Register of Deeds: Open Records, Overpayment Policy & FAQs
Current Policy
Effective October 1, 2007, we have adopted the following document fee overpayment policy. See Resolution No. 090607, which was adopted on September 6, 2007.
Open Records
Exception
All records in the Office of the Register of Deeds are open records except for the Kansas Real Estate Validation Questionnaire. The questionnaire is open to those protesting their taxes and to Kansas Certified General Real Property Appraisers.
K.S.A. 45-230 Provides
"No person shall knowingly sell, give or receive, for the purpose of selling or offering for sale, any property or service to persons listed therein, any lists of names and addresses contained therein, or derived from public records."
Current Policy
Effective October 1, 2007, we have adopted the following document fee overpayment policy. See Resolution No. 090607, which was adopted on September 6, 2007.
Open Records
Exception
All records in the Office of the Register of Deeds are open records except for the Kansas Real Estate Validation Questionnaire. The questionnaire is open to those protesting their taxes and to Kansas Certified General Real Property Appraisers.
K.S.A. 45-230 Provides
"No person shall knowingly sell, give or receive, for the purpose of selling or offering for sale, any property or service to persons listed therein, any lists of names and addresses contained therein, or derived from public records."
Register of Deeds FAQ
Does the document need to be an original, or can I record a copy?
In almost all cases the document must be an original. The only exceptions are for CERTIFIED COPIES from certain courts and from the Bureau of Vital Statistics for Death Certificates.
Is everything handled in the Register of Deeds office a matter of Public Record?
Everything recorded in the Register of Deeds Office is regulated by the Kansas Open Records Act. A Sales Validation Questionnaire that accompanies a deed IS NOT recorded and not a matter of public record.
Does the Register of Deeds Office perform searches of the records for Liens or Ownership verifications?
No. Professional title examiners or abstractors search records in our office and other places such as District Court, probate court, and federal courts to determine if your title if free of encumbrances.
Can I make out my own deed?
Yes, but the Register of Deeds and staff always recommend that you retain an attorney or title company. The Register of Deeds office is a recording agency and cannot prepare deeds or answer questions that pertain to legal matters.
Do you still have all the paper books available to the public?
We do have all the books; they have all been scanned and are available digitally. We still store all the books here in the office, but we do not allow anyone to get into them.
Can I get my lot dimensions from your office?
No, we will only have what the legal description of your property is. If it is a lot and block in a subdivision, we will not have those dimensions. However, we do hold the plat maps of the subdivision and it's possible to find those dimensions from that, but keep in mind some of them are from the 1800’s. It's best practice to have your property surveyed by a professional surveyor if you want your lot lines.
Will you have a survey of my property?
Only if it has been surveyed.
Can I perform my own document search?
Yes, we have public terminals in the office for that purpose. There is a fee for any printed documents but no charge to use the public search tools available. We will show you how to perform a search.