Pima County, Arizona • deed and public-record research guide
Pima County Recorder: Search Deeds, Liens, Easements and Recorded Property Documents
The Pima County Recorder’s Office records and permanently
preserves deeds, mortgages, deeds of trust, releases, reconveyances,
liens, easements, maps and many other public documents affecting
property in Tucson and throughout Pima County.
The Recorder provides an online Public Access Portal
where documents recorded from 1982 forward can be
researched. Older records require the historical index or in-office
research because many historical documents have not yet been fully
digitally indexed.
Fastest beginner workflow:
if you know the person’s name, search the Recorder using
Last Name First Name. If you only know the property
address, first search the Pima County Assessor to identify the parcel
and current owner, then return to the Recorder and search the owner’s
recorded-document history.
Current Recorder
Gabriella Cázares-Kelly
Main office
240 N. Stone Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85701
Online indexed coverage
Documents recorded since 1982
Standard recording fee
$30 per document
Important copy distinction:
documents can be viewed, printed or downloaded from the public portal
free of charge, but those images contain an unofficial watermark.
A watermarked, low-resolution image is not suitable as an attachment
to a new recording. Purchase a clean copy when a clean/high-resolution
document is required.
Independent informational website:
County-CAD.us is not the Pima County Recorder, Pima County Assessor,
Treasurer, Superior Court, Arizona Department of Revenue or any government
agency. Searches, purchases and recordings must be completed through the
official government systems linked below.
Choose the right path before searching
What Are You Trying to Do?
Beginner property-document workflow
Address → Parcel → Owner → Recorder Search → Document → Copy
1
Address
Start with what you know.
2
Assessor
Identify parcel and owner.
3
Name
Format the party search correctly.
4
Recorder
Search document history.
5
Verify
Match dates, parties and document type.
6
Copy
Buy only if needed.
The progress line is a lightweight CSS animation and uses no external
image, script or animation library.
Official Pima County starting points
Which Official Website Should You Open?
SAFE
Fraud Notify
Free alert when a new recording uses your individual or business name.
Open Fraud Notify
Pima-specific name-search formatting
Enter Names the Way the Recorder’s Search Expects Them
A failed search can simply be a formatting problem. Pima County publishes
specific rules for names, suffixes, punctuation, trusts and business searches.
John Smith → Smith John
Enter the last name first and then the first name.
John Smith Jr. → Smith Jr John
Put the suffix after the last name and remove punctuation.
Cázares-Kelly → Cazares Kelly
Do not depend on hyphens, periods or other punctuation.
De La Cruz → Delacruz
Pima recommends removing spaces from certain last names when needed.
Search the named people
For a Mary and John Smith Living Trust, try Smith Mary and Smith John
instead of depending only on the full trust title.
Use meaningful keywords
Enter useful portions of the business name and avoid unnecessary
articles such as “a” or “the.”
Narrow the date range
Add an approximate purchase, refinance, lien or recording period.
Try only the last name
Broadening slightly can reveal spelling or indexing variations.
Practical rule:
once you find the correct document, save its sequence number
or docket/page reference. Future searching and copy requests become much easier.
Most common deed-search path
How to Search a Pima County Deed by Owner Name
Open the official Recorder search above.
Select the link to search recorded documents or open the Public Access Portal.
Accept the portal disclaimer.
The Recorder explains that the index is a research guide to the underlying
documents, not a substitute for reviewing the actual instrument.
Enter one party’s name last-name first.
Example: John Smith becomes Smith John.
Remove punctuation.
If the surname is hyphenated or contains punctuation, try the Recorder’s
simplified formatting rules.
Add an approximate date range if possible.
Use the year of purchase, refinance, mortgage payoff or other transaction.
Review more than one result.
Same-name people can have unrelated recordings throughout Pima County.
Open the document preview.
Compare document type, recording date, names and property/legal details.
View or download the watermarked image for free.
Use the unofficial version to verify that you found the correct document.
Save the sequence number or docket/page.
You will need this for clean copies, certification or staff assistance.
When you only know the street address
How to Find a Pima County Deed from a Property Address
The Recorder primarily indexes documents by the parties and recording
references. If you begin with only an address, first use the
Pima County Assessor to identify the parcel and owner.
Open the Assessor Parcel Search.
The main search accepts Parcel, Address or Name.
Enter the street address.
Open the correct parcel result.
Save the parcel number.
Keep it with your property-research notes.
Confirm the current owner name.
A recently completed transfer may take time to propagate across separate
county databases, so note previous-owner information when known.
Open the Recorder’s Public Records Research page.
Search the owner using Pima’s Last Name First Name format.
Search the previous owner too when necessary.
This is especially useful for a recent purchase.
Compare the deed’s legal/property information to the Assessor parcel.
Do not accept a same-name result without matching the actual property.
Strongest document identifiers
Sequence Number vs Docket and Page: Which Should You Use?
Identifier
Where you may see it
Best use
Sequence Number
Modern recorded documents and search results.
Precise document lookup and copy requests.
Docket / Book
Older deeds, title reports and historical references.
Historical document research.
Page
Accompanies older docket/book references.
Locate the exact instrument within the docket/book.
Already have the sequence number?
Use it instead of spending time experimenting with multiple name spellings.
Documents older than the modern online index
How to Research Pima County Deeds Recorded Before 1982
The Recorder’s current instructions describe its regular online search
as covering documents recorded since 1982. Older material
uses historical indexing, and not every historical document has yet been
fully digitally indexed.
Start with the modern Public Records Research page.
Determine whether a later document references the older instrument you need.
Save every docket, page, sequence or prior-recording reference.
Newer deeds often point backward to older records.
Use the Historical Index Search for pre-1982 research.
Access the historical option from the Recorder’s document-research resources.
Try prior owners and alternate spellings.
Historical indexing can use older naming and formatting conventions.
If the document is not digitally indexed, visit the Recorder.
Historic images can be researched at the Downtown or Eastside Recorder locations.
Bring known recording clues.
Owner names, approximate year, legal description, docket/page references
and later deed references can materially speed up research.
No online result does not prove no document exists.
Historical indexing is still being added to the electronic system.
View first, purchase only when necessary
How to Get a Pima County Deed Copy or Certified Copy
$0
Watermarked Online View
View, print or download an unofficial low-resolution image.
$0.25
Clean Digital Copy
Current published fee per document.
$1
Certified Copy
Per image, plus applicable certificate/seal charge.
Find the document first.
Search the Public Self Service Portal and verify the preview.
Use the free watermarked image for research.
Do not pay until you are certain it is the correct document.
Select the shopping-cart icon or “Purchase.”
This opens the document-shopping process.
Choose Digital Copies or Certified Copies.
Enter the quantity and select Add to Cart.
Keep digital and certified orders separate.
The Recorder’s current portal instructions say digital and certified
copies cannot be purchased in the same shopping cart.
Select Proceed to Checkout.
Complete payment through the secure payment gateway.
Certificate with seal:
the current fee schedule lists an additional
$3 per certificate attached to certified copies.
Online convenience fee:
the Recorder’s published schedule currently lists a 2% convenience
charge for online credit/debit-card purchases.
Requesting a Recorded Document by Mail
If you already researched the correct document, the Recorder also accepts
copy requests by mail.
Write down the docket/page or sequence number.
Include the names shown on the recorded document.
Include the recording date.
Include your telephone number.
This helps staff resolve uncertainty about the requested record.
Check the current copy, certification and mail-processing fee.
Send the request to the Recorder’s USPS mailing address.
Common homeowner misunderstanding
I Paid Off My Mortgage—Do I Get a New Deed?
Paying off your mortgage does not normally create a new ownership deed.
The deed is the ownership instrument you received when the property was
purchased. After payoff, the document to research is generally a
release or reconveyance connected with the deed of trust.
Open the Recorder Public Access Portal.
Search your name using Last Name First Name.
Find the original deed of trust or mortgage-related recording.
Save the sequence number and lender/trustee names.
Search later recordings.
Look for a release, reconveyance or other document tied to the paid loan.
Compare parties and prior-recording references.
Confirm the release/reconveyance refers to the same obligation.
If the expected release is not visible, contact Recording Services.
Have the original sequence number, lender and payoff date ready.
Lien and judgment research
How to Search for Recorded Liens in Pima County
The Recorder advises users to research public records under the relevant
person’s name to determine whether liens or judgments have been recorded.
Confirm the current owner name.
Use the Pima County Assessor when necessary.
Open the Recorder Public Access Portal.
Search the owner last-name first.
Use a reasonable date range.
Search periods before and after the transaction you are investigating.
Review potential liens and judgments.
Search later releases or reconveyances.
An older lien-like record may have been subsequently released.
Follow referenced documents.
A release may identify the earlier sequence number it affects.
Online name search is not a title opinion.
The Recorder’s Self-Service Portal warns that the index is only a guide
to the documents. For a purchase, refinance, estate matter or legal
conclusion about lien priority, use a title company or Arizona attorney.
Access, utility and other recorded easements
How to Research an Easement on Pima County Property
The Recorder provides a useful local shortcut: if your purchase went
through a title company, check Schedule B of your title policy
before performing a broad public-record search.
Find your title policy if you have one.
Review Schedule B.
It should identify recorded easements and other exceptions affecting
the insured property.
Save each recording reference shown in Schedule B.
Open the Recorder Public Access Portal.
Search the sequence number or docket/page when supplied.
If you do not have Schedule B, search a party name and approximate date.
The Recorder specifically recommends using a known party and approximate
recording date for easement research.
Read the actual easement instrument.
Do not depend only on the search-result description.
Boundary or access dispute?
A recorded easement document, survey, title report and legal interpretation
can each answer different questions. Use the appropriate professional
when exact legal rights matter.
Arizona transfer requirement
Affidavit of Property Value for a Pima County Deed
Pima County’s recording requirements state that documents transferring
title to real property must include a complete legal description and,
unless a statutory exemption applies, an
Affidavit of Property Value.
Exempt transfer:
the Pima County Recorder states that exempt real-property transfers
must include the applicable Arizona Department of Revenue exemption
letter and number at recording. Do not guess the legal exemption.
Search and recording now use the same modern system
How to Record a Deed or Other Document in Pima County
Pima County currently accepts qualifying documents
online, in person or by mail.
Determine which legal instrument is appropriate.
Recorder staff cannot provide legal advice or tell you which deed to use.
Check the document title/caption.
The instrument must briefly state what kind of document it is.
Check signatures and document quality.
The document must satisfy Arizona statutory recording requirements.
Check the legal description for a real-property transfer.
Include the Affidavit of Property Value or proper exemption documentation.
Check the current fee.
Most ordinary documents currently have a flat $30 recording fee.
Choose online, in-person or mail submission.
If submitting electronically, watch the Tucson-time cutoff.
Documents received after 4:00 p.m. Tucson time are
processed the next business day.
Save the final recorded sequence number.
The Recorder indexes the completed instrument so it can be located later.
Check these before submitting
Pima County Recording Requirements
Title or caption
Briefly state the nature of the document.
Legibility
The document must be clear enough for the Recorder to create
certified photographic/micrographic copies.
Signatures
Original signatures or legally permitted equivalents are required.
Maximum page size
Ordinary documents may be no larger than 8.5 × 14 inches.
Minimum type size
At least 10-point type.
Side and bottom margins
At least one-half inch.
First-page top margin
At least two inches reserved across the page for recording and
return-address information.
Modification reference
A document modifying an earlier recording must identify the earlier
recording date and docket/page or sequence number.
Real-property legal description
A transfer of title must include a complete legal description.
Affidavit / exemption
Include the required Affidavit of Property Value or applicable
exemption documentation.
Do not attach the free watermarked search image to a new recording.
Pima County specifically states that unofficial low-resolution watermarked
copies are not acceptable recording attachments. Purchase a clean copy
when a prior recorded document must be attached.
Current published Recorder fees
Pima County Recorder Recording and Copy Fees
$30
Record Most Documents
Flat recording fee under the published schedule.
$24
Plat / Map First Image
Subdivision, survey and qualifying map first image.
$20
Additional Map Image
Additional recorded map/plat image.
$0.25
8.5 × 11 Paper Copy
Per image.
$0.50
11 × 17 Paper Copy
Per image.
$0.25
Clean Digital Copy
Per document.
$1
Certified Copy
Per image.
$3
Certificate with Seal
Per certificate.
$1
Mail Processing
Per document.
Published-fee date:
the Recorder’s live fee page currently says the schedule was last revised
April 15, 2022. Because it remains the Recorder’s current published page,
use it as the source of truth but recheck immediately before paying.
What Payment Methods Does the Recorder Accept?
In person
Current Recorder guidance lists Visa, MasterCard, cash, checks and money orders.
By mail
Use check or money order according to the current recording instructions.
Do not send a credit card for a mail recording.
Check requirement
Checks must currently be pre-printed with your name.
Date requirement
Checks and money orders must be dated within 60 days of receipt.
Free property-recording monitoring
How to Sign Up for Pima County Fraud Notify
Fraud Notify is a free Pima County Recorder service.
It sends an email when a new document is recorded using an individual
or business name you have registered.
Open the official Fraud Notify page.
Select the registration link.
Create your account with an email address.
Open the verification email.
Select the verification link to activate the account.
Log back into Fraud Notify.
Select Continue on the disclaimer.
This opens the Alerts page.
Create alerts for your individual or business names.
Consider reasonable spelling/name variations.
Select Save.
The alert is not complete until it is saved.
An alert does not automatically mean fraud.
Legitimate deeds, releases, liens, court documents, HOA documents or
other recordings can contain your name. Open the actual recording first.
Fraud Notify is monitoring, not title insurance.
It does not block a document from recording or determine whether the
instrument is legally valid.
Do not call the Recorder for every county record
Recorder vs Assessor vs Treasurer vs Superior Court
Your task
Correct office
What to do
Deed, lien, easement, release
Pima County Recorder
Search recorded public documents or order copies.
Parcel, address, property value
Pima County Assessor
Search property records and valuation information.
Property-tax balance/payment
Pima County Treasurer
Search tax statements, amounts due and payments.
Marriage or divorce record
Clerk of the Superior Court
Request the relevant court/marriage record.
Birth or death certificate
Pima County Health Department Vital Records
Use Vital Records rather than the Recorder’s land-record system.
Where Do You Pay Pima County Property Taxes?
Property-tax payments are handled by the
Pima County Treasurer, not the Recorder.
Useful relationship:
use the Assessor to identify the parcel, the Recorder to research recorded
legal instruments, and the Treasurer to research property-tax balances
and payments.
Street address and mailing address are different
Where to Mail a Document to the Pima County Recorder
Do not send ordinary USPS recording mail simply to the Downtown
walk-in address.
The Recorder specifically publishes the P.O. Box for USPS and the
Stone Avenue address for UPS/FedEx.
Pima County-specific research shortcuts
Local Tips That Prevent Failed Searches and Unnecessary Fees
Search last name first.
Pima’s index is not a normal Google-style people search. Start with
Smith John, not John Smith.
Remove punctuation.
Periods and hyphens can reduce useful results.
Try Delacruz for De La Cruz.
Pima specifically recommends removing spaces from certain surnames.
Do not type the full trust name first.
Search the people named in the trust when appropriate.
Narrow by recording period.
Purchase, refinance and payoff dates are powerful search clues.
Save the sequence number.
It is far more useful for later copy requests than repeatedly
searching the same person’s name.
View the free image before buying.
Pima provides free watermarked previews, so verify first.
Do not reuse a watermarked scan in a recording.
Purchase the clean high-resolution copy if it must be attached.
After mortgage payoff, look for reconveyance.
Do not wait for a brand-new deed that normally will not be issued.
Check Schedule B for easements.
A title policy may save hours of broad searching.
Pre-1982 means a different workflow.
Historical records are not all part of the modern online index.
The Recorder does not notarize.
Arrange notarization before arriving when your instrument requires it.
Electronic cutoff is 4 p.m. Tucson time.
Documents received afterward are processed the next business day.
Use Fraud Notify even if you rarely search records.
It provides free email notice of new recordings under registered names.
Buying Pima County Property? Do More Than Open One Deed
Verify the parcel
Compare Assessor parcel information with the legal description.
Search current and prior owners
Important easements, liens or other instruments may be indexed
under earlier parties.
Follow prior-document references
A deed can incorporate easements, restrictions or older instruments.
Search releases/reconveyances
Do not assume an old deed of trust or lien remains outstanding.
Check tax status separately
Use the Pima County Treasurer rather than the Recorder.
Obtain title and survey assistance
Public Recorder research is not a complete title examination or
boundary survey.
Common Pima County Recorded Property Documents
Deed
Instrument transferring or confirming an interest in real property.
Deed of Trust
Common Arizona real-estate financing/security instrument.
Release / Reconveyance
Can document release of a previously recorded secured obligation.
Lien
Recorded claim that may affect property or an owner’s interest.
Easement
Recorded right involving access, utilities or other use of property.
Plat / Map
Recorded subdivision, survey or map information.
Affidavit
Sworn recorded statement relating to property or another matter.
Judgment
Court-related recording that may be indexed in public records.
Modification
Instrument changing a previously recorded document and referencing
that prior recording.
Before Calling Pima County Recording Services
Have as many of these details ready as possible:
- sequence number;
- docket and page;
- name exactly as it may have been recorded;
- property address;
- Assessor parcel number;
- approximate recording date;
- document type;
- whether you need research, a clean copy, certification or recording help.
Before You Rely on a Pima County Recorder Search Result
-
Confirm the person.
Same-name parties can have unrelated documents.
-
Confirm the parcel/property.
Compare Assessor and legal-description information.
-
Confirm the document type.
A deed, deed of trust, release and lien answer different questions.
-
Read the actual document.
The Recorder’s index is a guide, not a substitute for the instrument.
-
Follow later recordings.
A subsequent release, correction or modification may materially change
what an older record means.
-
Use historical research when necessary.
No post-1982 search result does not settle a pre-1982 title question.
-
Use professional title review for legal conclusions.
Public research is not title insurance or a formal title opinion.
County-CAD.us Research Standards
Report an Outdated Government Link
Contact County-CAD.us if a Recorder portal, fee, address or
procedure changes.
Contact County-CAD.us
Independent Website Disclaimer
Understand the limits of independent property-record guidance.
Read Disclaimer
Primary government research
Official Sources Used for This Pima County Recorder Guide
Pima County Recorder Public Records Research
Used for public search, free watermarked images, historic-record
limitations and research locations.
Open Public Records Research
Public Search & Purchasing Instructions
Used for Last Name First Name formatting, suffix rules, punctuation,
trust/business searches and online purchasing steps.
Open Search Instructions
Recording Requirements
Used for title/caption, signatures, size, type, margins,
modification references, legal description and APV requirements.
Open Recording Requirements
Recording Fees
Used for current published recording, map, copy, certification,
mail and payment-method information.
Open Recording Fees
Recorder FAQs
Used for recording methods, ownership changes, easements,
liens, mortgage payoff, other county records and office routing.
Open Recorder FAQs
How to Record a Document
Used for online, mail and in-person filing, 4 p.m. processing cutoff
and post-1982 search coverage.
Open Recording Guide
Fraud Notify
Used for free recording-alert eligibility and registration workflow.
Open Fraud Notify
Pima County Assessor
Used as the official parcel, property-address and owner starting point
when the user does not yet know the recorded party.
Open Assessor Search
Pima County Treasurer
Used to separate property-tax inquiry/payment from Recorder functions.
Open Treasurer
Arizona Department of Revenue
Used for the official Affidavit of Property Value form and instructions.
Open Arizona APV Form
Editorial verification: August 14, 2026.
Recorder interfaces, fees, indexing coverage, office hours, staff,
mailing instructions and legal requirements can change. Recheck the
responsible official government page before recording, paying or traveling.
10 Pima County Recorder questions
Pima County Recorder FAQs
1. How do I search a Pima County deed online?
Open the Pima County Recorder’s Public Records Research page and enter
the Public Access Portal. Search one of the recorded parties using the
Recorder’s Last Name First Name format, such as Smith John. Narrow the
date range when possible, open likely documents, compare the parties
and property information, and save the sequence number once you find
the correct deed.
2. How do I find a Pima County deed if I only know the property address?
Begin with the Pima County Assessor Parcel Search. Enter the property
address, open the correct parcel and save the parcel number and current
owner name. Then open the Recorder’s Public Access Portal and search
the owner using Last Name First Name. Search previous owners as well
when the transfer is recent.
3. How far back does the Pima County Recorder online search go?
The Recorder’s current recording instructions describe its regular
electronic search as covering documents recorded since 1982. Older
documents can require the Historical Index Search or in-office research.
The Recorder also notes that some historic records are still being
digitally indexed.
4. Can I view a Pima County deed online for free?
Yes. Pima County allows documents to be viewed, printed or downloaded
from its Public Search Portal without purchasing a copy, but those
images contain an unofficial watermark. If you need a clean digital
image, official paper copy or certified record, purchase the appropriate
copy through the Recorder.
5. How much does a Pima County recorded document copy cost?
The current published Recorder fee schedule lists 8.5-by-11 paper copies
at $0.25 per image, 11-by-17 paper copies at $0.50 per image, and clean
digital copies at $0.25 per document. Certified copies are $1 per image,
with an additional $3 fee for a certificate with seal when applicable.
6. How much does it cost to record a deed in Pima County?
The Pima County Recorder’s current published fee schedule lists a flat
$30 fee for recording most documents. Maps and plats use different fees,
and some statutorily exempt records have different treatment. Check the
Recorder’s live fee page immediately before submitting the document.
7. What should I search after paying off my Pima County mortgage?
Do not expect a new ownership deed simply because the mortgage was paid.
Search the Recorder’s records for a release or reconveyance connected
with the deed of trust or other loan recording. Compare the lender,
trustee, sequence number and prior-recording references to make sure
the later document relates to the paid loan.
8. How do I find an easement on Pima County property?
If you have a title policy, first review Schedule B because it should
list recorded easements affecting the property. Use any sequence,
docket or page references from the policy in the Recorder’s Public
Access Portal. Without Schedule B, the Recorder recommends researching
with the name of a party and an approximate recording date.
9. What is Pima County Fraud Notify?
Fraud Notify is a free Pima County Recorder service that emails users
when a new document is recorded using an individual or business name
they have registered. Create an account, activate it through the email
verification link, log in, create name alerts and select Save. An alert
is a notification only and does not by itself prove fraud.
10. What is the Pima County Recorder’s address and phone number?
The main Pima County Recorder office is at 240 N. Stone Avenue,
Tucson, AZ 85701. It is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m.
to 5:00 p.m., excluding applicable holidays. Document Recording
Services can be reached at 520-724-4350 or Recording@recorder.pima.gov.
USPS mail should be sent to P.O. Box 3145, Tucson, AZ 85702-3145.