Faster Public Access
Records and images will move through the system faster and become available online sooner.
Go-live date: December 1, 2026
Modernizing the Fayette County Recorder of Deeds Office
Faster Access. Less Paper. Better Service.
The Fayette County Recorder of Deeds Office is launching a modernized recording and public-access system designed to make records easier to access, reduce paper usage and duplicate work, shorten document imaging times, strengthen property fraud notification services, and prepare the office for future electronic recording.
What Residents Can Expect
The modernization project focuses on practical improvements that make the Recorder of Deeds Office easier to use and more efficient.
About 50% Less Paper
The new electronic workflow is expected to reduce office paper usage by approximately half.
Faster Plan Imaging
Large-format plans can be scanned in-house instead of waiting 45 to 60 days for outside processing.
Fraud Notifications
Property alert tools can help residents monitor recorded activity involving their name or property records.
Better Online Services
More records and services will be available without requiring a routine trip to the courthouse.
Future-Ready Technology
The system will be capable of e-recording when public and professional demand warrants implementation.
Modern Online Records Access
The upgraded system provides a modern, user-friendly way to access Recorder of Deeds records from a computer, tablet, or mobile device.
- Search deeds, mortgages, plans, and other recorded documents
- Search by name, parcel number, instrument number, recording date, and document type
- View and download available document images online
- Request copies and certified copies electronically
- Use online payment options where available
- Access property alert services
- Maintain public user accounts where applicable
Large-Format Scanning
The office is adding a large-format scanner for subdivision plans, plot maps, housing plans, property plans, and other oversized recorded documents.
Current Process
Record → Package → Mail to outside company → Scan → Return → Upload
The current outside scanning process can take approximately 45 to 60 days.
- Original documents must leave the office for outside scanning
- Additional mailing and handling are required
- Electronic images can be delayed for several weeks
New Process
Record → Scan in-house → Quality check → Upload
The new scanner will allow staff to digitize oversized documents directly in the Recorder of Deeds Office and make the electronic image available much sooner.
- Near-immediate in-house imaging after processing
- Less handling of original documents
- Reduced mailing and outside processing
Connected County Workflows
The modernization project will improve how public information moves between the Recorder of Deeds Office, other county offices, and local news organizations.
Tax Assessment Integration
Tax Assessment will provide updated parcel and assessment data files that can be uploaded into the Recorder system whenever new information is provided.
GIS Information Sharing
The Recorder of Deeds Office will provide direct record links for use by the county GIS system while each office continues to maintain its own official system and responsibilities.
Daily Property Transfer Reports
The system will support direct daily delivery of the Recorder of Deeds property transfer report to local newspapers.
About the Tax Assessment integration: this is a file-based data exchange. Tax Assessment remains the source and custodian of its official assessment records, and the Recorder system can be refreshed when updated files are received.
Deed Fraud Protection
Property Fraud Alerts
Residents can use property fraud alert services to receive notification when a document is recorded using their name or other identifying information.
Important: an alert does not prevent a document from being recorded. It provides early notice so a property owner can review the activity and take appropriate action if something appears suspicious.
E-Recording Ready
The modernized system will have the technological capability to accept electronic recordings from authorized professional submitters.
E-recording will not launch immediately. The office will monitor demand from attorneys, title companies, lenders, and settlement professionals and can activate the service when there is a demonstrated need.
Less Paper and Fewer Duplicate Processes
The modernization project is expected to reduce office paper usage by approximately 50% while eliminating several duplicate processes.
- Less unnecessary printing and temporary paper storage
- Less duplicate data entry and repeated document handling
- Fewer repeated scanning and processing steps
- Reduced mailing of oversized plans and maps
- Faster movement from recording to online availability
- Fewer opportunities for clerical errors caused by repetitive processes
The goal is to allow staff to spend less time repeating administrative tasks and more time serving the public.
Preserving Fayette County's Land Records
The Recorder of Deeds Office is responsible for recording, preserving, and providing public access to Fayette County’s permanent land records. The modernization project strengthens that responsibility through modern imaging, secure electronic backups, audit trails, and improved electronic workflows.
Digitized Recorder records currently extend back to 1950. Future projects can evaluate opportunities to make additional historical records digitally accessible.
- Electronic document imaging and secure backups
- Improved long-term preservation and disaster recovery
- Electronic audit trails and secure staff access
- Modern recording, indexing, verification, cashiering, and reporting workflows
The New System Goes Live December 1
The modernization project represents a major upgrade in how the Fayette County Recorder of Deeds Office records, preserves, processes, and provides access to public land records.
Preserving the past. Modernizing for the future.