Access Essex County Property Records

Essex County property records are held at two registries of deeds: the Northern Essex Registry in Lawrence and the Essex South Registry in Beverly. Between them, they cover all cities and towns in the county along the North Shore and Merrimack Valley. You can search Essex County property records online for free through MassLandRecords.com or through each registry's own website. Both offices have close to 90 percent of their documents and indexes in digital form, so most searches can be done from home without a trip to the courthouse.

Northern Essex Registry of Deeds

The Northern Essex Registry of Deeds is at 1 Union Street, Suite 402, in Lawrence. Register M. Paul Iannuccillo runs this office. The phone is 978-557-1900 and the fax is 978-688-4679. Email the office at northernessexcustomerservice@sec.state.ma.us. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. This district covers four communities: Andover, Lawrence, Methuen, and North Andover.

The Northern Essex Registry has close to 90 percent of its documents and indexes in digital form. Internet access was upgraded to 15 times faster speed, so viewing and printing records online works well. You can search Essex County property records in this district through MassLandRecords.com/essexnorth. All the standard search tools are available: name search, document search, book search, property search, and recorded date search.

The registry offers a Registered Land Preview Service. If you have a registered land document to record, you can submit it by email for pre-approval. Staff will do a full review before recording day. Follow up with a phone call after you send the email. This helps avoid rejections at the counter.

Essex South Registry of Deeds

The Essex South Registry of Deeds is at 334 Main Street, Suite 2, in Beverly. Register Eileen R. Duff leads this office. The phone is 978-542-1704. This registry was established in 1643, making it one of the oldest in the country. It covers the communities in the southern part of Essex County, including the Salem area. Research hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. You can search records for this district at MassLandRecords.com/essexsouth.

In-person and drop-off recordings go through the second floor Welcome Desk. Bring your documents, a check, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Recorded land documents get mailed back after processing. Registered land documents stay at the registry. You can also submit recordings by mail or through e-recording if you are an attorney or title company. For FedEx and UPS packages, address them directly to the registry. They will refuse anything addressed to a third party in care of the registry. Do not mark FedEx packages as "adult signature required" since the office will not accept those.

Real estate closings can be done on the second floor during normal business hours. No appointment is needed.

Essex County Free Deed Copies

Both Essex County registries stress that copies of your deed are free. The Northern Essex office warns that companies charging $118 for deeds are running a scam. The Essex South office has seen similar letters charging $83 for certified copies. Neither is legitimate. Call the Northern Essex Registry at 978-557-1900 or the Essex South Registry at 978-542-1704 and they will provide a free copy. You can also email either office to request one.

Certified copies at the Essex South Registry cost $1.00 per page if you need an official stamp. You can pick them up in person at the second floor Welcome Desk, request them by mail, or order them by email. Documents requested by email must be picked up at the registry when ready. Registered Land certificates cost $5.00 each. Both registries accept only cash and checks for payment. Make checks payable to the registry name or to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts Land Records portal provides free access to Essex County property records from both the Northern and Southern districts.

Select the Essex North or Essex South district from the portal to begin searching deeds, mortgages, and other land records.

Essex County Fraud Protection

Both Essex County registries offer the free Consumer Notification Service. Sign up and you get an email alert whenever a document is recorded in your name or against your property address. You can register up to three properties. If you receive a notification you did not expect, contact your registry right away. For the Northern Essex district, call 978-557-1900. If you suspect fraud, also contact the Attorney General at 617-727-2200 and the Essex County District Attorney at 978-745-6610.

Filing a Declaration of Homestead at either Essex County registry is another good move. Under M.G.L. Chapter 188, it protects your primary home from forced sale by most creditors up to $1,000,000. The fee is $35. All Essex County property records, including homestead filings, are public records under M.G.L. Chapter 66. Anyone can look them up.

Note: If you have trouble signing up for the Consumer Notification Service, call Browntech at 508-543-0211 for IT support.

Essex County Recording Fees

Essex County follows the same statewide fee schedule as all Massachusetts registries. Deeds cost $155 to record. Mortgages are $205. Mortgage discharges run $105. Declarations of Homestead are $35. Trust declarations cost $255. Plans are $105 per sheet. The excise tax on deeds is $4.56 per $1,000 of sale price. Under M.G.L. Chapter 183, recording a deed at the registry is what makes it effective against third-party claims. If you skip recording, you risk losing priority to someone who files first.

Both Essex County registries handle recorded land and registered land. Registered land uses Certificates of Title under M.G.L. Chapter 185. The state guarantees these titles. About 10 to 20 percent of Massachusetts properties are on this system. If your Essex County property is registered, check with the registry before submitting documents since pre-approval may be needed.

Cities in Essex County

Four Essex County cities have property records pages on this site. Each files land records at the Essex County registry that covers its area.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Essex County. Confirm which county your property falls in before you start searching records.