The register of deeds office can most appropriately be thought of as a library of local records. This office is a storage facility for a host of local documents. From land title transfers to birth, marriage, and death records, this office has a wealth of information about the local population. Although these are only a few of the documents recorded in this office, they remain some of the most widely requested by the general public. One reason the public may visit this office is to access documents for research known as genealogy.
Genealogy is the study of ones ancestry, or more simply, tracing one's family heritage.
The register of deeds office is a vital resource for people trying to discover their family tree. Recording Documents Documents brought to the register of deeds are recorded, which is an official method for documenting time and date a legal instrument is placed in to the public record. This is necessary because not only does this office record all instruments brought to them including property deeds, but everything else that affects that property. Instruments affecting property deeds such as a lien on a house or a mortgage, must be recorded with date, hour, and minute of the recording so as to give notice to the public that another party has an interest in that property. This vital function helps maintain an orderly transfer of title to property.