Each document recorded in our office is given a recording stamp. This stamp includes the information required by law. (Utah Code 17-21)

In the past, each stamp included a Document Entry Number, Book and Page. This is for indexing purposes. In Utah County documents are given an entry number starting from 1 every new year. For example entry number 3600 in 1998 (3600-1998) would be the 3600th document recorded that year.

The book number is continuous and our records begin with book A, which is handwritten copies of recorded documents. When reproducing machines were invented the documents were then copied as negative images. Later, actual books were replaced with microfilm. Electronically scanned and stored images are used today with microfilm backup.

Each book contains approximately 900 pages. With these numbers we can easily find and access any document ever recorded. The official records contain documents from 1870 to the present, stored on Official Record Books, Microfilm, and Scanned Images.

Beginning in 2000, the recording stamp no longer includes a book and page. Indexing is done only by the Document Entry Number and the year. (i.e. 12345-2000)

The recording stamp also contains the name of the current County Recorder; the time and date the document was recorded; the fee which was paid for recording; the initials of the deputy recorder who accepted the document; and the party who requested the document be recorded.

All recorded documents are indexed by the names of the principal parties, by the location of the land (abstract), and by the kind of instrument.

• Official Records 1870 to Present - Official Record Books, Microfilm and Optically Scanned Images.
• Alphabetical Index - 1870 to January 1978 - Handwritten Records, January 1978 to Present - Computerized.
• Abstract Record - 1870 to September 1985 - Handwritten and Typed, May 1980 to Present - Computerized and on the Internet
• Ownership Plats - Current Ownership on Maps
• Official Subdivision Plat - On the Internet

All records are indexed by the names of the principal parties and when a legal description is included on a document, by property location. The records are open for public inspection and copies of documents may be purchased at our office, or beginning with 1994's recordings, available on the Internet at no charge.

SUBDIVISION REQUIREMENTS

The Recorders Office checks subdivision plats before they are recorded. The checklists we use do not contain all the requirements required by code but they do contain those which are needed for recording. You are welcome to take a look at those things which we check for. Many cities find these very useful in their approval process.

• Subdivision Checklist
• Condominium Checklist
• Annexation Checklist

Sometimes owners wish to combine their adjoining properties into one tax parcel. To do this, you will have to fill out a form so that we may track why a change has taken place. Combining parcels for taxing does not change your tax descriptions, it just includes them all on one serial number. You may wish to get a survey of the perimeter of your property and record a new deed, this would then combine all smaller parcels into one new large piece. Further instruction can be found on the Combine at Owner's request information page.

The number of documents recorded per year is available from 1975 forward. There has been a dramatic increase in documents recorded in recent years. During the decade of the 1980's, we recorded a total of 403,981 documents for a yearly average of 40,398 documents. During the 1990's, the number of recordings more than doubled with a total of 935,733 recordings or an average of 93,573 documents per year. The new century shows no signs of abating. Each of the years -- 2001, 2002 and 2003, reached an all time record for number of documents recorded. We ended 2003 with a total of 202,948 recordings for the year.