Kane County, Illinois • deeds and recorded land records
Kane County Recorder Search: Find Deeds, Mortgages, Liens and Property Records
The Kane County Recorder is the official office that
records and preserves deeds, mortgages, releases, easements, liens,
judgments and other instruments affecting real property in Kane County,
Illinois.
The Recorder’s land records date back to 1837.
Documents recorded from 1977 to the present are available
through the office’s computerized/imaging system, while older research can
involve tract books, grantor/grantee books, mortgage indexes and microfilm.
Best route for a first-time user:
search Kane County property information first → save the PIN and current
owner → open the Recorder’s free Land Records Search → search the owner,
former owner or known document information → open the matching document →
compare the legal description/PIN → print the free unofficial copy or order
an official copy only when necessary.
Recorder of Deeds
Sandy Wegman
Office
719 S. Batavia Ave., Building C, Geneva, IL 60134
Research hours
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Recording cutoff
Documents 4:15 p.m. • Plats 3:00 p.m.
Current recording fee:
Kane County’s fee schedule effective October 1, 2024 lists
$99 for a standard real-estate-related document.
Older Kane County fee pages showing $77 are outdated.
Independent informational guide:
County-CAD.us is not Kane County Government, the Kane County Recorder,
Supervisor of Assessments, Treasurer, township assessor, Illinois Department
of Revenue or any municipality. Official searches, recordings, transfer
declarations and document purchases are completed through the government
resources linked in this guide.
Choose the task you need to complete
What Are You Trying to Do?
Recommended beginner workflow
Address → PIN → Owner → Recorder Search → Document → Verify
1
Find property
Use county property search.
2
Save PIN
Identify the exact parcel.
3
Save owner
Current and prior if known.
4
Search Recorder
Free Land Records Search.
5
Read document
Deed, mortgage, release or lien.
6
Verify
PIN, legal description and parties.
Official Kane County resources
Which Website Should You Open?
REC
Kane County Recorder
Office information, fees, forms, eRecording and recorded-land services.
Open Official Recorder
PIN
Kane County Property Search
Search by tax parcel number, address or owner name.
Open Property Search
ASSR
Kane County Assessment Office
PIN help, assessment records, exemptions and township-assessor routing.
Open Assessment Office
Scenario 1: only a street address
How to Find a Kane County Deed From an Address
Do not begin with a blind deed search when all you know is an address.
First identify the county’s Property Index Number (PIN)
and the current owner.
Open the Kane County property search.
The county’s Assessment Office identifies this system as the place to
search by parcel number, address or owner.
Choose the address-search option.
Enter the property address.
Simplify the search if exact formatting returns nothing.
Open the correct result.
Compare municipality, township, property address and owner.
Copy the PIN.
This is the most useful parcel identifier for cross-checking county records.
Copy the current owner name.
If you know a recent seller, save that name too.
A newly recorded transaction can sometimes be easier to locate under the
grantor/seller.
Now open the Recorder Land Records Search.
Search the current owner, former owner or known document information.
Match the document back to the PIN/legal description.
Do not trust a deed simply because the surname matches.
Don’t know the PIN?
Kane County says the PIN appears on the property tax bill and assessment
notice. You can also obtain it through the property search, township
assessor or County Assessment Office.
Official Recorder search
How to Use Kane County Land Records Search
You do not need to create an account to search.
The Recorder’s current portal says registration is required only for
account-based features such as Property Watch.
Open Land Records Search.
Ignore the login box if you only need a public document search.
Use the public search controls.
Start with the owner, seller, buyer or other party information you
collected from the property record.
Use a known document number when you already have one.
This is especially useful after receiving a Property Transfer Notification.
Narrow the result by approximate recording date and document type.
Open the likely record.
Read the document image rather than only the index entry.
Compare PIN, legal description and parties.
Follow related documents.
Mortgages, releases, liens, assignments, easements and corrective
instruments can appear later in the chain.
Print the document if an unofficial copy is sufficient.
The Recorder says land-search documents are available online for users
to print free of charge.
Online printouts are unofficial.
The Land Records Search expressly warns that documents printed from the
website are unofficial and may not be accepted as legal certified records.
Grantor / grantee research
Searching When You Know the Owner or Former Owner
Start with the current property record.
Confirm that the owner name belongs to the correct parcel.
Search the current owner in Recorder records.
Search the prior owner separately.
For the deed that transferred the property, the prior owner is generally
the grantor and the new owner is generally the grantee.
Try trusts, estates, spouses and business entities separately.
Use transaction dates to reduce unrelated matches.
Verify the legal description before accepting the result.
Same name does not mean same property.
A person, trust or company can own multiple Kane County parcels.
Modern and historical records
How Far Back Do Kane County Recorder Records Go?
Period
Record format
Best research route
1977-present
Computer/imaging system
Land Records Search and Recorder research computers.
1837-1976
Historical indexes, books and microfilm
Original Tract, Grantor/Grantee and Mortgagor/Mortgagee indexes.
Earliest county land history
Survey field notes, military land grants and early instruments
Recorder research area / Tract Department.
The Recorder states that its overall property-record archive dates to
1837.
How to Research an Older Kane County Property
A modern street address may be a poor starting point for a 19th- or
early-20th-century property record. Older property can be easier to track
through owner names, subdivision information and legal descriptions.
Find the newest deed first.
Copy the legal description and prior-owner reference.
Work backward from owner to owner.
Preserve every document number, book reference or legal-description clue.
Use the Tract Department when online indexing stops being sufficient.
Tract Department:
630-232-5947.
Do not substitute modern GIS boundaries for the historical legal description.
What Can You Find in Kane County Recorder Records?
Deeds
Recorded instruments conveying real-property interests.
Mortgages
Real-estate financing instruments.
Releases
Instruments releasing mortgages, liens or other recorded interests.
Easements
Recorded access, utility and other easement interests.
Liens
Certain claims recorded against property.
Judgments
Recorded judgment-related instruments.
Affidavits
Correction and other recordable affidavits.
Plats
Subdivision, townhouse and condominium-related plats.
UCC records
Qualifying real-estate-related financing statements and terminations.
Read before relying
Kane County Recorded Document Decoder
Document Number
Recording identifier. Save it because it is one of the fastest ways
to return to a known instrument.
Grantor
Generally the person/entity conveying or granting an interest.
Grantee
Generally the person/entity receiving the interest.
PIN
Property Index Number connecting the instrument with a Kane County parcel.
Legal Description
Formal description of the land; more important than a matching street
address when verifying title-related documents.
Recording Date
Date the Recorder accepted the instrument into the official archive.
Document Type
Distinguishes a deed from a mortgage, release, lien, affidavit or assignment.
Referenced Instrument
Some releases, assignments or corrective documents point back to a
previously recorded instrument.
Finding the Latest Deed Is Not the Same as a Title Search
Kane County gives the public access to recorded instruments, but the
Recorder does not determine whether a buyer has marketable title, whether
a lien remains legally enforceable, or what effect a deed has on ownership.
For a serious purchase or ownership investigation, review more than one deed:
- current and prior deeds;
- mortgages;
- mortgage releases;
- liens and releases;
- easements;
- judgments;
- plats;
- corrective instruments;
- estate/trust-related documents when applicable.
Use an Illinois attorney or title company when the task
involves ownership disputes, lien priority, foreclosure, probate,
easements, title insurance or closing.
Use the free option first
How to Get a Kane County Deed Copy
$0
Online unofficial print
The Recorder says users can print Land Records Search documents free.
$1/page
Photocopy
Current Recorder price-list amount.
$80
Certified first 4 pages
Current certified-copy starting fee.
Certified copies are expensive in Kane County.
The current schedule lists $80 for the first four pages
and $1 for each additional page.
Do not order certification unless the lender, court, attorney or receiving
agency actually requires it.
Search the document online first.
Confirm the document number, parties, date and property.
Print the free web image when it is only for research.
Ask the recipient whether certification is necessary.
If you need an official copy, call the Copy Center.
630-232-5944.
Provide the exact document reference.
Do not ask staff to reconstruct a vague property search if you can find
the document online yourself.
Other Kane County Recorder Copy Charges
Service
Current listed fee
Best use
Email document
$5 first page + $1 each additional page
When office-delivered electronic copy is needed.
Fax
$5 first page + $1 each additional page
Fax delivery within continental United States.
Subdivision plat/map copy
$5 first page + $2 each additional page
Recorded plat or map research.
Certified plat copy
$10
When certified plat documentation is required.
Mortgage payoff research
Paid Off Your Mortgage? Search for a Release
A paid mortgage does not normally create a new ownership deed.
Instead, search the Recorder’s records for the instrument releasing or
satisfying the prior mortgage.
Search the original mortgage.
Save its document number, lender and recording date.
Search later records involving the same parties.
Look for a release or satisfaction.
Check whether the later document references the correct mortgage.
If no release appears, contact the lender/servicer.
How to Research a Kane County Lien
Recorder records include liens and judgments, but finding a lien in the
index is only the first step.
Open the original lien document.
Identify the lienholder or government agency.
Save the document number and date.
Search later records for a release or satisfaction.
Route tax questions separately.
Property-tax bills and payment questions belong with the Kane County Treasurer.
Use professional title review if lien priority matters.
Two different fraud-monitoring protections
Property Watch vs Property Transfer Notification
Property Watch — you sign up
Free opt-in service that can email you when a document is recorded
against the monitored property.
Registration for a Land Records Search account is required for this feature.
Property Transfer Notification — automatic
When a deed is recorded, Kane County automatically generates a green
postcard notifying the grantor/owner that a transaction took place.
No registration is required for the postcard.
Open Land Records Search.
Create the free account.
Add the property-monitoring information requested by Property Watch.
Watch the registered email account.
If an alert appears, open Land Records Search independently.
Do not rely only on an email link.
Verify the document number, parties and property.
An alert or postcard does not by itself prove fraud.
It tells you a recording occurred. Read the actual instrument before deciding
what happened.
Effective October 1, 2024
Kane County Recorder Recording Fees
$99
Real-estate-related document
Current standard recording fee.
$80
Non-real-estate document
Standard listed fee.
$121
More than 5 PINs
Current non-conforming charge.
$121
More than 5 referenced documents
Current non-conforming charge.
$127
Standard subdivision/townhouse plat
Plus $1 each additional page.
$149
Condominium declaration + plat
Plus $1 each additional map page.
Recording payment:
the current price page says recording fees are accepted by
cash or check only, checks should be payable to
Kane County Recorder, and the office does not accept $100 bills.
The Recorder’s 2024 GIS fee increase raised the standard real-estate
recording charge to $99. Older $77 price schedules should not be used
for current filings.
Illinois standardized document rules
Document Formatting Before You Record
Paper size
Individual 8.5 × 11-inch sheets.
Ink
Legibly printed in black ink; signatures/dates may use a contrasting
color if they reproduce clearly.
Paper
White paper of at least 20-pound weight.
Margins
Clean margin of at least one-half inch on top, bottom and sides.
First-page recording space
Blank area at least 3 × 5 inches in the upper-right corner.
Attachments
No attachment stapled or otherwise permanently affixed to a page.
A non-conforming document can trigger additional recording charges.
Check the Recorder’s current standards and price list together before filing.
Recording is a legal transaction, not just uploading a PDF
How to Record a Deed in Kane County
Identify the correct Kane County parcel and PIN.
Use the legally correct deed for your transaction.
The Recorder provides deed forms as a courtesy but strongly recommends
legal advice and cannot help select or complete the form.
Include the complete legal description.
Do not use only the street address.
Check signatures and notarization.
Check Illinois document-standardization rules.
Paper, margins and Recorder space must comply.
Determine whether PTAX-203 / MyDec applies.
Most non-exempt real-estate transfers require a transfer declaration.
If claiming a transfer-tax exemption, use the correct exemption notation.
Check whether a municipal transfer stamp applies.
Some Illinois municipalities impose their own transfer requirements.
Check the current Kane County recording fee.
A standard real-estate-related document is currently $99.
Choose paper recording or eligible eRecording.
If recording at the counter, arrive before 4:15 p.m.
Plats have an earlier 3:00 p.m. cutoff.
Save the final recorded document number.
FORM
Kane County Recorder Forms
Warranty deed, quit claim deed, affidavit of correction and other forms.
Open Recorder Forms
Do not choose a warranty deed, quit claim deed or ownership form
merely because a downloadable template exists.
Ownership form, trusts, estates, divorce, survivorship and tax consequences
can require professional legal advice.
Illinois transfer declaration workflow
Kane County MyDec and PTAX-203
Kane County participates in Illinois’ MyDec system for
electronic Real Property Transfer Tax Declarations.
MyDec is administered by the Illinois Department of Revenue and is used by
individuals, title companies and settlement agencies to prepare, submit,
approve or reject property-transfer declarations.
Determine whether the transfer is taxable or exempt.
Open MyDec through the Illinois Department of Revenue.
Prepare the applicable PTAX declaration.
Form PTAX-203 is the standard Illinois Real Estate Transfer Declaration.
Enter the PIN and legal description from the deed.
Enter seller, buyer and preparer information.
Complete transaction and property-use questions accurately.
Submit the declaration through the current MyDec workflow.
Track corrections or acceptance inside MyDec when applicable.
Record the deed through Kane County after the transfer requirements are satisfied.
Illinois guidance says Form PTAX-203 is required for real-estate transfers
except qualifying exempt transactions that use the applicable exemption notation.
When PTAX-203-A or PTAX-203-B May Appear
PTAX-203-A
Supplemental declaration used with PTAX-203 for certain
non-residential transactions when the sale price exceeds $1 million
and the property falls within specified use categories.
PTAX-203-B
Supplemental declaration associated with certain transfers of a
beneficial interest in real property made without using a deed or
trust document.
Use the current Illinois Department of Revenue instructions rather than an
old saved PTAX form because forms and filing procedures can change.
Electronic recording
Can You eRecord in Kane County?
Yes. Kane County accepts eligible documents through electronic recording.
The Recorder currently identifies these eRecording providers:
- Corporation Service Company (CSC);
- Simplifile; and
- Hopdox.
Plats are not currently accepted through eRecording.
Follow the Recorder’s separate plat-recording process.
Confirm that the document type is eligible.
Complete MyDec/PTAX or other prerequisite processing first when applicable.
Choose one of the Recorder-listed eRecording vendors.
Compare vendor pricing and account requirements.
Vendor charges are separate from Kane County recording charges.
Submit the document electronically.
Correct rejected documents promptly if the vendor returns an error.
Save the final recorded instrument number.
Kane County-specific shortcuts
Local Tips That Save Time
Do not create an LRS account just to search.
Search is public. Registration is for Property Watch and other account features.
Use the property search before a broad name search.
PIN + owner + township is a much safer starting packet.
Search recent sales under both seller and buyer.
This is useful when ownership databases have updated at different times.
Print the free web document before ordering an $80 certified copy.
Certification may be unnecessary for ordinary research.
Keep the document number from the green postcard.
Property Transfer Notification gives you an excellent direct search clue.
Use both fraud protections.
Automatic postcard + opt-in Property Watch email provide two different notification methods.
Standard recording is $99.
Do not use the older $77 schedule.
Recording stops before the office closes.
Documents: 4:15 p.m. • Plats: 3:00 p.m.
Do not eRecord a plat.
Kane’s current eRecording page excludes plats.
MyDec is not the deed search.
MyDec handles transfer-tax declarations; Land Records Search handles recorded documents.
Recorder does not handle your assessment complaint.
Start valuation issues with the township assessor and Kane County assessment process.
Recorder does not collect your real-estate tax bill.
Use the Kane County Treasurer for bills and payments.
Old property? Work backward from the newest deed.
Legal descriptions and owner chains are more reliable than assuming the
same street address existed historically.
Do not use the Recorder form library as legal advice.
The office specifically warns users to obtain professional assistance.
Which Kane County Office Handles Your Task?
Your task
Correct office
What to do
Deed, mortgage, lien or release
Kane County Recorder
Search Land Records Search.
PIN / property record
Assessment Office / township assessor
Search by PIN, address or owner.
Property valuation
Township Assessor
Review assessment record and discuss factual/value issues.
Formal assessment complaint
Kane County Board of Review
File within the township-specific statutory filing window.
Property-tax bill/payment
Kane County Treasurer
Search bill, balance and payment status.
PTAX-203 declaration
Illinois IDOR / MyDec + county workflow
Prepare the transfer declaration before applicable deed recording.
Need a Property Tax Bill Instead of a Deed?
The Recorder records land instruments. It does not issue or collect Kane
County real-estate tax bills.
If your goal is to understand assessed value, exemptions or valuation,
use the Kane County Assessment Office or the correct township assessor
rather than the Recorder or Treasurer.
Before Calling the Recorder, Have These Details Ready
- PIN;
- property address;
- current owner name;
- previous owner name when known;
- grantor/grantee names;
- approximate recording date;
- document type;
- document number when known;
- legal-description clue;
- whether you need search help, recording guidance, a copy or certification.
Buyer / investor due diligence
Buying Kane County Property? Check More Than the Current Owner
PIN and property record
Confirm parcel, township, owner and assessment information.
Current deed
Read the actual recorded instrument.
Prior deed
Follow ownership backward when needed.
Mortgages and releases
Check whether recorded financing has a later release.
Liens and judgments
Review original and later release/satisfaction instruments.
Easements / plats
Check recorded documents affecting use and access.
Property taxes
Use the Treasurer to check current tax information.
Assessment / exemptions
Do not assume the seller’s exemption or assessment position continues unchanged.
Survey
Do not use GIS parcel lines as a legal boundary survey.
Professional title review
Use a title company or attorney for a legal title conclusion.
County-CAD.us Research and Corrections
Sources & Methodology
See how government websites, fee schedules, official forms and
public-record portals are prioritized.
Read Sources & Methodology
Report an Outdated Link
Tell us if Kane County changes a fee, portal, form, officeholder
or procedure.
Contact County-CAD.us
Independent Site Disclaimer
County-CAD.us explains government workflows but does not operate them.
Read Disclaimer
Primary source ledger
Official Sources Used for This Kane County Recorder Guide
Kane County Recorder
Current Recorder, office address, search access, MyDec notice,
hours and recording cutoffs.
Open Recorder Homepage
Land Records Search
Used for public-search access, account requirement and unofficial-copy warning.
Open Land Records Search
Recorder Price List
Used for $99 real-estate recording fee, copy charges, certified-copy
charges and payment restrictions.
Open Current Price List
Requirements for Standardization
Used for paper, ink, margin, Recorder-space and attachment requirements.
Open Recording Standards
Recorder Forms
Used to verify availability of warranty deed, quit claim deed,
recording cover page and affidavit forms.
Open Recorder Forms
eRecording
Used for eRecording availability, vendor list and plat exclusion.
Open eRecording
Kane County Assessment Office
Used for property-search routing, PIN guidance and assessment-office responsibilities.
Open Assessment Office
Illinois IDOR — MyDec
Used for PTAX-203, MyDec, transfer-declaration and supplemental-form guidance.
Open Illinois MyDec
Kane County Treasurer
Used to distinguish property-tax billing/payment from Recorder services.
Open Treasurer
Editorial verification: August 14, 2026.
This guide uses the Kane County Recorder’s current post-October-1-2024
fee schedule and current Land Records Search. Recording fees, officeholders,
forms, portal interfaces, MyDec rules, eRecording vendors and office hours
can change. Verify the final transaction through the responsible official source.
Kane County Recorder Search Checklist
- Find the correct property and PIN first.
- Save the current and prior owner names.
- Open the free Land Records Search.
- Do not create an account unless you need Property Watch.
- Open the actual document image.
- Compare PIN and legal description.
- Follow related mortgages, releases, liens and easements.
- Print an unofficial copy free when that is sufficient.
- Think carefully before ordering an $80 certified copy.
- Use the current $99 standard real-estate recording fee.
- Use MyDec/PTAX-203 for applicable real-property transfers.
- Check municipal transfer-stamp requirements when applicable.
- Use eRecording only for eligible documents; plats are excluded.
- Register for Property Watch for ongoing monitoring.
10 Kane County deed questions
Kane County Recorder FAQs
1. What is the official Kane County Illinois deed search?
Use the Kane County Recorder’s Land Records Search at
lrs.kanecountyrecorder.net. Ordinary public searching does not require
an account. Registration is mainly required for account features such
as Property Watch.
2. How do I find a Kane County deed if I only know the address?
First use the Kane County property-search system to identify the Property
Index Number and current owner. Then open the Recorder’s Land Records
Search and search the current or previous owner and known transaction
information. Verify the resulting deed using the PIN and legal description.
3. How far back do Kane County Recorder records go?
The Recorder states that Kane County property records date to 1837.
Documents recorded from 1977 to the present are available through its
computerized/imaging system. Older records can require tract books,
grantor/grantee indexes, mortgage indexes or microfilm research.
4. Can I print a Kane County deed online for free?
Yes. The Recorder states that documents in its online Land Records Search
can be printed from your computer without charge. These online printouts
are unofficial, however, and the Recorder does not guarantee they will
be accepted as legal certified records.
5. How much does a certified Kane County deed copy cost?
The current Recorder price list shows $80 for the first four pages of a
certified copy and $1 for each additional page. Because certification
is much more expensive than a free online research copy, confirm that
the receiving organization actually requires a certified document.
6. What is the current Kane County Recorder recording fee?
The fee schedule effective October 1, 2024 lists $99 for a standard
real-estate-related document. Older county material showing $77 reflects
the prior fee schedule and should not be used for a current recording.
7. Does Kane County use MyDec for deed transfers?
Yes. Kane County Recorder directs users to Illinois MyDec for electronic
Real Property Transfer Tax transactions. The standard Illinois declaration
is Form PTAX-203, with supplemental forms such as PTAX-203-A or PTAX-203-B
applying in certain transactions.
8. Can I eRecord a deed in Kane County?
Kane County accepts eligible electronic recordings and currently lists
providers including CSC, Simplifile and Hopdox. The Recorder specifically
states that plats are not currently accepted through eRecording.
Applicable MyDec, transfer-tax and document requirements still must be satisfied.
9. Does Kane County offer property fraud alerts?
Yes. Property Watch is a free opt-in email service available through the
Land Records Search account system. Kane County also automatically sends
a green Property Transfer Notification postcard to the grantor/owner
whenever a deed is recorded, so the two services provide different forms
of notification.
10. Where is the Kane County Recorder office?
The Kane County Recorder is located at 719 S. Batavia Avenue, Building C,
Geneva, Illinois 60134. The main phone number is 630-232-5935.
The research area is generally open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m.
to 4:30 p.m. The office stops recording ordinary documents at 4:15 p.m.
and plats at 3:00 p.m.