Find Deed Records in St. Clair County

St. Clair County deed records are kept by the Recorder of Deeds office in Belleville, which serves as the official custodian of all land documents recorded in the county. If you need to search property transfers, look up a lien or mortgage, or get a copy of a recorded deed in St. Clair County, the recorder's office handles all of that. This page covers how to reach the office, what to bring, and where to search deed records online.

St. Clair County Recorder of Deeds

The St. Clair County Recorder of Deeds is the official office for recording, indexing, and preserving land documents in the county. The office is located at 10 Public Square, Belleville, IL 62220. You can reach the recorder's office by phone at (618) 825-2481 or (618) 825-2482, or by email at recorder@co.st-clair.il.us. Business hours run Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.

The recorder's website at co.st-clair.il.us is the best starting point for learning about recording requirements, fees, and how to request copies of deed records. The site lists accepted document types, recording checklists, and contact options for the office.

St. Clair County sits in the Metro East region of southwestern Illinois, directly across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, Missouri. The county is one of the most populous in downstate Illinois and has a long history of land recording that predates Illinois statehood. That history is reflected in the depth of deed records maintained by the recorder's office in Belleville.

The screenshot below shows the St. Clair County Recorder of Deeds department page, the main online resource for all deed record services in the county.

This page gives you direct access to recording requirements, contact information, and links to online deed record search tools for St. Clair County.

St. Clair County Deed Records and Illinois Law

All deeds recorded in St. Clair County must comply with the Illinois Conveyances Act, 765 ILCS 5/. This statute sets the requirements for how deeds and other conveyance instruments must be drafted, signed, and prepared for recording. Documents that do not meet these requirements will be returned by the recorder without being filed. The act covers everything from the proper execution of a deed to what information must appear on the face of the document.

Recording fees in St. Clair County follow the statewide framework set by 55 ILCS 5/3-5018. This statute governs what county recorders in Illinois may charge for filing and copying land documents. St. Clair County applies these fee rules alongside its own local fee schedule. Contact the recorder's office directly to confirm the current amounts before you submit a deed for recording.

St. Clair County also participates in the Illinois eRecording system. Electronic recording is authorized statewide under 765 ILCS 33/, the Uniform Real Property Electronic Recording Act. Attorneys and title companies who file St. Clair County deed records regularly often use approved eRecording vendors to submit documents without visiting the Belleville office in person.

Transfer Tax and Required Forms

Before recording a deed that involves a sale in St. Clair County, you must complete a Real Estate Transfer Declaration using the PTAX-203 form. Illinois now processes most of these forms through the MyDec online system at mytax.illinois.gov/MyDec. You fill out the form online, receive a confirmation number, and attach that number to the deed before submitting it to the St. Clair County Recorder.

The state transfer tax rate is $0.50 per $500 of the sale price. St. Clair County adds a county transfer tax of $0.25 per $500. An $18 Rental Housing Support Program surcharge also applies to most recorded documents. The transfer tax is authorized under 35 ILCS 200/. The Illinois Department of Revenue provides detailed instructions for completing the PTAX-203 at tax.illinois.gov.

Certain transfers are exempt from the transfer tax. Gifts to family members, transfers to correct a prior deed, and some court-ordered transfers may qualify. Review the PTAX-203 instructions or the MyDec portal to see which exemptions apply before you record a deed in St. Clair County.

Note: Even if a transfer is exempt from transfer tax, the PTAX-203 form is still required in most cases. The form must be submitted with the deed at the time of recording.

Illinois MyDec Portal and Deed Recording

The MyDec portal is a key step in the deed recording process for St. Clair County and most other Illinois counties. It replaces the old paper-based transfer declaration process and makes it easier to confirm the transaction details before heading to the recorder's office. Once you complete the online form, MyDec generates a barcode or confirmation number that the recorder scans when you bring in the deed.

The screenshot below shows the Illinois MyDec portal, which is used for submitting Real Estate Transfer Declarations for all deed recordings in St. Clair County and across Illinois.

All deed sales in St. Clair County require a completed MyDec submission before the recorder will accept the deed for filing.

Illinois Legal Aid Online also has a plain-language guide to the recording process at illinoislegalaid.org. This guide is useful if you are filing a deed in St. Clair County for the first time and want to understand each step before you go to the office.

What St. Clair County Deed Records Contain

The St. Clair County Recorder maintains a broad range of recorded land instruments. Warranty deeds and quitclaim deeds are the most common. Beyond those, the office also records mortgages, releases of mortgage, mechanic's liens, easements, assignments, and trust documents. Each of these becomes part of the public record once it is filed and indexed by the recorder.

When you search St. Clair County deed records, you can look up documents by grantor name, grantee name, or property parcel number. The index allows you to trace the chain of title for a parcel over time, from the earliest recorded deed through the most recent transfer. This chain of title is what title companies and attorneys rely on when a property is being sold or refinanced in St. Clair County.

Older deed records in St. Clair County are particularly valuable for genealogical research. Land transactions from the 1800s recorded in Belleville can help researchers trace family history and property ownership across multiple generations. The recorder's office can advise on what historical records are available and how to access them.

Copies of St. Clair County Deed Records

You can get copies of deed records in St. Clair County by visiting the recorder's office in person during business hours, or by submitting a written request. Certified copies carry an official stamp that makes them acceptable for legal and financial purposes. Non-certified copies are fine for most research needs and cost less. Call the office at (618) 825-2481 to ask about current copy fees and processing times before you submit a request.

The Illinois Legal Aid guide walks through the general process for requesting copies from any county recorder's office in the state. If you need a certified copy of a St. Clair County deed and cannot travel to Belleville, ask the recorder's office about mail-in or email request options and what information you need to include with your request.

For deeds or other land records that may have been lost or destroyed, 765 ILCS 45/ provides a legal process for reconstructing or re-recording lost instruments. This is a more involved process that typically requires legal assistance, but it is the proper path when original St. Clair County deed records are unavailable through standard search methods.

Additional Resources for St. Clair County

The Illinois Department of Revenue screenshot below shows the PTAX-203 instructions page, which explains every line of the transfer declaration form required with deed recordings in St. Clair County.

Reviewing these instructions before you fill out the MyDec form helps you get the transfer declaration right the first time, avoiding delays at the St. Clair County Recorder's Office.

Nearby Counties

St. Clair County is bordered by several Illinois counties in the Metro East region. If you are unsure which county a property falls in, confirm the correct recorder before you begin searching deed records.