Land Records

Records Research

Obtaining Copies of Public Records

To obtain a copy of public records, the follow fees apply:

• Copies of public records are available for $.50/page.
• A certified copy is available for an additional $2.
•  Copy fees must be collected in advance.

How to Make a Request

To confirm the length of a document, contact the Clerk’s Office at 804-748-1241.

By Phone
Call 804-748-1241 (8 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday) and ask to speak to a staff member in the appropriate division for assistance. Phone requests are payable by credit card (for an additional $2 processing fee plus postage).

In Person
The Clerk’s Office is open to the public from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday (excluding holidays). The Record Room is located on the ground floor of the main Courts Building.

By Mail
After calling to obtain a copy fee quote, provide specific information (e.g., name, document type, date, etc.) with your request. Mail your written request with appropriate copy fees and a self-addressed stamped envelope to:

Circuit Court Clerk’s Office
P.O. Box 125
Chesterfield, VA 23832-0909

For additional information, contact the Clerk’s Office at 804-748-1241 and ask to speak with a staff member in the appropriate division.

Title Searches - Recording Information

Clerk’s Office personnel are available to assist patrons in utilizing all resources in the Record Room.

Recording information relating to land transactions is not provided via telephone or email. Customers in need of this information should review the online index and/or contact the Clerk's Office to obtain copies.

Clerk’s Office personnel are prohibited by law from giving legal advice and are unable to perform title searches. Should you require a title search or legal advice, you are encouraged to contact an attorney or title insurance company, or both.

Additional Resources

• Real Estate Assessments
• GIS Parcel Viewer
• Chesterfield County Public Library - Genealogy Research
• The Library of Virginia
• Chesterfield Historical Society

Deed Book Recording Requirements

General Requirements for Paper Recordings

Documents must be authorized by law to be recorded in the Deed Book and must meet applicable statutory provisions in the Code of Virginia. Additionally, document must:

• be originals that have been signed and properly notarized
• include a Land Records Cover Sheet
• include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) to ensure the safe and timely return of the original document

For deeds, the amount of consideration must be stated on the first page of the document (i.e., not only on the Land Records Cover Sheet).

Tax ID Numbers on Documents Presented for Recording in the Deed Book

Pursuant to Code of Virginia § 17.1-252, any deed or other instrument conveying or relating to an interest in real property must include, on the first page of the deed or other instrument, the tax ID number(s) of the affected parcel(s). Place the tax ID number in the upper left corner of the first page after allowing a one-inch margin pursuant to Library of Virginia standards.

Chesterfield's standard tax ID number is 15 digits and can be obtained from the Real Estate Assessor.

Social Security Numbers on Documents Presented for Recording in the Deed Book

Pursuant to Code of Virginia § 17.1-227, the Clerk's Office will not knowingly accept any instrument submitted for recordation in the Deed Book that includes the social security number.

Return of Recorded Documents

Documents submitted by eRecording are returned to the filer immediately after recordation. Filers who include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) can receive paper documents returned by mail. Documents that are not accompanied by a SASE will be maintained in the Record Room for pickup.

Recording Fees

Fees and taxes vary according to the type of document being recorded. The deed calculation tool, provided by the Supreme Court of Virginia, assists users with determining recording costs. To determine applicable fees, select the Chesterfield Circuit Court and enter the requested information for the document(s) to be recorded.

For further inquiries relating to recording fees or requirements, please call 804-748-1285 to speak with a staff member in the Deed Recording Division.

Cover Sheet Requirements

Pursuant to Code of Virginia § 17.1-227.1, the Chesterfield Circuit Court Clerk's Office requires a Land Records Cover Sheet for all documents recorded in the Deed Book which are presented in hard copy form. To create the required cover sheet, access Virginia Land Records Cover Sheet.

Cover Sheets are not required for documents recorded electronically. View the eRecording tab for more information.

For more information, call Deed Recording at 804-748-1285.

eRecording in the Deed Book

Electronic recording (eRecording) is available for most Deed Book documents. A Land Records Cover Sheet is not required for documents submitted electronically.

Unless pre-approved by Deed Recording staff on a case-by-case basis, the following documents not accepted via eRecording:

• Deeds of Assumption
• Deeds of Gift and Assumption
• Deeds of Exchange
• Deeds Arising out of a Contract
• Documents that require manual calculations (example: multiple jurisdictions)

Plats cannot be submitted electronically.

Register for eRecording

To register for eRecording in Chesterfield, contact one of the following firms:

Simplifile
Website: Simplifile
Phone: 800-460-5657
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

Corporation Service Company (CSC)
Website: CSC
Phone: 866-652-0111
Email: [email protected]

eRecording Partners Network (ePN)
Website: ePN
Phone: 888-325-3365
Email: [email protected]

Plat Recordation

Subdivision plats must be approved in accordance with the county's subdivision ordinance. View the subdivision review page.

For questions relating to the Subdivision Approval Process, contact the Planning Department.

Financing Statements and Other Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) Filings

Financing statements and other Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) filings affecting real estate in Chesterfield are recorded in the Record Room of the Circuit Court Clerk's Office.

Recording Fees

Recording fees are $20 per document.

Statements Affecting Personal Property

The State Corporation Commission's Clerk’s Office is the central filing office for Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) documents which evidence a security interest in personal property.

Judgments

Domestic Judgments

The fee for docketing a judgment obtained in a Virginia court is $10. Judgments that do not meet the requirements of Code of Virginia § 8.01-446 cannot be docketed and will be returned to the presenting party.

Foreign Judgments

Foreign judgments filed in accordance with the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act or the Uniform Foreign Country Money-Judgments Recognition Act are docketed for a fee of $25.

Judgment Releases

By law, it is the duty of the judgment creditor (or their agent or attorney) to ensure that judgments are released upon satisfaction. There is no fee to release a judgment. Creditors may access forms for releasing a judgment at the Supreme Court of Virginia.

Secure Remote Access (SRA)

Pursuant to Virginia law, the Circuit Court Clerk makes land records available via Secure Remote Access (SRA):

• Access to the SRA site is granted to subscribers with a valid username and password.
• Access is provided by subscription only.
• Subscription fee must be paid in advance.

For more information regarding the SRA system and subscription requirements, please visit Circuit Court Clerk's SRA.

Liens on Property

The Clerk's Office maintains permanent land and court records dating from 1749, the year of the county's inception, to present. The Record Room is located on the ground floor of the main Courts Building.

Deeds, liens, and other land records must speak for themselves and the staff of the Circuit Court Clerk's Office cannot interpret or restate information included in such records.

Indexes are organized by name, not property address or by legal description. Due to the complexity of land records, researchers may need to consult an attorney or title company to determine the legal impact of liens or other documents recorded.

Online Index:
Land Records (Deeds 1967 to current; Wills 1994 to current)

Plats/Surveys

If a plat/survey was recorded, it can be obtained from the Circuit Court Clerk's Office. Individual surveys which show the lot with improvements (such as a house) are occasionally attached to deeds; however, since they are not required to be recorded, most often, they are not.

Often surveys showing property lines are drafted at the time of sale and the homeowner receives a copy with other closing papers. If the survey was not recorded and the homeowner cannot find one with their closing papers, a surveying company will need to be contacted.

Copies of subdivision plats (showing property lines only, not improvements) are available on this website. The online copy made available by the Real Estate Assessor is not considered the official recorded subdivision plat; however, it may be useful for informational purposes.

The Circuit Court Clerk's Office is the official repository for subdivision plats that have been recorded. Land records are available for public inspection in the Record Room which is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday (excluding holidays). The Record Room is located on the ground floor of the main Courts Building.

Blueprints

The Circuit Court Clerk's Office does not maintain blueprints. Contact Chesterfield Building Inspection or the builder to determine if they can assist.

Foreclosure Lists

No master list of pending private auctions/foreclosures is available through Chesterfield County.  Private auction/foreclosure information is often printed in the Richmond Times-Dispatch and other publications that print legal notices.

For information regarding the process by which the Chesterfield Treasurer's Office handles properties with significant back taxes due, visit the Treasurer's Office page.

Updating Deeds/Ownership

As there are no forms by which to prepare a new deed that the Circuit Court Clerk's Office can make available, it is recommended that property owners contact an attorney who handles real estate matters for assistance. There is no requirement to have an attorney prepare the document; however, to ensure it meets statutory requirements and the owner's, legal needs, it may be best to consult an attorney.

Clerk's Office staff are unable to provide legal advice. Once the deed is executed, it would need to be recorded in the Clerk's Deed Book. If planning to present it for recordation personally, once the deed is prepared, contact the Clerk's Deed Recording Division at 804-748-1285. Once recorded, the Real Estate Assessor would be notified of the recordation and that office would update its records accordingly.

Deed After Mortgage Payoff

Unlike vehicle titles that are held pending payoff, deeds are not held in that manner. The original deed should have been recorded in the Circuit Court Clerk's Deed Book. After recordation, the deed is most often returned to a law firm or the homeowner and may already be in the homeowner's possession (with their closing papers).

If the original deed cannot be located, a copy can be provided by the Clerk's Office. By law, copies are $.50 per page and certification is $2.00 per document. Call 804-717-6517 (8 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday through Friday) to speak to a staff member in the Record Room for assistance with copies.