Recording a deed in El Paso County, Texas

Recording a deed in El Paso County

Deeds affecting property in El Paso County, Texas are recorded with the County Clerk. 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 Tex. Prop. Code chs. 11–12; Tex. Loc. Gov't Code § 191.007. Deeds themselves are governed by Tex. Prop. Code § 5.021.

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.
• A current government photo ID if you file in person, such as a driver's license, state ID card, passport, U.S. military ID, or permanent resident card. A Texas clerk must see it before accepting a deed in person (Tex. Loc. Gov't Code § 191.010(b); Tex. Prop. Code § 12.001(b)(2)).
• Payment for the recording fee, about $25 for the first page and roughly $4 per additional page. Many offices do not take personal checks.

Formatting

• Tex. Loc. Gov't Code § 191.007 requires pages no larger than 8.5 × 14 inches, type of at least 8 points, a clearly identifying heading at the top of page one (after the confidentiality notice), and each signer's name typed or printed under the signature. A page that misses the size, legibility or printed-name standards costs twice the statutory page fee. Small type does not raise the fee, and neither does a missing heading if the confidentiality notice complies. A clerk may not refuse to record a deed for any of these (§ 191.007(k)). Texas sets no margin; the 2-inch top space is county recording-label practice, applied by Deedly.
• Tex. Prop. Code § 11.008(c) requires a NOTICE OF CONFIDENTIALITY RIGHTS at the top of the first page of an instrument that transfers an interest in real property to or from an individual, in 12-point bold or uppercase type.
• 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 Clerk in El Paso. 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-recordingTexas lets only attorneys, lenders, title companies and government filers e-record (Tex. Loc. Gov't Code § 195.003(a)); counties of 500,000 or more people may approve other submitters by agreement (§ 195.003(a-1)). If you prepared the deed yourself, plan to record in person or by mail unless your county's website says it accepts filings from the public.