Access Nantucket Property Records

Nantucket County property records are held at the Nantucket County Registry of Deeds on Broad Street. This is the only county in Massachusetts where the county and the town are the same place. The registry holds deeds, mortgages, liens, and other land documents dating back to 1659, making it one of the oldest continuous record sets in the country. You can search Nantucket property records for free online through MassLandRecords.com. Whether you own a home on the island or are looking to buy, the registry is the official source for all Nantucket land records.

Nantucket County Registry of Deeds

The Nantucket County Registry of Deeds is at 16 Broad Street in the town of Nantucket. Register Jennifer H. Ferreira runs the office. The phone number is (508) 228-7250 and the fax is (508) 325-5331. You can email the registry at jen.ferreira@sec.state.ma.us. The registry is part of the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth's office, same as every other registry in the state.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Recording hours are more limited: 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 3:45 PM. There is a midday gap for recording, so if you plan to file documents in person, keep those times in mind. The registry is right in downtown Nantucket, a short walk from the ferry terminal.

Nantucket is unique in Massachusetts. It is the only county with just one town. The town of Nantucket is the county of Nantucket. There is no other municipality here. Every property record on the island goes through this single registry office on Broad Street.

Search Nantucket Property Records Online

The MassLandRecords.com portal is the main way to search Nantucket County property records online. It is free to use. You can search by name, document number, book and page, property address, or recorded date. The portal covers recorded land from 1967 to the present and registered land from 1958 to the present. Viewing documents is free. No account or login is needed.

For records older than 1967, you will need to contact the registry directly or visit in person. The physical records go back to 1659. That is over 360 years of land ownership history on one small island. Nantucket's long history of property records is remarkable, and researchers often use these early documents for genealogy and historical work in addition to standard title searches.

The Nantucket town website also has a page for the registry with basic information and links. The MassGIS Interactive Property Map covers Nantucket and shows parcel boundaries, owner names, and valuations for every property on the island.

Note: Address-based searches are helpful but should not replace a name-based title search.

Nantucket Land Bank

Like Dukes County, Nantucket has a Land Bank that charges a transfer fee on most property sales. The Nantucket Islands Land Bank adds a 2% fee on top of the state excise tax and recording fees. This money goes toward buying and preserving open space on the island. The Land Bank must be cleared before the registry will record a deed in most cases. Your closing attorney handles this, but it is something every Nantucket buyer and seller should know about.

The Land Bank has been running since the 1980s and has protected a significant amount of Nantucket's land from development. Given the island's small size and high demand for real estate, the program plays a big role in keeping open space available.

Nantucket Recording Fees

Recording fees at the Nantucket County Registry match the statewide schedule. A deed is $155. A mortgage costs $205. Mortgage discharges are $105. A Declaration of Homestead runs $35 and protects your primary residence under M.G.L. Chapter 188. Plans are $105 per sheet. Most other documents cost $105.

The deed excise tax is $4.56 per $1,000 of the sale price. Nantucket real estate prices are among the highest in the state. A $3 million home sale would carry an excise of $13,680 on top of the recording fee and the Land Bank's 2% transfer charge. Certified copies are $1.00 per page. These state-set fees are the same at every Massachusetts registry.

Nantucket County Property Laws

Property transfers on Nantucket follow M.G.L. Chapter 183, the same law that governs all Massachusetts real estate conveyancing. Deeds must be properly written, signed, and recorded at the registry to protect the buyer. An unrecorded deed leaves the new owner exposed to claims from third parties. This is true for a $500,000 cottage or a $10 million waterfront estate.

Registered Land on Nantucket operates under M.G.L. Chapter 185. The Land Court issues a Certificate of Title for registered properties, and the state guarantees the ownership. Registered land records on Nantucket go back to 1958 online. Public access to all Nantucket land records is protected by M.G.L. Chapter 66, so anyone can view them.

Nantucket Fraud Alert Service

The Nantucket County Registry offers the Consumer Notification Service at no cost. Sign up to get email alerts when a document is filed against your property. Many Nantucket property owners live off-island most of the year. This makes the alert service especially valuable since you may not be checking your land records regularly. If you see an alert for a document you did not authorize, call the registry at (508) 228-7250 right away. Acting fast gives you the best chance of resolving any issues.

The Nantucket town website provides information about the Nantucket County Registry of Deeds, including contact details and links to search tools.

From this page you can access links to the online search portals and find office hours, phone numbers, and recording instructions for the Nantucket registry.

The Town of Nantucket

Nantucket County has just one community: the Town of Nantucket. It is the only county in Massachusetts set up this way. The town and the county share the same borders. The year-round population is about 14,000, but that number swells to over 50,000 in the summer months. All property records for the entire island are at the single registry on Broad Street in downtown Nantucket.

Nearby Counties

Nantucket is an island county. The closest counties are Dukes County (Martha's Vineyard) and Barnstable County (Cape Cod), both reachable by ferry or air.