Recording a deed in Aroostook County, Maine
Everything you need to get a deed on file in Aroostook County. The office that records it, the formatting it checks, what it costs, and the three ways to submit.
- Recording office
- Registry of Deeds
- Witnesses
- Notary only
- Transfer tax
- $2.20 per $500 of value up to $1,000,000 and $6.00 per $500 above that
- First-page margin
- 3″ top
- Recording fee
- $40 per document
- E-recording
- Approved submitters
Recording a deed in Aroostook County
Deeds affecting property in Aroostook County, Maine are recorded with the Registry 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.
Recording in Maine is governed by 33 M.R.S. § 201 (effect of recording), § 203 (acknowledgment), § 651-A (names printed under signatures) and §§ 751 and 752 (fees). Deeds themselves are governed by 33 M.R.S. § 151.
Worth knowing
Aroostook County has two registries of deeds. The Northern District registry in Fort Kent covers the northern part of the county described in 33 M.R.S. § 703; the Southern District registry in Houlton covers the rest. Record in the district where the land lies: a deed recorded in the other one does not protect the new owner against later buyers and creditors (33 M.R.S. § 201). Call either registry if you are unsure which district the land is in.
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.
- Real Estate Transfer Tax Declaration (Form RETTD), which Maine requires alongside the deed.
- Payment for the recording fee, $40 per document. Many offices do not take personal checks.
Formatting
- Maine's registries of deeds require clean margins on every document: 1 3/4 inches at the top of page one, 1 inch at the top of every other page, 3/4 inch at each side, and 1 1/2 inches across the bottom of the last page, with no writing, stickers or punched holes in them. Type must be at least 10 point, on paper from 8.5 × 11 to 8.5 × 14 inches. A document without the margins is returned unrecorded (Maine Registers of Deeds Association, Document Recording Requirements, 2025). Deedly leaves 1.5 inches clear at the bottom of every page.
- Deedly's layout, which suits this office: 8.5 × 11 inch paper, a 3-inch clear space at the top of page one for the recording stamp, 1-inch margins on the other edges, a 1.5-inch bottom margin, 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
- In personTake the original to the Registry of Deeds. 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 "Aroostook County Maine Registry of Deeds" and use the official county website, not a directory listing, which is often years out of date.
Formatted to Maine requirements, with Aroostook County filing instructions included.
Common questions
With the Registry of Deeds. Deeds are always recorded in the county where the property sits, not where the owner lives.
$40 per document. Maine also charges real estate transfer tax at $2.20 per $500 of value up to $1,000,000 and $6.00 per $500 above that (any part of $500 counts as $500), half owed by the grantor and half by the grantee (36 M.R.S. § 4641-A), though a deed between spouses, parent and child, or grandparent and grandchild is exempt when nothing is paid for it, and any other gift is taxed on the property's market value (36 M.R.S. §§ 4641(3), 4641-C(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.