a boundary or easement dispute, or a property with a complicated history. How far the records reach in practice depends on the county; Arizona County Recorder records can extend back to territorial days before statehood in 1912, though older documents are more likely to require retrieval from physical books. U.S. Title Records traces the full conveyance history in the Chain of Title ($275).
Search Arizona Property Records
Professional title searches, lien searches, deed copies, and preliminary title reports for any property in all 15 Arizona counties, from Maricopa, Pima, and Pinal to every rural county. County Recorder records, deed of trust and release analysis, trustee’s sale and notice review, recorded judgment and mechanics lien checks, February tax lien sale and certificate of purchase verification, both assessed values, community property vesting, and full chain of title. Reports from $29, delivered by email, no subscription.