Recording a deed in New Castle County, Delaware
Everything you need to get a deed on file in New Castle County. The office that records it, the formatting it checks, what it costs, and the three ways to submit.
- Recording office
- Recorder of Deeds
- Witnesses
- Notary only
- Transfer tax
- 4% in most places
- First-page margin
- 2.5″ top
- Recording fee
- ~$52 first page
- E-recording
- Approved submitters
Recording a deed in New Castle County
Deeds affecting property in New Castle County, Delaware are recorded with the Recorder of Deeds. 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 Del. Code tit. 9, § 9605. Deeds themselves are governed by Del. Code tit. 25, § 121.
Worth knowing
New Castle County does not accept a document that departs from its recording specifications. On page one, the top 2.5 inches of the left half and the top inch of the right half stay blank, and the tax parcel number, the preparer's name and address and the return address go in the upper right corner below that inch. Every page needs margins of at least 3/4 inch on the sides and bottom, later pages 1 inch at the top, and type of at least 12 point. Deedly prints your documents that way; write nothing in the blank spaces.
Worth knowing
From September 28, 2026, New Castle County charges the $30 state document fee, a $7 technology fee and $15 a page, plus $3 for each parcel the deed describes, so a three-page deed describing one parcel costs $85. Make checks payable to "Recorder of Deeds".
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.
- Form RTT-TAX (Realty Transfer Tax Return) and the county's transfer tax forms, which Delaware requires alongside the deed.
- Payment for the recording fee, about $52 for the first page and $15 for each page after that, plus $3 for each parcel the deed describes.
Formatting
- Delaware's three recorders each set their own page-one layout (9 Del. C. § 9605(g)). All use 8.5 × 11 inch paper and want the tax parcel number, the words "Prepared by" with the preparer's name and address, and the return address at the top of page one. New Castle and Sussex require type of at least 12 point.
- Deedly lays out page one for the county you choose, where its recorder asks: the tax parcel number, the PREPARED BY block and the return address in the upper right corner in New Castle County, at the left margin within the top third of the page in Kent County, and in the upper left inside the 2-inch top margin in Sussex County (the return address just below that margin). Each county's recording office page gives its rules.
- Deedly's layout for New Castle County follows these specifications: 8.5 × 11 inch paper; on page one, the top 2.5 inches of the left half and the top inch of the right half blank, with the tax parcel number, the PREPARED BY block and the return address in the upper right corner just below that inch; 1-inch margins elsewhere; and type no smaller than 12 point.
- 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
- In personTake the original to the Recorder of Deeds in Wilmington. This is the fastest route. You usually walk out with the recording information the same day.
- By 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.
- E-recordingTitle companies, attorneys, and other approved submitters file electronically through services such as Simplifile, CSC, or ePN. Some offices accept filings from the public through those services; check the office's website. If you prepared the deed yourself, in person or by mail is usually simpler.
Confirm the address before you post anything
Offices move and hours change. Search for "New Castle County Delaware Recorder of Deeds" and use the official county website, not a directory listing, which is often years out of date.
Formatted to Delaware requirements, with New Castle County filing instructions included.
Common questions
With the Recorder of Deeds, located in Wilmington. Deeds are always recorded in the county where the property sits, not where the owner lives.
Around $52 for the first page and $15 for each page after that, plus $3 for each parcel the deed describes. Delaware also charges realty transfer tax at 4% in most places (2.5% to the state and 1.5% to the county or town), on the price or the property's highest assessed value, whichever is greater, though a gift is taxed on the property's highest assessed value unless an exemption applies, such as a gift between spouses, parent and child, siblings, or grandparent and grandchild (30 Del. C. §§ 5401(1), 5401(4)). Confirm current fees with the office before you mail anything; they change.
Usually only through an approved e-recording submitter, such as a title company or attorney, using a service like Simplifile, CSC, or ePN. Some offices accept filings from the public through those services; check the office's website. Otherwise, record in person or by mail.
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Deedly is not a law firm
Its software and documents are not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. We provide self-help software and state-specific deed forms; you make your own decisions about your property. Using Deedly does not create an attorney-client relationship, and nothing here is legal advice. If your situation is complex or contested, talk to a licensed attorney in your state.