New York Property Records
Title Search · Lien Search · Deed Copies · Preliminary Title Reports · Chain of Title
U.S. Title Records is the professional source for New York property records and title examination across all 62 counties and the five boroughs. We perform full title searches, comprehensive lien searches, certified deed retrieval, and preliminary title reports for buyers, sellers, investors, attorneys, and lenders, covering the New York City ACRIS recording system, cooperative apartment ownership and UCC liens, mortgage recording and mansion taxes, docketed money judgments, and the Lien Law. Recording is handled in ACRIS for most of New York City and by the County Clerk everywhere else, so every search runs in the right system county by county. Reports from $29, delivered by email.
New York Property Records Search and Title Examination
New York property records are maintained county by county, with New York City using the ACRIS electronic system and the rest of the state using the County Clerk, so finding the complete picture means searching the right system for the property's location. In Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens, deeds, mortgages, and related documents are recorded through ACRIS, the City Register's Automated City Register Information System, while on Staten Island and in the other fifty-seven counties they are recorded with the County Clerk. There is no single statewide index. U.S. Title Records examines the recorded chain, the Supreme Court and County Clerk judgment records, and the tax and assessment data together, and delivers the result as a clear report by email.
Two New York features drive most of the surprises: the cooperative apartment and the layered transfer and recording taxes. A New York City co-op is not real property at all; the owner holds shares in a cooperative corporation and a proprietary lease, so there is no recorded deed and a standard title search will not find it. Instead, the interest is searched through UCC filings and the corporation's records. Separately, New York layers a state transfer tax, a New York City transfer tax, a mansion tax on residential sales of one million dollars or more, and a mortgage recording tax, and the recorded transfer tax confirms the consideration. Our reports account for each of these.
Whether you need a title search, a lien search, a deed copy, or a preliminary title report, every New York order starts the same way: give us the property address or the co-op unit, and we identify the county, the borough-block-and-lot or section-block-and-lot, and the recorded chain. Pricing is the same across all 62 counties, from $29.
ACRIS and the County Clerk
New York City records most property documents in ACRIS, the City Register system covering Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens, while Staten Island and the other fifty-seven counties record with the County Clerk. A search must run in the correct system. We cover every county at the same price.
Co-ops Are Not Real Estate
A New York City cooperative apartment is owned through corporate shares and a proprietary lease, with no recorded deed, so a co-op is searched through UCC filings and corporate records rather than a deed search. Our $195 report covers the co-op lien picture.
Transfer, Mansion & Recording Taxes
New York layers state and city transfer taxes, a mansion tax that starts at one percent on residential sales of one million dollars or more, and a mortgage recording tax that is especially high in New York City. The recorded transfer tax confirms the consideration in our $29 report.
Docketed Judgments & Lien Law
A money judgment docketed with the County Clerk becomes a lien on the debtor's real property in that county, and mechanic's liens follow the New York Lien Law. Our title and lien reports examine both, along with city violations and emergency repair liens.
New York Title Search
A New York title search examines the recorded history of a property to establish who owns it and what claims are attached to it. A complete title search reads the chain of recorded deeds, in ACRIS for most of New York City and in the County Clerk's records everywhere else, to confirm current vesting, identifies every open mortgage and lien, and surfaces easements, restrictions, and other recorded exceptions that affect the title. For a cooperative apartment, which has no recorded deed, the equivalent search examines the UCC filings and the corporate and lien records instead. Because New York records are kept at the county level with no statewide index, a reliable title search requires access to the correct system along with the Supreme Court and County Clerk judgment records.
U.S. Title Records performs New York title searches for buyers, sellers, investors, attorneys, and lenders without an in-person visit. A Title Search by Name ($75) locates every property tied to a person or entity in a county, while the Full Owner Lien Report ($195) and the Expanded Title Search ($375) deliver a comprehensive examination of the property and its owner. Learn more about our real estate title search service.
New York Lien Search
A New York lien search identifies every recorded claim against a property or an owner, from mortgages to docketed judgments to tax and city liens. Liens attach to New York real estate from many directions: a mortgage securing a loan, a money judgment docketed with the County Clerk that becomes a lien on the debtor's real property in that county, a state or federal tax lien, a mechanic's lien under the New York Lien Law, a New York City code or emergency repair lien, or a UCC financing statement. For a cooperative apartment, the liens are UCC filings and judgments against the shareholder rather than recorded mortgages, so the search must be run accordingly, covering the records, the courts, the city agencies, and UCC together.
Our lien search options scale to the need. The Lien Report ($95) covers recorded property liens, the Full Owner Lien Report ($195) adds judgment, tax, UCC, and bankruptcy searches against the owner, and a UCC lien search covers co-op and business filings. To check whether there is a lien on your own property or co-op, start with the address or unit.
Liens We Search
Mortgages and assignments, docketed money judgments, state and federal (IRS) tax liens, mechanic's liens under the Lien Law, New York City code, ECB, and emergency repair liens, child support liens, UCC financing statements including co-op filings, and recorded lis pendens.
Judgments and Priority
A New York money judgment becomes a lien on real property once it is docketed with the County Clerk in that county, generally for ten years, and most liens otherwise follow recording order. Our $195 report sets out the recorded priority and the docketed judgments.
New York Deed Copies and Deed Search
A deed is the recorded instrument that conveys New York real estate, and a deed copy is often needed to confirm vesting, prepare a transfer, or resolve a title question. New York transfers run through several deed types, including the bargain and sale deed with covenant against grantor's acts (the standard New York conveyance), the bargain and sale deed without covenant, the full covenant and warranty deed, the quitclaim deed, the executor's or administrator's deed used in estates, and the referee's deed issued in a foreclosure. A condominium is conveyed by deed like other real property, but a cooperative apartment is not; a co-op transfer is a stock certificate and an assignment of the proprietary lease, not a recorded deed.
U.S. Title Records retrieves recorded New York deeds and supporting documents from ACRIS or any County Clerk. A Deed Copy ($45) delivers the recorded vesting deed, and the Property Detail Report ($29) confirms the current owner and how title is vested. For the full conveyance history, the Chain of Title ($275) assembles every deed in order.
New York 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 vesting, the liens, and the exceptions in advance. A preliminary report identifies the current vested owner, the open mortgages and other monetary liens, the docketed judgments and tax liens, the recorded easements and restrictions, and any other matters of record that affect the title, the same items a party needs to evaluate or clear before a purchase, refinance, or loan. For a cooperative apartment, the equivalent pre-closing review covers the UCC liens and judgments against the shareholder. It is the standard due-diligence document at the front of a New York transaction.
U.S. Title Records prepares preliminary title search reports as a records-based examination of the recorded chain, the court judgments, and the tax records. 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 vested owner and vesting, open mortgages and monetary liens, docketed judgments and tax liens, easements and restrictions, and for a co-op the UCC lien picture. It is the pre-closing due-diligence picture for a New York property or cooperative unit.
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.
New York Title Search and Records Reports
One pricing schedule across all 62 counties and the five boroughs, from a quick ownership check to a full title examination
Property Detail Report ($29)
Ownership and assessment data for any New York property.
- Current vested owner
- Borough or section block and lot
- Assessed value and class
- Open mortgages
- Recorded transfer tax and consideration
- Most recent recorded sale
Full Owner Lien Report ($195)
Comprehensive property AND owner lien and title search.
- Everything in the $29 report
- All recorded liens and mortgages
- Docketed money judgments (County Clerk)
- State and IRS tax liens
- Mechanic's liens and city liens
- UCC financing statements, including co-op
Expanded Title Search ($375)
The most comprehensive New York examination and preliminary report.
- Everything in the $195 report
- Complete chain of conveyance with vesting deeds
- Easement, restriction, and exception research
- Preliminary title report scope
- Document reference for every record
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
New York Property Records by County and Borough
The correct recording system in every county, with dedicated coverage for the five boroughs and the largest metros
Manhattan (New York County)
Recorded in ACRIS by borough, block, and lot. Dense condominium and cooperative inventory, mansion tax, and high-value transfers. Title, lien, and deed retrieval at statewide pricing.
Brooklyn (Kings County)
The most populous borough, recorded in ACRIS, with extensive co-op and condo stock and active mechanic's lien filings. Co-op UCC and lien search alongside title work.
Queens County
Recorded in ACRIS, with broad one-to-four family and condo inventory and heavy refinance activity. Full title and lien search, deed retrieval, and chain of title.
Bronx County
Recorded in ACRIS, with multifamily and cooperative housing and city lien exposure. Docketed judgment and city violation review with the title and lien search.
Staten Island (Richmond County)
Unlike the other boroughs, Staten Island records with the Richmond County Clerk rather than ACRIS. We search the correct office. Title, lien, and deed retrieval.
Nassau & Suffolk (Long Island)
Recorded with the County Clerk, with section, block, and lot indexing and active suburban transfer volume. Every recorded chain examined directly. Same pricing statewide.
Westchester & Hudson Valley
Westchester, Rockland, Orange, and Dutchess, recorded with the County Clerk. Suburban and commercial title and lien search. Same pricing statewide.
All 62 Counties
From Buffalo and Erie County to Monroe, Albany, and the North Country, we search every New York county at the same price. Search by address to begin. BBB A+ since 2009.
Three New York Title Risks That Require Professional Examination
1. A co-op is not real estate, and a deed search will not find it. A New York City cooperative apartment is owned through shares in a cooperative corporation and a proprietary lease, which makes the interest personal property, not real property. There is no recorded deed, and the security interest is a UCC financing statement rather than a mortgage, so a buyer or lender who runs a standard deed or title search on a co-op will find nothing and miss the UCC liens, the judgments against the selling shareholder, and any unpaid maintenance. The correct review is a co-op lien search through UCC filings and corporate records. Our $195 report covers the co-op lien picture.
2. The records and the taxes are split across two systems. In New York City, Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens record in ACRIS, while Staten Island records with the Richmond County Clerk, and every county outside the city records with its own County Clerk, so a search run in the wrong system simply misses the documents. New York also layers a state transfer tax, a city transfer tax, a mansion tax on residential sales of one million dollars or more, and a mortgage recording tax, and the recorded transfer tax is what confirms the true prior consideration. Searching the correct system is the difference between a complete chain and a false clear. Our reports run in the right system for the property's location.
3. Tax liens are sold in the city and foreclosed in rem upstate. New York City bundles unpaid property taxes and certain charges and sells them in an annual tax lien sale to a trust that can charge interest and foreclose, while counties outside the city pursue in rem tax foreclosure for delinquent taxes. A buyer or investor who does not confirm the tax status and any sold lien can inherit a senior claim or a pending proceeding. Our $195 report reviews recorded tax status and lien priority.
New York Property Records: The Essentials
New York property records are recorded county by county, through ACRIS, the City Register system, for Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens, and through the County Clerk for Staten Island and the other fifty-seven counties, covering deeds, mortgages, satisfactions, mechanic's liens, lis pendens, easements, and restrictions, indexed by name and by block and lot. There is no statewide records system, so a complete search requires access to the correct system combined with the Supreme Court and County Clerk judgment records and the assessor.
The five things people search for most in New York are: a title search to establish ownership and encumbrances, a lien search to find claims against a property, co-op, or owner, deed copies to confirm vesting, a preliminary title report for pre-closing due diligence, and the chain of title for the full conveyance history. U.S. Title Records delivers all five for any New York county, from $29.
How a New York Property Records Search Works
The same simple process for a title search, lien search, deed copy, or preliminary report
Enter the Address
Provide the property address or co-op unit through the order portal. We identify the county, the block and lot, and the 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 exceptions.
Multi-Source Search
ACRIS or County Clerk records, Supreme Court and County Clerk judgments, assessor data, state and IRS tax liens, UCC filings including co-op, and federal bankruptcy.
Report Compiled
Vesting and chain, lien priority, deed copies, docketed judgments, mechanic's and city liens, easements and restrictions, with document references.
PDF Delivered
Report emailed. Email office@ustitlerecords.com with questions. Asset investigation through U.S. Asset Records.
No In-Person Visit
No trip to ACRIS or any County Clerk. Full examination without in-person access. One property, one fee. BBB A+ since 2009.
New York Property Records Questions
Title searches, lien searches, deed copies, and preliminary reports
How Do I Search New York Property Records Online?
For Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens, start with ACRIS, the City Register system; for Staten Island and the rest of the state, start with the County Clerk, and use the assessor for ownership and block and lot. There is no statewide system. Free tools do not include docketed judgments, UCC filings, or bankruptcy, and they will not show a co-op. For a complete search in any county, submit the address to U.S. Title Records. From $29.
Search Records →How Do I Run a New York Title Search?
A title search reads the recorded chain, in ACRIS or the County Clerk, to confirm vesting and finds every mortgage, lien, easement, and restriction against the property; for a co-op it examines UCC and corporate records instead. Because New York records are county-level with no statewide index, a reliable search needs the correct system plus the courts. We perform the full examination and deliver it by email. The Expanded Title Search ($375) is the most comprehensive.
Title Search →How Do I Find Liens on a New York Property?
A lien search must cover ACRIS or the County Clerk for mortgages and mechanic's liens, the County Clerk for docketed money judgments, the tax authorities for tax liens, and UCC for co-op and business filings, because New York liens come from all of these. A docketed judgment becomes a lien on real property in that county. Our Full Owner Lien Report ($195) covers all of it against the property and the owner.
Lien Search →How Do I Get a Copy of a Deed in New York?
Recorded deeds are public, in ACRIS for most of New York City and with the County Clerk elsewhere. New York uses the bargain and sale deed with covenant, the full covenant and warranty deed, the quitclaim, the executor's deed, and the referee's deed, each affecting vesting differently, and a co-op transfers by stock and lease rather than a deed. We retrieve the vesting deed and prior conveyances from any county. A Deed Copy is $45.
Deed Copy →What Does a New York Preliminary Title Report Show?
It shows the condition of title before closing: the vested owner, open mortgages and monetary liens, docketed judgments and tax liens, easements and restrictions, and for a co-op the UCC lien picture. 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.
Preliminary Report →How Much Does a New York 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. Same pricing across all 62 counties and the five boroughs. Schedule of fees.
Schedule of Fees →New York Property Records FAQ
How do I do a title search in New York?
A New York title search examines the recorded chain of deeds, in ACRIS for Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens, and in the County Clerk's records for Staten Island and the rest of the state, to confirm who owns the property and identify every open mortgage, lien, easement, and restriction. For a cooperative apartment, which has no recorded deed, the equivalent search examines UCC filings and corporate records. Because New York keeps records at the county level with no statewide index, a reliable title search requires access to the correct system along with the Supreme Court and County Clerk judgment records. U.S. Title Records performs the full search for any New York county and delivers it by email, with the Expanded Title Search ($375) as the most comprehensive option.
How do I search for liens on a New York property?
A complete New York lien search covers several sources: ACRIS or the County Clerk for mortgages and mechanic's liens, the County Clerk for docketed money judgments, the state and federal tax authorities for tax liens, the New York City agencies for code and emergency repair liens, and UCC filings for co-op and business debts. A money judgment becomes a lien on the debtor's real property in a county once it is docketed there, generally for ten years. For a cooperative apartment, the liens are UCC filings and judgments against the shareholder rather than recorded mortgages. Our Lien Report ($95) covers recorded property liens, and the Full Owner Lien Report ($195) adds judgment, tax, UCC, and bankruptcy searches against the owner.
How do I get a copy of a deed in New York?
Recorded New York deeds are public records, held in ACRIS for most of New York City and with the County Clerk for Staten Island and the rest of the state. New York transfers use the bargain and sale deed with covenant against grantor's acts, the bargain and sale deed without covenant, the full covenant and warranty deed, the quitclaim, the executor's or administrator's deed, and the referee's deed in foreclosure, each affecting vesting and warranties differently. A cooperative apartment transfers by stock certificate and assignment of the proprietary lease, not by a recorded deed. U.S. Title Records retrieves the recorded vesting deed and prior conveyances from any county. A Deed Copy is $45, and a Chain of Title assembles every deed in order for $275.
What is a preliminary title report and do I need one in New York?
A preliminary title report sets out the condition of title before a transaction closes, listing the vested owner, the open mortgages and monetary liens, the docketed judgments and tax liens, and the recorded easements and restrictions that affect the property. For a cooperative apartment, the equivalent pre-closing review covers the UCC liens and judgments against the shareholder. Buyers, investors, and lenders use it for due diligence before a purchase, refinance, or loan. U.S. Title Records prepares preliminary title search reports as a records-based examination of the public record; this is a property records and title search product, not title insurance or a commitment to insure. The Chain of Title ($275) and the Expanded Title Search ($375) serve the preliminary-report purpose.
Where are New York property records kept?
In New York City, deeds and mortgages for Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens are recorded through ACRIS, the City Register's electronic system, while Staten Island records with the Richmond County Clerk. Outside the city, each of the remaining counties records with its own County Clerk. There is no statewide property records index, so a document is found only in the system for the county where the property sits, and a search must target the correct office. The assessor maintains ownership and the block and lot, but the recorded deeds, mortgages, and liens that establish legal title sit with ACRIS or the County Clerk. U.S. Title Records covers every county at the same price.
How much does a New York title search or report cost?
Pricing is the same across all 62 New York counties and the five boroughs: 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 and value check, the $195 report is the recommended due-diligence search, and the $375 Expanded is the full title examination and preliminary report. There is no account, subscription, or commitment, one fee per property, delivered as a PDF by email. See the full schedule of fees. BBB A+ since 2009.
Search New York Property Records
Professional title searches, lien searches, deed copies, and preliminary title reports for any property in all 62 New York counties and the five boroughs. ACRIS and County Clerk access, co-op UCC lien searches, docketed judgments, and full chain of title. Reports from $29, delivered by email.