Recording a deed in DeKalb County, Georgia
Everything you need to get a deed on file in DeKalb County. The office that records it, the formatting it checks, what it costs, and how to e-file it, which Georgia requires. Deedly is not preparing Georgia deeds at this time.
- Recording office
- Clerk of Superior Court
- Witnesses
- 1 + notary
- Transfer tax
- $1.00 per $1,000 of consideration
- First-page margin
- 3″ top
- Recording fee
- $25 per document
- E-recording
- Required (GSCCCA eFile)
Recording a deed in DeKalb County
Deeds affecting property in DeKalb County, Georgia are recorded with the Clerk of Superior Court. 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 O.C.G.A. § 44-2-1. Deeds themselves are governed by O.C.G.A. § 44-5-30.
What you need
- An account at efile.gsccca.org that has passed its identity verification, and a PDF scan of the signed, witnessed and notarized deed. Georgia requires you to e-file your own deed (O.C.G.A. § 44-2-2(d)). Keep the paper original.
- Signatures from 1 witness, which Georgia requires in addition to the notary.
- Form PT-61 Real Estate Transfer Tax Declaration (filed electronically), which Georgia requires alongside the deed.
- Payment for the $25 recording fee, made online in the portal. The fee is set by state law (O.C.G.A. § 15-6-77(f)).
Formatting
- Required by Georgia law: 8.5 × 11 or 8.5 × 14 inch pages (or the scanned equivalent) with a 3-inch blank margin at the top of page one for the clerk (O.C.G.A. § 15-6-61(a)(10)), and the name and mailing address of the person the recorded deed goes back to at the top of page one (O.C.G.A. § 44-2-14(b)).
- A legal description. A street address alone is not enough.
How to file
- E-file (required)Georgia requires you to e-file. Since January 1, 2025, anyone who is a party to a deed and records it personally must file it electronically through the Clerks' Authority portal, efile.gsccca.org (O.C.G.A. § 44-2-2(d)). The clerk will not accept your paper deed at the counter or by mail. Register first: the portal verifies your identity, including a government-issued photo ID, before you can file. Then upload a scan of the signed deed to the Clerk of Superior Court for DeKalb County and pay the fee online.
- No computer?The Clerk of Superior Court in Decatur must provide a public computer terminal with access to the portal (O.C.G.A. § 44-2-2(e)).
Use the office's own website
Offices move and hours change. Search for "DeKalb County Georgia Clerk of Superior Court" and use the official county website, not a directory listing, which is often years out of date.
Deedly is not preparing Georgia deeds at this time
Georgia law limits who may charge to prepare a deed for someone else. You can prepare your own deed, or a Georgia attorney can prepare it for you.
Common questions
With the Clerk of Superior Court, located in Decatur. Deeds are always recorded in the county where the property sits, not where the owner lives.
$25 per deed, set by state law for every Georgia county (O.C.G.A. § 15-6-77(f)). Georgia also charges real estate transfer tax at $1.00 per $1,000 of consideration (first $1,000 is $1.00, then $0.10 per additional $100), though a deed of gift is exempt (O.C.G.A. § 48-6-2(a)(2)).
Georgia requires you to e-file. Since January 1, 2025, anyone who is a party to a deed and records it personally must file it electronically through the Clerks' Authority portal, efile.gsccca.org (O.C.G.A. § 44-2-2(d)). The clerk will not accept your paper deed at the counter or by mail.
Keep reading
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.