Des Plaines Deed Records

Deed records for Des Plaines properties are filed with the Cook County Clerk's Recordings Division at 118 N. Clark Street in Chicago. This office has been the recording authority for all Cook County property documents, including Des Plaines deeds, since December 7, 2020.

Where to Find Des Plaines Deed Records

All deed records for Des Plaines are on file at the Cook County Clerk's Recordings Division, 118 N. Clark Street, Room 120, Chicago, IL 60602. Call (312) 603-5050 for assistance. The office is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with the last customer accepted at 4:45 PM. The main website is at https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/recordings.

Until December 7, 2020, deed recording in Cook County was handled by the Cook County Recorder of Deeds, a separate elected office. That office merged with the County Clerk on December 7, 2020. All records from the prior Recorder's office moved over intact. You can access documents from before the merger the same way you access recent ones, through the same online portal.

For written support, email recording.helpdesk@cookcountyil.gov. The help desk can assist with questions about recording requirements, document status, fees, and forms. For immediate questions, calling the main number is often faster.

The image below shows the Cook County Clerk Recordings Division page, which is the central resource for Des Plaines deed records and all property recording services in Cook County.

From this page you can search recorded instruments, find eRecording vendor contacts, review fee schedules, and sign up for property fraud alerts tied to your Des Plaines PIN.

Searching Des Plaines Property Deed Records Online

Use the free search portal at https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/recordings/search-recordings. You can search by Parcel Identification Number (PIN), grantor name, grantee name, or document number. Searching by PIN gives the most direct results. Each Des Plaines property has its own PIN, assigned by the Cook County Assessor.

To find the PIN for a Des Plaines address, go to the Assessor's website and use the property search tool. Once you have the PIN, enter it into the Clerk's search portal. Results will show every recorded document for that parcel: deeds, mortgages, releases, liens, easements, and more. You can see the document type, recording date, and the parties named in each filing.

Name searches are useful when you know a prior owner's name but don't have a PIN. Filter by document type and date range to narrow results. Title examiners use this method when tracing ownership of Des Plaines properties. The search tool has no fee and requires no login. Results are available immediately.

Certified copies can be ordered as downloadable e-certified documents. Paper copies are also available by mail or in person at the counter. Fees apply and depend on the document type and page count.

Recording a Deed for a Des Plaines Property

Documents covering Des Plaines parcels can be submitted in three ways: in person at the Clark Street office, by mail, or through eRecording. ERecording is the preferred method for real estate professionals. Approved vendors include Simplifile, CSC, EPN, Hopdox, and Indecomm. Documents submitted through these vendors are usually recorded within one business day.

If you come in person, bring the original signed and notarized document to Room 120. Staff will review it and calculate the fee. Pay, and the document is stamped with the recording date and returned. If there is a formatting issue with the document, staff identify it at the counter so you can correct it before paying.

Mailed submissions need a fee check made out to Cook County Clerk and a self-addressed stamped return envelope. Processing by mail takes longer than in person or eRecording. If you need confirmation, follow up by phone or email after a few business days.

Standard recording fees are $27.50 to $107. Non-standard fees are $2 to $142. Documents qualify as standard if they meet formatting requirements under 765 ILCS 5. Non-compliant documents pay both the base fee and the non-standard surcharge. Starting January 1, 2026, documents that modify a restrictive covenant record at no charge anywhere in Cook County.

Real Estate Transfer Tax and PTAX-203

Illinois requires a Real Estate Transfer Declaration (PTAX-203) for most property sales. This form accompanies the deed when it is submitted for recording. The Illinois transfer tax rate is $0.50 per $500 of the purchase price. Cook County adds $0.25 per $500. Both are paid at recording.

Use the Illinois MyDec portal at https://mytax.illinois.gov/MyDec/ to file the PTAX-203 online. Complete the form in MyDec before recording day. The system generates a confirmation number when you finish. Include that number with the deed at the time of submission. The Clerk's office will not record the deed without a valid MyDec confirmation in most cases.

Transfers that qualify for an exemption from the transfer tax still require the PTAX-203. Mark the exemption code and include the basis for it. Common exemptions include transfers between spouses, certain government conveyances, and corrections to earlier deeds. The Clerk checks the declaration against the deed details when processing the filing.

Protect Your Des Plaines Property Against Fraud

The Cook County Clerk's free Property Fraud Alert program is at https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/recordings/property-fraud-unit. Register your property's PIN and receive an email any time a document is recorded against it. The alert lets you catch unauthorized filings quickly before they become harder to undo.

Property deed fraud happens in Cook County. It often targets homes without a mortgage, since there is no lender checking on the title. If your Des Plaines property is free and clear of debt, this program is worth signing up for right now. Registration takes a few minutes, costs nothing, and lets you monitor multiple PINs in a single account.

If you see an alert for a filing you don't know about, call (312) 603-5050 immediately. The Recordings Division fraud unit can pull up the document and tell you what was filed. An Illinois real estate attorney can guide you through the legal steps to address an unauthorized recording. The sooner you act, the better.

What Des Plaines Deed Records Show and How They Are Used

A recorded deed for a Des Plaines property shows the grantor, the grantee, the legal description of the parcel, the consideration paid, and the type of deed. Common deed types include warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, trustee's deeds, and executor's deeds. The type determines what legal warranties, if any, the grantor gives the buyer about the title.

A warranty deed gives the buyer the strongest protection. The grantor guarantees title is clear and agrees to defend against any future claims. A quitclaim deed simply transfers whatever interest the grantor has, with no warranty. These are common in estate transfers or family transactions. Trustee's deeds are used when a trust holds title and is transferring ownership.

Beyond deeds, the Cook County search system shows mortgages, lien releases, mechanic's liens, HOA liens, federal tax liens, state tax liens, and easements. These are all indexed by PIN and by party name. A full title search on a Des Plaines property pulls all of these documents together to give a complete picture of the title's condition. Title companies perform this work as part of a standard real estate closing.

The image below shows information from the Illinois statute 35 ILCS 200, which governs real property assessment and taxation in Illinois and is relevant to understanding how PIN numbers and transfer records are structured.

Understanding how the Cook County PIN system ties to state law helps explain why PINs are the key identifier used throughout the Clerk's deed search portal.