How to Record a Deed in Cook County

Where to file

File with the Cook County Clerk's Office, Recording Division, 118 N. Clark St., Room 120, Chicago, IL 60602, in person or by mail. The Clerk's Recording FAQs page states that a deed can be recorded either in person or by mail, and directs filers to the recording requirements for deeds. The Clerk's office does not provide legal advice and cannot guide a filer on what document is legally appropriate or assist with preparing legal documents. Whether a document meets statutory or legal requirements is the filer's sole responsibility, even if the document meets the basic recording requirements and is recorded.

The fee: $107 for a Class 1 document

The Clerk's Recording Fee Schedule, effective April 1, 2024, lists $107 for a Class 1 document (deeds), $107 for Class 2 (leases and similar transfers and amendments), Class 3 (mortgages and releases of mortgage), Class 4 (easements), and Class 5 (miscellaneous). The $107 figure includes GIS, document storage, RHSP, and non-government filer fees. Class 6 documents (irregular documents) are $88 plus the class fee. Class 7 blanket recordings are tiered by references: $75 for 6 to 25 references and $150 for 26 or more. A Transfer on Death Instrument is $59. Recording by mail with return is $5 per document, except for Transfer on Death Instruments. Only the Class 1 deed figure and the mail-return figure are stated as deed-recording costs in this guide; the other class figures are included only to show that the class, not the page count, sets the fee.

A document that does not conform to the standard design requirements is not recorded except on payment of an additional fee equal to the fee otherwise provided by law for recording the document, other than a document filed under the Plat Act or the Uniform Commercial Code.

Transfer taxes are separate from the recording fee. A deed must carry city, state, and county transfer tax declarations and stamps, or transfer tax exemptions, and filers should check with the local city or village where the property sits for its requirements. No transfer-tax rate is stated here, because no rate figure was verified on the Clerk pages opened for this guide.

What the document must contain

The Clerk's Recording FAQs page states that any real-estate document must have the full name and address of the document preparer, a full name and "Mail To" address, a complete legal description of the property, the Property Index Number (PIN), and the common property address. Any deed (quit claim, warranty, or similar) must additionally have city, state, and county transfer tax declarations and stamps or transfer tax exemptions; the full name and address of the grantee or grantees on the deed; a statement grantor/grantee affidavit for exempt transfers and MyDec transfers; and the name and address for future tax-bill mailings.

Format: standard document design

The standard document design requirements under 55 ILCS 5/4-12002, as stated on the Clerk's FAQs page, are:

• One or more individual sheets measuring 8.5 inches by 11 inches, not permanently bound and not a continuous form. Graphic displays up to 11 inches by 17 inches are recorded without an additional fee.
• Legibly printed in black ink, by hand, type, or computer. Signatures and dates may be in contrasting colors, such as blue, if they reproduce clearly. Red ink does not reproduce clearly.
• White paper of not less than 20-pound weight, with a clean margin of at least one-half inch on the top, bottom, and each side. Margins may be used only for non-essential notations that will not affect validity, such as form numbers, page numbers, and customer notations.
• A blank space measuring at least 3 inches by 5 inches from the upper right corner of the first page.
• No attachment stapled or otherwise affixed to any page.

Filing routes and e-recording limits

Mail recording goes to the Recording Division address above with the document and payment. E-recording requires an account with an approved submitter company: Simplifile, CSC, ePN (E-Recording Partners Network), or Hopdox. The Clerk states that recording a single document in person will likely be easier than e-recording, because e-recording requires multiple software applications and a third-party submitter account.

Only title companies may e-record deeds or conveyances with consideration at this time. Before electronically submitting deeds with consideration, the filer must obtain contractual approval as a stamp authorizer, with a corresponding Settlement Agency MyDec account, from the Illinois Department of Revenue. E-recording of fully exempt deeds and non-conveyance documents such as mortgages, assignments, and releases is open to any entity that complies with the basic and e-recording requirements. Affidavits cannot be e-filed.

A recording affecting more than one PIN is accepted only where no more than ten properties are affected. Multiple recordings are required where more than ten properties are affected; the Clerk does not accept blanket filings. Re-recording of instruments has not been accepted since February 2017. Corrections use a new or duplicate instrument, a scrivener's affidavit, a court order, or the Corrective Recordings process.

No Torrens distinction is stated in this guide. No statement about a Torrens system versus a regular recording system appears on the Clerk pages opened for this guide, and no such distinction is carried here.

For recording requirements in other counties, see the Document Recording by County directory. To check fee and format requirements by county, use the Document Recording Requirements Checker.

Source

Sources: Cook County Clerk, Recording FAQs (cookcountyclerkil.gov); Cook County Clerk, Recording Fee Schedule, effective April 1, 2024 (cookcountyclerkil.gov). Facts verified 2026-11-03.

This page explains how the process works and what the official rules say. It is general information, not legal advice. For a dispute about your specific situation, talk to the Cook County Clerk.