Lafayette Deed Records
Lafayette deed records are filed with the Tippecanoe County Recorder, located at 20 N 3rd Street in downtown Lafayette, where all property deeds, land transfers, and mortgage documents for Lafayette are kept as public record. Lafayette is the Tippecanoe County seat, so the recorder's office is right in the city and handles deed filings for all of Tippecanoe County.
Lafayette Quick Facts
Tippecanoe County Recorder: Lafayette Deed Records
The Tippecanoe County Recorder's office is on the second floor at 20 N 3rd Street in downtown Lafayette. This office receives, records, and indexes all land instruments for Lafayette and all of Tippecanoe County. Under IC 36-2-11, the county recorder is the designated custodian of all real property instruments filed in the county. Every deed for a Lafayette property goes into the recorder's official index, whether the transaction involves a home sale, a commercial transfer, or an estate deed.
The 20 N 3rd Street building in downtown Lafayette houses both the recorder and the county clerk. These are separate offices. The county clerk handles court records and other filings. The recorder handles deed records and land instruments. For Lafayette property deeds, go to the recorder on the second floor. Parking is available on surrounding streets and in nearby lots. Call (765) 423-3952 to confirm current hours before your visit.
| Office | Tippecanoe County Recorder |
|---|---|
| Address | 20 N 3rd Street, 2nd Floor, Lafayette, IN 47901 |
| Phone | (765) 423-3952 |
| Hours | Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM EST |
| E-Recording | Yes, available since October 2010 |
| County Clerk | Julie Roush, 20 N 3rd St, Lafayette, IN 47901 |
Under IC 36-2-11, the recorder indexes all Lafayette deed records by both grantor and grantee names. Every accepted deed gets an official recording number, a date stamp, and entries in the public index. This allows anyone to search Lafayette deed records by the buyer's or seller's name through the recorder's office or the online platforms that cover Tippecanoe County.
How to Search Lafayette Deed Records Online
Tippecanoe County deed records for Lafayette properties can be searched online through Beacon by Schneider Corp, which provides parcel data and document access.
Beacon searches by owner name, address, or parcel number and links to deed images recorded at the Tippecanoe County Recorder. This is a good first stop for basic ownership lookups on Lafayette properties.
Tapestry by Fidlar at tapestry.fidlar.com gives web-based access to Tippecanoe County recorded documents, including deed records for Lafayette properties. You can search by grantor name, grantee name, or instrument number and view document images. Laredo is a similar system used by title companies and attorneys who handle Lafayette real estate regularly. Doxpop at doxpop.com may also cover Tippecanoe County for name-based searches. The Indiana Recorders Association at indianarecorders.org lists the Tippecanoe County recorder and its current online tools for remote researchers.
To search in person, go to the second floor at 20 N 3rd Street in Lafayette during business hours. Bring the property address or the owner's name. Staff can pull deed records from the index and make copies. Plain copies cost $1 per page. Certified copies carry a $5 certification fee on top of the copy cost.
Recording a Deed in Lafayette
To record a deed for Lafayette property, bring the original signed and notarized document to the Tippecanoe County Recorder on the second floor at 20 N 3rd Street. The recorder checks the deed against the requirements in IC 36-2-11-14 before accepting it. The deed must include the legal description of the property, the grantor and grantee names, the grantor's signature, and a proper notary acknowledgment. Documents missing any required element may be returned or assessed a non-standard document fee.
The recording fee is $25 for a standard deed, set under IC 36-2-11-15. Mortgages cost $55. If the deed involves a taxable sale, you must include a completed sales disclosure form. The recorder will not accept a deed on a taxable transfer without this form. Most Lafayette real estate closings include the sales disclosure form as part of the standard closing package.
Electronic recording has been available for Lafayette deed documents since October 2010, making Tippecanoe County one of Indiana's earlier adopters. Under IC 36-2-7.5-4, the recorder accepts electronically submitted documents through approved platforms. Simplifile and CSC eRecording are approved services for submitting Tippecanoe County deeds electronically. These platforms handle formatting review, fee collection, and return of the instrument number. Most title companies closing on Lafayette property transactions use e-recording as the standard method.
Under IC 36-2-11-16.5, the recorder must index every deed by grantor and grantee names within a reasonable time after recording. The deed image is scanned and made accessible through online platforms. Once recorded, the deed is part of the permanent public record in Tippecanoe County.
Indiana Code IC 32-21-2-3 establishes the legal effect of recording. A deed recorded for a Lafayette property is constructive notice from the recording date. Anyone who later buys that property is legally assumed to know the deed exists. Recording promptly after closing protects the new owner against any later competing claim on the same parcel.
Lafayette Deed Types and Property Records
The Tippecanoe County Recorder holds many types of deed records for Lafayette. Warranty deeds are the most common for home sales, providing the strongest title guarantee from the seller. Quitclaim deeds appear in Lafayette for family transfers, estate transactions, and title corrections. Both types cost $25 to record and go through the same recorder's office.
Other instruments recorded for Lafayette properties include:
- Mortgages and deeds of trust
- Mortgage releases and satisfactions
- Easements and right-of-way documents
- Plats and subdivision maps
- Mechanic's liens and lien releases
- Affidavits of survivorship
- Lis pendens notices
- Sheriff's deeds from foreclosure proceedings
All of these are public record and searchable through the Tippecanoe County recorder's online tools or by visiting the office. Title searches for Lafayette properties involve pulling the full deed chain along with mortgage releases, easements, and any liens recorded against the parcel. Lafayette has a mix of older urban properties and newer suburban developments, so deed records can span many decades in the recorder's index.
The notary acknowledgment on a deed must meet the requirements of IC 33-42-10-2 to be valid for recording. An improper acknowledgment will result in the recorder returning the document. Make sure the notary completes the acknowledgment section correctly before submitting any Lafayette property deed.
After a deed is recorded, the Tippecanoe County Assessor updates the ownership records and sends notice to the new owner. You can check current assessment and ownership data through Beacon at beacon.schneidercorp.com. The recorder and assessor offices are both at 20 N 3rd Street, so you can handle deed recording and assessment questions in one visit to downtown Lafayette.
Lafayette Deed Recording Fees
Recording fees at the Tippecanoe County Recorder are set by Indiana statute. These fees apply to all Lafayette deed recordings:
- Deed recording: $25
- Mortgage recording: $55
- Plain copies: $1 per page
- Certified copies: $5 certification fee plus copy cost
Call (765) 423-3952 to confirm current fees before your visit. Payment is accepted at the counter. E-recording platforms may charge their own transaction fees on top of the recorder's standard rates. Those service fees are separate from what the county collects.
Nearby Cities with Deed Records
Other qualifying cities near Lafayette in Tippecanoe County and nearby counties also have deed record pages. West Lafayette shares the Tippecanoe County Recorder with Lafayette for all deed filings.
Tippecanoe County Deed Records
Deed records for Lafayette are on file at the Tippecanoe County Recorder at 20 N 3rd Street, 2nd Floor. The recorder serves all cities and towns in Tippecanoe County. For full details on recording procedures, fee schedules, online access through Beacon and Tapestry, and related property records for all of Tippecanoe County, visit the county deed records page.