Access Massac County Deed Records

Massac County deed records are filed with the County Clerk and Recorder in Metropolis and cover all real property transfers, mortgages, liens, and easements in the county. This page explains what Illinois law requires for recording, what the fees are, and how to search or obtain copies of recorded documents.

Recording Deeds in Massac County

The Massac County Clerk and Recorder at 1 Superman Square in Metropolis is the official recording office for all real property instruments in the county. Every deed, mortgage, lien, easement, and other instrument affecting land in Massac County must be filed here. When you bring a document to the counter, the clerk checks it for compliance, assigns a document number, and stamps the exact date and time of recording. That timestamp is legally significant because it determines priority among competing claims on the same parcel.

Recording standards come from 765 ILCS 5, Illinois's Conveyances Act. Every deed filed in Massac County must meet these requirements. The grantor's signature must be original and notarized. The property index number (PIN) from the Massac County Assessor must appear on the document. The grantee's full mailing address and the preparer's name and address are both required. Leave a clear 3-by-5-inch block in the upper right corner of the first page for the recording stamp. Documents that fail any of these checks are returned without recording.

Massac County sits in far southern Illinois, bordered by the Ohio River to the south. The county's location near the Kentucky border means some title researchers check both Illinois and Kentucky records when working on properties near the river. All Illinois-side transfers must be recorded in Metropolis.

Fees and Transfer Taxes

Recording fees in Massac County are set by 55 ILCS 5/3-5018. The base fee is $50 for the first four pages of a document and $1 for each additional page. The Rental Housing Support Program (RHSP) surcharge is $18 per document. All of these apply to deeds, mortgages, releases, and other real estate instruments.

Transfer taxes are also due at the time of recording for most sales. The state collects $0.50 per $500 of consideration under 35 ILCS 200. Massac County adds $0.25 per $500. On a $70,000 sale, the state tax is $70 and the county portion is $35. Combined with the base recording fee and RHSP surcharge, the total at the counter for a typical transaction runs well over $150. Document length and sale price both affect the final cost.

Veterans recording a DD-214 military discharge certificate pay no fee. That exemption is required statewide and applies in Massac County. No other recording fee is charged for DD-214 documents.

The 35 ILCS 200 statute governs real estate transfer taxes across Illinois and sets the rules for calculating, collecting, and exempting transfers at the county level.

When transfer taxes are paid, the Massac County Clerk affixes revenue stamps to the deed. Those stamps stay with the document in the public record permanently. For exempt transfers, no stamps are issued, but the PTAX-203 declaration must still be submitted at the time of recording with the correct exemption code marked.

PTAX-203 and MyDec

Almost every deed recording in Illinois requires a PTAX-203 Real Estate Transfer Declaration. This form captures the sale price, the parties involved, the type of property, and any applicable exemption. The Massac County Clerk reviews it along with the deed at recording. An incomplete or incorrect form can hold up the filing.

The MyDec portal is the state's online system for completing and submitting the PTAX-203 before closing day.

Submitting through MyDec before the recording appointment speeds up the process at the Metropolis courthouse. The clerk can pull up the completed declaration in the system and process the deed without waiting for a paper PTAX-203 to be reviewed at the counter. MyDec is now the preferred method statewide, and many counties encourage its use.

Exempt transfers still need the form. Mark the correct exemption code and note the reason for the exemption. Gifts, estate transfers, and conveyances into trust each have their own codes. The Illinois Department of Revenue PTAX-203 instructions explain how to fill out each section. Getting the form right before you arrive avoids delays and questions from the Department of Revenue later.

What Gets Recorded in Massac County

The Massac County Clerk and Recorder indexes all types of real property instruments. The office files: warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, trustees' deeds, sheriff's deeds, mortgages, deeds of trust, mortgage releases, easements, subdivision plats, mechanic's liens, lis pendens notices, installment sale contracts, memoranda of lease, UCC financing statements, and DD-214 military discharge records. Each document gets assigned a number and entered into the grantor-grantee index at the time of recording.

Subdivision plats require approval from county or municipal zoning authorities before they can be recorded. A plat that hasn't cleared that process won't be accepted at the clerk's counter. Check with Massac County zoning before bringing a plat in for recording.

The grantor-grantee index is the main search tool. You can look up records by the seller's name, the buyer's name, or by PIN. All index access is open to the public at no charge during regular business hours. Staff at the Metropolis office can assist if you're new to searching the index.

Electronic Recording

Illinois law under 765 ILCS 33, the Uniform Real Property Electronic Recording Act, allows counties to accept documents submitted digitally through approved vendors. Vendors authorized for use in Illinois include Simplifile, CSC, EPN, Hopdox, and Indecomm. Each platform lets title companies and lenders submit documents, pay fees online, and receive recorded copies back without physically going to the courthouse.

Call the Massac County Clerk at (618) 524-5213 to confirm whether eRecording is active and which vendors are currently accepted. When eRecording is available, the legal effect of an electronic submission is the same as a paper filing. The date and time of electronic submission establish priority just as a counter filing does. For closing agents working remotely, eRecording is a significant time saver.

Searching Records and Getting Copies

The clerk's office in Metropolis is where you go to search Massac County deed records. The grantor-grantee index is open to the public at no charge during regular hours. You can search by grantor name, grantee name, or PIN. For most purposes, a PIN search pulls up all instruments tied to a specific parcel most quickly.

Records from the 1800s may be in handwritten ledger books or on microfilm. The Illinois Regional Archives Depository (IRAD) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville serves southern Illinois counties. If you're researching a parcel with a long ownership history or doing genealogical title work, IRAD may have Massac County deed materials that aren't easily accessed at the courthouse.

Call (618) 524-5213 before visiting to confirm hours and ask whether any online index access is available. The office is at 1 Superman Square, which is the Massac County Courthouse complex in downtown Metropolis.

Certified copies of recorded deeds carry the clerk's seal and are accepted in legal and financial settings. Plain copies cost less and are sufficient for research. Request copies in person or by mail to Massac County Clerk and Recorder, 1 Superman Square, Metropolis, IL 62960. Include the document number or a property description, a check for the copy fee, and a return envelope. Call for the current copy rate before mailing payment.

Document Format Standards

All documents filed in Massac County must comply with the physical requirements in 765 ILCS 5. White paper only, between 8.5 by 11 and 8.5 by 14 inches. Text must be at least 10-point. Margins of at least half an inch on all sides. The upper right corner of the first page must have a clear 3-by-5-inch block reserved for the recording stamp.

Grantor signatures must be original and notarized. Photocopied signatures are rejected. The notary seal must be clear and include the commission expiration date. Any exhibits attached to the deed must follow the same paper and margin rules. If a document is printed on both sides of a sheet, each side counts as a separate page for fee calculation. Come prepared so the clerk doesn't have to send the document back.