Recording a deed in Pima County, Arizona

Recording a deed in Pima County

Deeds affecting property in Pima County, Arizona are recorded with the County Recorder. Recording is what puts the world on notice of your ownership and fixes the priority date. An unrecorded deed can still transfer title between the parties, but it leaves you exposed to anyone who records first.

The recording rules the office applies come from A.R.S. § 11-468. Deeds themselves are governed by A.R.S. § 33-401.

What to bring

• The original signed and notarized deed. Recorders do not record photocopies handed over the counter.
• A completed notarial acknowledgment, with the date, the place where you signed, and the commission expiry all filled in.
• An Affidavit of Property Value (Department of Revenue Form 82162), signed by the seller and the buyer (or their agents) before a notary, for a deed that is not exempt. An exempt deed carries its exemption code on its face instead (A.R.S. § 11-1134(C)).
• Payment for the recording fee, $30 per document. Many offices do not take personal checks.

Formatting

• Arizona requires print no smaller than 10-point type, half-inch margins on all sides, and a 2-inch top margin on the first page reserved for recording information, whose left 3.5 inches may carry the requester and return address (A.R.S. § 11-480).
• An Arizona recorder may reject a document only if it has no caption stating what it is, is not an original legible enough to copy, lacks original signatures, is larger than 8.5 × 14 inches, or has type smaller than 10 point (A.R.S. § 11-480(A)). A first page without the 2-inch top margin needs a cover sheet with the document's title attached to the front (§ 11-480(C)). Text inside the half-inch margins may not give notice, but it is not a ground for rejection (§ 11-480(B)).
• Deedly's layout, which suits this office: 8.5 × 11 inch paper, a 2-inch clear space at the top of page one for the recording stamp, 0.5-inch margins on the other edges, and type no smaller than 10 point. Deedly formats every document this way automatically.
• A legal description. A street address alone is not enough.
• A 'when recorded, return to' block so the stamped original comes back to you.

How to file

1. 1In personTake the original to the County Recorder in Tucson. This is the fastest route. You usually walk out with the recording information the same day.
2. 2By mailSend the original with a check or money order for the fee and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Allow one to three weeks for the stamped original to come back.
3. 3E-recordingArizona law lets a county recorder accept electronic filings from title companies, banks, Arizona attorneys, government agencies, and trusted submitters that have an agreement with the recorder (A.R.S. § 11-461(C), (J)). Pima and Yavapai counties also take filings from the public through online portals, and Maricopa accepts a single document through a third-party submitter. Elsewhere, check the county recorder's website, or record in person or by mail.