Decatur County Deed Records

Decatur County deed records are filed and kept at the County Recorder's office in Greensburg. Anyone can search these records to find property owners, track land transfers, and get copies of recorded deeds going back decades.

Decatur County Recorder Office

The Decatur County Recorder is the official keeper of all deed records in Decatur County. Dottie Robbins serves as the current recorder. The office records, stores, and gives access to deeds, mortgages, liens, and other land documents. Under IC 36-2-11, the recorder must accept and file all documents that meet Indiana's legal requirements for recording. This office has been doing this work for well over a century in Decatur County.

The recorder's office is inside the historic Decatur County Courthouse in downtown Greensburg. Staff can help you search deed records in person, look up specific parcels, and make copies of recorded documents. You can also use Doxpop to search Decatur County deed records online from home. Online access covers documents from January 1994 to the present day. That goes back over 30 years, which covers most modern property transactions in Decatur County.

Walk-in service is welcome during office hours. Bring a parcel number, owner name, or address to speed up your search. Staff will point you to the right records.

How to Search Decatur County Deed Records

You have two main ways to search Decatur County deed records: online through Doxpop or in person at the recorder's office in Greensburg. Both give access to the same set of recorded documents. The right choice depends on what you need and how fast you need it.

Doxpop is the go-to tool for online searches. You can look up Decatur County deed records by owner name, parcel number, legal description, or document type. The site charges a per-search fee and lets you view and print document images right from your browser. This is useful when you need to check ownership history, look for liens before buying a property, or pull a copy of a recorded deed without traveling to Greensburg. Visit doxpop.com to create an account and start your search.

For in-person searches, go to Suite 121 in the Decatur County Courthouse. Staff can run searches by grantor, grantee, or parcel number. The office indexes go back further than the online system for older documents. Copies cost $1.00 per page for standard size pages and $5.00 per page for larger formats. Certified copies cost an extra $5.00 for the certification.

IC 36-2-11-14 sets out what information must appear in a deed for it to be legally recorded in Indiana. This includes the names of the grantor and grantee, a legal description of the property, and the signature of the grantor. Deeds that do not meet these rules may be rejected at the recorder's window in Decatur County.

Decatur County Deed Recording Fees

The Decatur County Recorder charges set fees to record documents. These fees are set by state law and apply to all counties in Indiana. The standard fee to record a deed in Decatur County is $25. Mortgages cost $55 to record. Oversized pages add $5 each. These fees must be paid when you bring documents to the recorder's office.

Copy fees are separate from recording fees. Plain copies of recorded documents cost $1.00 per page for pages that are 11x17 inches or smaller. Larger pages cost $5.00 each. If you need a certified copy, add $5.00 for the certification. Most lenders and title companies want certified copies for their loan files. Attorneys working on property transactions in Decatur County usually order certified copies to put in their closing packages.

E-recording is another option for submitting deeds to the Decatur County Recorder. This lets title companies and law firms send documents digitally without driving to Greensburg. Services like Simplifile and CSC eRecording connect to the recorder's system. Call Simplifile at 800-460-5657 or CSC at 866-652-0111 to set up an account for e-recording in Decatur County.

What Decatur County Property Records Include

Deed records in Decatur County cover a wide range of property documents. The most common is the warranty deed, which transfers ownership and guarantees clear title. Quitclaim deeds transfer whatever interest a person holds without any guarantees. Both are recorded at the Decatur County Recorder's office and become public record the day they are filed.

IC 32-21-2-3 requires that deeds in Indiana be acknowledged before a notary public before they can be recorded. This step proves the grantor signed willingly and knew what they were doing. A deed without proper notarization will not be accepted for recording in Decatur County. The recorder's staff checks this when you bring in documents.

Beyond deeds, the Decatur County Recorder also keeps records of mortgages, releases of mortgage, mechanic's liens, easements, plats, and surveys. Each document type has its own index. When you search Decatur County deed records, you may want to look at more than just deeds to get the full picture of a property's history. A title search usually pulls all recorded documents tied to a parcel.

The Indiana State Land Office manages historic state property records, which can supplement what you find at the county level. The state portal at in.gov has maps, deeds, and photos related to state-owned land that may overlap with Decatur County parcels.

The Indiana Recording Manual, published by the Indiana Recorders Association, explains the rules for recording deeds and other documents across all Indiana counties. It covers formatting, font size, margin requirements, and signature rules. You can download it at indianarecorders.org. Following these rules helps make sure your documents are accepted the first time at the Decatur County Recorder.

Decatur County Land Records and State Resources

The Indiana state property portal provides additional context for land records across all Indiana counties, including Decatur. The state maintains deed records, maps, and photos related to state-owned property that may border or overlap with private parcels in Decatur County.

The Indiana State Land Office maintains deed records, maps, and photos for state-held properties across Indiana.

Use this state portal alongside the Decatur County Recorder's records to build a full picture of ownership history on any parcel in the county.

IC 36-2-11-16 sets out the requirements for what must be in the recorder's index. Each document must be indexed by the names of the parties and the type of document. This makes it possible to find all deeds for a given owner or all documents for a given parcel in Decatur County. IC 36-2-11-16.5 covers electronic recording standards, which is what allows e-recording services to work with the county system.

Indiana Deed Laws and Decatur County Recording Rules

Indiana law sets clear rules for deed recording. IC 36-2-11-15 states that when a deed is recorded, the act of recording gives notice to the world that the property has changed hands. This is called constructive notice. It means that if you buy land in Decatur County but do not record your deed, a later buyer who records first may have a better claim to the property.

IC 36-2-7.5-4 governs the duties of county recorders in Indiana. It requires them to maintain a system that lets the public access recorded documents. Decatur County meets this requirement through both its in-office index books and its partnership with Doxpop for online access. The recorder must also keep a copy of every recorded document, which is why the office serves as the permanent record of all land transactions in Decatur County.

IC 33-42-10-2 sets standards for notarial acts in Indiana, which is part of what makes a deed valid for recording. A notary must verify the signer's identity and confirm that the signature was made willingly. Without a proper notarial certificate on a deed, the Decatur County Recorder will reject it. Always have a licensed Indiana notary acknowledge your deed before bringing it in for recording.

The Indiana Recorders Association supports all 92 county recorders in Indiana, including Decatur County. They set best practices, publish the recording manual, and help counties stay current with state law changes. Their website has resources for both the public and recording professionals.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Decatur County. Each has its own recorder's office and deed records. If a property sits near a county line, check both counties to make sure you have all the documents you need.