Register of Deeds

Information on Fraud:

• Property Fraud Alert (English)(PDF, 131KB)
• Property Fraud Alert (Spanish)(PDF, 129KB)
• Visit PropertyFraudAlert.com
  
  

Records Available Online:

• Grantor/Grantee records start from 1955.
• Images available from 1955.
  
  

Access Wyandotte County, KS Records Online:

• TAPESTRY: Program designed for the occasional user working in a real estate-related business. If you do not have experience searching real estate records, you are best advised to visit the Registers of Deeds office for assistance in locating your documents. TAPESTRY is pay as you go via credit card or for net-30-day terms, contact Fidlar Technologies at 1 (800) 747-4600 or visit landrecords.com.

• LAREDO: For the daily, professional user. LAREDO is a subscription-based internet access program designed for title insurance and other real estate-related firms that require daily access to county records. LAREDO offers the benefits of data access in real-time, image printing, and searches via many parameters. The subscriber pays a subscription fee of $200 for the first username and $20 for each additional username, payable on a monthly basis. To subscribe to Laredo please contact our office at (913) 573-2841.

Documents Acceptance Policy: The following list sets forth the requirements for recording documents with the Register of Deeds office. Documents that fail to contain the required items will be rejected and will not be recorded. This list does not attempt to set forth all of the items that should be addressed in a well-drafted, legally valid document, it only details those items that will be required and checked by the Register of Deeds office for recording purposes.

All documents must be originals or certified copy.

Documents must contain:

• Signed, all signatures must be properly notarized.

• The name of the first party (i.e., the grantor’s or mortgagor’s name).

• The name of the second party (i.e., the grantee’s or mortgagee’s name).

• The legal description of the subject property.

• K.S.A. 58-2205; 58-2209; 58-2211; 58-2221.

Additional requirements for some documents: In addition to the requirements for most documents, the following items are required for the various types of documents.

Deeds: To be recorded, deeds must:

• Be accompanied by a completed real estate sales validation questionnaire. K.S.A. 79-1437c.

• If a questionnaire is not required, then the applicable exemption must be stated on the document being filed. K.S.A. 79-1437e.

Assignment of Mortgage:

• Correct book and page number of each mortgage being assigned: K.S.A. 58-2306.

• Name and address of assignee: K.S.A. 58-2319.

• Signed by mortgagee/assignor: K.S.A. 58-2306; 58-2319.

Release of Mortgage:

• Correct book and page number of mortgage being released: K.S.A. 58-2306.

• Signed by mortgagee: K.S.A. 58-2319.

Amendment or Modification of Mortgage:

• Book and page number of mortgage being amended or modified.

• Completed mortgage registration tax affidavit if mortgage registration fee is not due pursuant to K.S.A. 79-3102d.

Assignment of Rents or of Leases & Rents: Name and address of assignee.

Release or Revocations of Other Documents:

• For example, a Release of Assignment of Rents, a Release of Easement, Revocation of a Power of Attorney, Revocation of a Transfer on Death Deed.

• Book and page number of document being released or revoked.

Death Certificate: State certified copy: K.S.A. 58-501; 65-2416; 65-2417.

Court Records: Original or court-certified copy: K.S.A. 58-2242a.

Corporation Documents: Copy certified by Secretary of State. However, the general provisions requiring the recording of corporate documents with the Register of Deeds Office have been repealed. K.S.A. 17-6003.

Notary Requirements: Documents with insufficient, incomplete, or improper notary certifications will not be accepted for recording. K.S.A. 58-2211 & 58-2221. Documents with notary certifications that fail to comply with the Uniform Law on Notarial Acts, K.S.A. 53-501 et seq., will be returned. Failure to comply with the following requirements will result in a document being returned:

• K.S.A. 58-211 "All conveyances and other instruments affecting real estate must be acknowledged before a person authorized by the uniform law on notarial acts to perform notarial acts."

• The entire date must be included in the notary certificate. This means the month, day, and year on which the notarial act was performed. K.S.A. 53-508.

• The expiration date (month, date, & year) of the notary’s appointment must be included and it cannot have expired. K.S.A. 53-508; 53-105; 53-106.

• The document must have been notarized prior to the expiration date of the notary’s appointment. If two conflicting expiration dates appear on the certification and if either one expired prior to the date the document was notarized, then the document will be rejected.

• The name of the signatory set forth in the notary certification must be the same as the signatory’s name on the document.

• The certificate must identify the jurisdiction (state & county) where the notarial act was performed. K.S.A. 53-508. If two different jurisdictions are referenced (for example, “State of Kansas, County of Wyandotte” appears at the top of the certification and the notary’s seal references “Jackson County, Missouri”), then the document will be rejected.

• The certificate must be fully completed. Certifications containing blanks that have not been completed will be rejected.

• The notary’s seal must appear on the certificate. K.S.A. 53-105.

Margins & Paper Size: Pursuant to K.S.A. 28-115, the Register of Deeds has authority to establish requirements for margins. Therefore, for the purpose of providing sufficient space for recording information and to ensure that the document will be clear and legible when reproduced, page one must have a top margin of 3 inches and 1 inch margins on each of the three remaining sides. All subsequent pages must have a 1 inch margin on all four sides. We request letter-size paper.

If a document does not comply with such requirements, then K.S.A. 28-115 authorizes either the use of an additional sheet for the recording information or providing an exact copy of the document that is of sufficient legibility. The additional sheet or exact copy shall be counted and charged as additional pages. Further, K.S.A. 28-115 allows registers to reject documents that are not of sufficient legibility to produce a clear and legible copy.

Scanning: Documents must be clear and legible for reproduction or will be subject to rejection pursuant to K.S.A. 28-115.

• Kansas Real Estate Validation Questionnaire(PDF, 107KB)
• Quit Claim Deed General(PDF, 2MB)
• Quit Claim Deed Joint Tenancy(PDF, 475KB)
• Transfer on Death Deed General(PDF, 475KB)
• Transfer on Death Deed Joint Tenancy(PDF, 484KB)
• Warranty Deed General(PDF, 1MB)
• Warranty Deed Joint Tenancy(PDF, 475KB)
• Register of Deeds also manages the records of DD214 Military Records.
  
  

How to Request a Copy

The recorded documents located in our office are available to the public. It is our goal to provide convenient, efficient and easy access to the information located in this office. We are unable to provide you with information via email or fax.

Due to limited staffing, customers are encouraged to conduct their own research whenever possible. Our staff will gladly assist you in locating a document or current ownership information if you telephone, visit the office, or mail a copy request with a check payable to the Register of Deeds.

We cannot process a request for copies without payment in advance.

Copy Fees:

• $1.00 For the first page of a document.
• $1.00 For each additional page per document.
• $13.00 For a certified copy.
  
  

Recordings

Recordings are accepted Monday - Friday: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM. Make checks for recording fees payable to Wyandotte County Register of Deeds.

Available for professional document preparers. Deeds, mortgages, and most other document types are now accepted for e-recording.

Contact us at (913) 573-2841 or fax (913) 321-3075, or our recording software vendor, Fidlar Technologies, at 1 (800) 747-4600 for additional information.

Interested in E-filing? Complete the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)(PDF, 181KB) and email it to registerofdeeds@wycokck.org.

Partner Companies:

• Simplifile
  1 (800) 460-5657
  simplifile.com
  
  
• iCounty
  Shawn Robertson
  1 (816) 295-1540
  shawn.robertson@icounty.com
  
  
• Corporation Service Company (CSC)
  E-Recording Support: (866) 652-0111
  ecscglobal.com

Recording Fees & Guidelines: Deed, Mortgage, Assignment of Rent, Release of Assignment of Rent, other miscellaneous documents:

• $21 for the first page.
• $17 for each additional page per document.
• Filing fees are capped at $125 for a single-family mortgage on principal residence $75,000 or less.
• Proof must be provided by an Affidavit(PDF, 10KB)

Copies:

• $1 per page.
• Certified copies add $13 per copy per document.

Assignment/Release of Mortgage:

• $20 for the first page.
• $4 for each additional page per document.
• If a document is assigning/releasing more than one mortgage add additional fee of $16 each.

Subdivision Plats:

• $32 per page.

Uniform Commercial Code:

• $15 for the first (10) pages.
• $1 for each additional page per document.

What is a deed? A deed is a document that transfers the ownership of real estate. There are many forms of deeds. Warranty deeds and quit claim deeds are among two of the most common forms used. A warranty deed is a guarantee from the seller to the buyer that he has a good, clear title, and guarantees that previous owners or heirs have no interest in the property. A quit claim deed is used to release the name of a person who may have an interest in or claim to the property.

Can I make out my own deed? Yes, but the Register of Deeds and staff always recommend that you retain an attorney or title company.

How can I get a copy of my deed? Our staff will gladly assist you in locating a document or current ownership information if you telephone, visit the office, or mail a copy request with a check payable to the Register of Deeds. Since advance payment is required, we cannot process a request for copies via email or fax. Please refer to our fee schedule to determine the applicable fees.

How do I change my name, add someone to my deed, or remove someone from my deed? We cannot change a recorded document as it is a permanent record. If you want to make a change to the title, a new document will need to be prepared and recorded. We cannot prepare the document for you. We recommend that you contact an attorney.

Why can’t the Register of Deeds prepare my real estate documents? The Register of Deeds is charged with the duty of being an independent custodian of records. As such, the only area we can assist you in is general process questions. We cannot assist you in the actual drafting of documents. We highly recommend that you obtain legal counsel for these transactions.

Can you record a deed for property located outside of Wyandotte County? No, the property must be located in Wyandotte County. The Wyandotte County Register of Deeds office can help you locate other Kansas Register of Deeds offices.

Can the Register of Deeds do a title search and tell me if I have a clear title to my property? No. The Register of Deeds office is not authorized to render opinions regarding the status of your title. Professional title examiners or abstractors search records in our office and other places such as district court, probate court, and federal courts to determine if your title is free of encumbrances.

Can I do my own title search? Most of the Register of Deeds office records are open for public inspection. You may visit our office, and we will assist you in beginning a property ownership search. However, it is our experience that the expertise a professional title searcher offers is well worth the money you will spend—especially when you compare it to the value of the transaction you are about to enter.

Do I need to record this document? We do not determine what documents need to be recorded. We are here to make sure that the documents presented to us for recordation meet all of the state requirements and then, once recorded, are maintained permanently.

I paid off my mortgage and my bank sent me a release document. What do I need to do now? If the release of the mortgage has already been recorded you’ll see a file stamp with a document number, recording date and other recording information that is usually located in the upper right hand corner of the document. If the release of mortgage has not been recorded, you should submit that document to the Register of Deeds office for recording. This may be done in person on the first floor of the Wyandotte County Court House or by mail.

Questions? Call us at (913) 573-2841.

What is a legal description? Where can I get that? The legal description of your property appears on your deed. If your property consists of a number of small parcels that have been combined over time, a simple, concise legal description may not exist. The opposite can also be a problem. Your property may have previously been a large parcel from which smaller parcels were sold off. In both cases, several documents and some interpretations may be required to construct a legal description. If you are confused because the history of your parcel fits into either of the above descriptions, you should contact a registered land surveyor for professional assistance in writing an accurate, updated legal description.

I paid off a Federal Income Tax Lien, but it is still showing on my credit report. Why? While Federal Income Tax Liens are recorded in the Register of Deeds office, we have no jurisdiction over the lien itself or any release documentation once the lien is satisfied. We cannot record a release unless one is presented to us for recording. Register of Deeds does not report any information to the credit reporting agency.

Can you tell me how much a house sold for? No, sales price is not of public record in the State of Kansas pursuant to the provisions of K.S.A. 79-1437f.

Can you tell me when my house was built? Our records do not pertain to the structures on the property, but to the land itself. You may research our records to see if there were any deeds involving a builder to determine an approximate date.

Do you know what houses are being foreclosed or sold on the courthouse steps? Foreclosure suits are filed in District court. The Register of Deeds office does not have access to or track foreclosures that are in process. Once the foreclosure process is complete, a deed that conveys the title to the plaintiff is recorded in the Register of Deeds office.