Multnomah County Recorder: Deeds & Records

Multnomah County provides its online recorded-document search through MultcoRecords.com, also called the Digital Research Room.

The online system includes recorded documents from February 2002 onward. Search results identify document numbers, dates, types, parties and legal descriptions.

1. Open the Digital Research Room.

   Go to the county-supported MultcoRecords website.

2. Read and accept the disclaimer.

   The system explains that index data can be updated or corrected.

3. Search by a person’s or business’s name.

   Use the grantor, grantee, lender, borrower or another party named on the recorded document.

4. Narrow the results.

   Use recording dates, document types or other available filters when the interface supports them.

5. Open the matching index entry.

   Check the parties, date, document type, number and legal description.

6. Purchase a copy if needed.

   Use the system’s shopping cart for available ordinary or certified document copies.

What information should you search with?

If you know the street address but not the recorded deed information, start with MultcoPropTax.com.

The county’s property-tax database provides property ownership, account identification, assessed values, characteristics and tax information.

You do not need a paid account for basic property research. The website offers a free Guest Login.

Address search not working?

Try entering the address without its street suffix, such as Street, Avenue, Road or Lane.

The county recommends simplifying address searches when the full street name does not return the correct property.

The county’s online website and its in-person records collection have different date ranges.

This distinction matters when researching older Portland properties, family land, estates or historical ownership.

Some county pages describe electronic indexes beginning in 1965. This reflects differences between index collections and document-image availability.

Do not assume every document from 1855 onward has a readily downloadable image.

Research documents before February 2002

1. Identify an earlier owner or recording year.

   Use an old deed, title document, closing statement or property history.

2. Visit the Public Research Room.

   The research room is at 501 SE Hawthorne Boulevard, Suite 175, Portland.

3. Locate the historical index reference.

   Look for the relevant name, deed book, page or recording reference.

4. Request the document image.

   Older recordings may require microform research or staff assistance.

Multnomah County publishes recording fees by document type.

Most deeds and mortgage documents cost $86 for the first page, plus $5 for each additional page.

Fees are based on the county’s published recording schedule available in October 2026. Additional document-specific references, formatting requirements and other charges may apply.

Simple deed fee examples

These examples assume a standard deed with no additional transaction titles, cover page or special recording charges.

The Recorder accepts eligible documents affecting real property located in Multnomah County.

Documents must comply with Oregon recording statutes. If a document cannot be recorded, the county returns it with an explanation.

1. Prepare the correct legal instrument.

   Common documents include warranty deeds, bargain and sale deeds, quitclaim deeds, trust deeds and reconveyances.

2. Identify the correct property.

   Check the legal description and confirm the parcel is actually in Multnomah County.

3. Check execution and acknowledgment.

   Include the signatures and notarization required for that instrument.

4. Review Oregon’s first-page requirements.

   Include the transaction title, parties, return address, consideration and tax-statement address when required.

5. Check document formatting.

   Use readable text and leave enough space for the county’s recording label.

6. Calculate the recording fees.

   Include page charges and applicable title, reference or formatting fees.

7. Choose a submission method.

   Record in person, by mail, through the document drop box or by eligible eRecording.

Oregon Revised Statutes 205.232 and 205.236 set important document-formatting and first-page rules.

Oregon’s minimum recorded-document font size increased to 10-point text effective January 1, 2024.

What information belongs on the first page?

How can you pay in person?

The office accepts cash, checks, money orders, certified funds and debit or credit cards.

Debit and credit card payments have a published 2% convenience charge.

You can order copies through the Digital Research Room or contact the Recorder for copies that are not available online.

An ordinary recorded-document copy and a certified copy are not the same product.

Order a recorded deed online

1. Search MultcoRecords.

   Find the correct deed or mortgage using its parties or recording reference.

2. Add the document to the cart.

   Select the available copy type.

3. Review the fee before payment.

   Check whether you selected a certified or noncertified copy.

4. Complete the order.

   Noncertified items may be available for download after payment.

Recorder copy charges

The county’s fee page lists location and certification charges separately. Page charges, request methods and additional services can affect the total.

Ask the Recorder to confirm the full cost for a certified copy, especially when requesting several pages or older documents.

Order copies by mail

Complete the Combined Copy Request Form and provide the document type, recording year, party names and recording reference.

For mailed copy requests, the county accepts checks and certified funds. Make payment payable to Multnomah County Recorder.

How to find the entrance

The Multnomah Building is near the intersection of SE Grand Avenue and SE Hawthorne Boulevard.

The main public entrance faces SE Hawthorne Boulevard on the south side of the building.

Parking and public transportation

Multnomah County supports electronic recording through authorized service providers.

This can be useful for title companies, attorneys, lenders and organizations that regularly submit recordable documents.

eRecording vendors listed by the county

The county’s recording page is the best source for its current vendor list. Other providers may be added or changed.

Multnomah County offers a free Property Recording Alert Service (PRAS).

PRAS emails subscribers when a newly recorded document is indexed under a monitored party name.

This can help owners notice unexpected deeds, trust deeds or other recorded instruments.

How to register for PRAS

1. Open the county PRAS page.

   Review the program’s coverage and limitations.

2. Select the registration link.

   Continue to the county’s property-recording alert system.

3. Enter the names you want monitored.

   Include relevant personal, trust or business names.

4. Complete the email registration.

   Follow any verification steps and save the confirmation.

What if you receive a suspicious recording alert?

The county’s fraud guidance also recommends notifying credit bureaus and contacting a lawyer if identity theft or real estate fraud is suspected.

A single property can appear in several government databases.

Each system has a different purpose, so it helps to identify the information you need before contacting the county.

Which documents are not handled through the Recorder?

The Recorder’s public land-record service is not the source for wills, probate case files, divorce decrees, bankruptcy case files or ordinary court records.

Those records generally require the appropriate court, federal agency or vital records authority.

Oregon’s deed and recording laws differ from other states

Oregon has its own legal rules for document preparation, consideration statements, recording order and property title.

Do not apply California documentary transfer-tax rules or Ohio Auditor conveyance procedures to a Multnomah County deed.

True and actual consideration

Oregon law generally requires an applicable property-transfer instrument to state the true and actual consideration.

This requirement is separate from the county’s page-based recording fees.

Correcting an existing recorded instrument

The county allows certain documents to be re-recorded to correct errors.

The first page or authorized cover sheet must identify the correction and the previously recorded document.

Do not alter a certified copy in order to make an official correction.

Check whether your deed matches the property

Street addresses, tax account numbers and recorded legal descriptions serve different purposes.

For a boundary, easement or parcel-division issue, use the complete legal description and seek surveying or title assistance when needed.

What if a paid-off trust deed still appears?

Paying off a loan does not erase the original trust deed from the Recorder’s historical records.

A later reconveyance or release should be researched separately.

If the expected release is missing, contact the lender, trustee or closing company before assuming the public record is complete.

These county resources support the search steps, office information, recording rules, fees and fraud guidance in this article.