Access Clackamas County Deed Records

Clackamas County deed records are managed by the Recording Division in Oregon City. This office handles every deed, mortgage, lien, and land document filed in Clackamas County. The county stretches from the Portland metro area south to Mount Hood and the Clackamas River valley. County Clerk Catherine McMullen oversees the recording office. Whether you want to trace property ownership, verify a title, or get a copy of a recorded deed, the Clackamas County Recording Division is the starting point. You can visit in person, submit requests by mail, or use electronic recording services to file new documents.

Clackamas County Recording Division

The Clackamas County Recording Division is located at 1710 Red Soils Court, Suite 110, Oregon City, OR 97045. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Recording stops at 4:30 p.m. each day. Phone the office at 503-655-8551 or email recording@clackamas.us for help with deed records.

The recording division website has details about services, fees, and how to submit documents for recording in Clackamas County.

County Clerk Catherine McMullen leads the office. She holds certifications as an Oregon Elections Administrator and Master Oregon Deputy. The recording division handles deeds of all types, trust deeds, mortgages, plat maps, DD-214 military discharge papers, and certain death certificates. Staff also issue marriage licenses and process passport applications. For deed records, this is the only office in Clackamas County where property documents are officially recorded.

Clackamas County Historical Deed Records

Clackamas County has some of the oldest deed records in Oregon. Ownership records here are traceable to the early 1850s. Marriage records go back even further, to the 1840s. Oregon City was the first incorporated city west of the Rocky Mountains, and the land deals made during that era are still on file at the Clackamas County clerk office.

Historical deed records are preserved on microfilm and in the computer imaging system. The public viewing area at the recording office lets you search and copy older documents. Staff can help guide your research through older indexes if you are not familiar with the system. For the very earliest Clackamas County records, the Oregon State Archives may have additional historical land documents from the territorial period.

Note: Early Clackamas County deed records used legal descriptions based on donation land claims, which differ from the modern tax lot system.

How to Search Clackamas County Deeds

You can search deed records in Clackamas County through several channels. Each one works best for different situations.

Visit the public viewing area at 1710 Red Soils Court in Oregon City. Self-service terminals let you search the index at no charge. You can look up deeds by grantor name, grantee name, document type, or recording date. When you find the deed you want, copies are available for a fee. Staff are on hand to help with search questions.

Mail requests work if you already know the document number or have specific details about the deed. Send your request to the recording division address with payment. Allow five to seven business days for mail requests to be processed. You can also email recording@clackamas.us to ask about a specific Clackamas County deed record or get a fee quote before you send payment.

The Clackamas County GIS CMap system provides interactive property mapping with zoning data, tax lot boundaries, and parcel details. While CMap does not show the full text of deeds, it helps you identify the correct parcel before you search deed records at the clerk office.

Use CMap to find tax lot numbers and legal descriptions that speed up your deed search in Clackamas County.

Clackamas County Recording Fees

Recording fees in Clackamas County follow the standard Oregon fee structure. The base recording charge is $5 per page. On top of that, state-mandated fees add up. These include the Oregon Land Information System fee, the Assessment and Taxation Fund fee, and the Housing Alliance Tax. A typical single-page deed costs between $76 and $87 to record in Clackamas County.

The Clackamas County recording fees page lists the full schedule of costs for different document types.

Check the fee page before you visit to make sure you bring the right amount for recording your deed in Clackamas County.

If your deed does not meet standard formatting rules, Clackamas County will accept it but charge an extra $20 on top of normal fees. This penalty applies when the type size is too small, the paper is oversized, or the first page is missing required information. A cover sheet can fix some of these issues under ORS 205.234.

Oregon charges no state transfer tax. Only the recording fees apply when you file a deed in Clackamas County. This is true whether the property sells for $100,000 or $10 million.

Electronic Recording in Clackamas County

Clackamas County accepts electronic recording through three approved vendors. E-recording lets title companies, banks, and law firms submit deeds and other documents without mailing or visiting the office. The process is faster than mail and creates a secure digital record.

The approved e-recording vendors for Clackamas County are:

• Simplifile (support@simplifile.com)
• CSC (erecording@cscglobal.com)
• ePN (support@GOePN.com)

E-recording is a business-to-business service. Individual homeowners typically do not use it directly. Instead, your title company or closing agent submits the deed through one of these vendors on your behalf. The Clackamas County clerk processes e-recorded documents the same way as paper ones, stamping them with a date, time, and recording number. Under ORS 93.640, the recording date determines priority, so e-recording can help ensure your deed gets filed quickly in Clackamas County.

Public Access to Clackamas County Deeds

All deed records in Clackamas County are public. Oregon's Public Records Law under ORS Chapter 192 gives everyone the right to inspect these documents. You do not need to own the property or be a party to the deed. Walk into the recording office during business hours and use the public terminals to search.

The Oregon DOJ provides guidance on public records rights. If you ever have trouble getting access to Clackamas County deed records, the DOJ can explain your options for appeal.

Nearby Counties

Clackamas County borders Multnomah County, Washington County, Marion County, and Hood River County. Parts of the Portland metro area fall within Clackamas County, so double-check the county when searching for deed records on properties near boundary lines. Each county in Oregon keeps its own separate deed records.