Monroe County, Indiana

Emergency Office Closure Notice

To Our Title Companies, Abstractors, and All Customers,

As you know, Monroe County Government offices are generally closed to the public under emergency procedures during the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. We apologize for the inconvenience this situation has brought about.

Notice: Beginning Monday, 3 May 2021, we will be unable to accept payment via credit or debit card. This is due to new and stringent regulations and significantly increased user fees. We expect this to be temporary, for only two to three months, while we explore new and suitable credit card solutions. We apologize for the inconvenience and the short notice, as we had been hoping, until the last moment, for an earlier resolution.

We are open to researchers by appointment only at this time, we take appointments between 8:30 AM to 3 PM, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. If you need to record, please use any of the methods listed below to get your documents to us for recording. If your need is urgent, we may be able to have someone meet you at the door.

We now have a drop box on the north side of the Courthouse! There are Recorder envelopes in which you can put your documents and payment. Please make sure your contact information (name, phone, return address) are included. As always, documents must include:

• Notarization
• Affirmation statement (of Sec. Sec. # redaction)
• "Prepared by" statement
• Complete Legal Description where applicable
• Tax billing address on any Deed

Our schedule of fees (with all recording requirements) can be found here. Please note that Recording fees and Auditor's fees need to be on two separate checks.

We also have these other methods available for submitting documents for recording:

• US mail to our PO box, as normal (preferred address).
  • Monroe County Recorder
  • PO Box 1634
  • Bloomington, Indiana 47402
• Electronic recording:
  • Non-transfer documents can be submitted via Simplifile or CSC/iRecord.
  • We are able to accept transfer documents (deeds, etc.) via Simplifile. We strongly encourage using this method if at all possible, although it is not available to individuals (businesses only).
• For large documents or stacks, we are happy to meet a courier at the door to receive them, and also to return them when completed.

Our staff will still be in the office through the week, answering phones and processing documents. The public can access most of our documents at Doxpop.com. For those that can’t, we are happy to assist in other ways. Businesses can record online with Simplifile and CSC eRecording. (CSC accepts only non-transfer documents at this time.) All other updates listed below continue to apply.

If your office has any concerns, please feel free to contact us. Stay well, and thank you.

Indiana Recorders are currently looking at manageable ways to provide access to records that have not yet been digitized. We hope to have more information soon.

Finally, if you have a question or request that can be put into email, that is my best way to stay organized on such requests and address them more completely and accurately: eschmitz@co.monroe.in.us

Stay safe, and stay well!

-Eric

What Does the Monroe County Recorder Do?

In 1816, the Office of County Recorder was the first local office created by the State of Indiana constitution.  It is the primary duty of County Recorders to record instruments submitted for recording and maintain those records for perpetuity.

A County Recorder processes and stores a range of documents, most related to real estate, that are submitted for recording.  Documents must meet all necessary conditions.  Please visit our "Fee Schedule" and “Recording Requirements”  pages for more information. 

Visit the GIS Website

Some of the Recorder's Office documents, along with a multitude of other property information, can be found on Monroe County's newly updated and innovative GIS website at https://www.co.monroe.in.us/department/division.php?structureid=150

Documents Processed by Indiana County Recorders

• Deeds
• Mortgages
• Assignments
• Releases
• Powers of Attorney
• Real Estate Contracts
• Annexations
• Trustee Elections
• Affidavits
• Surveys
• Federal Tax Liens
• Mechanics Liens
• Delinquent Sewer Liens
• Military Discharges (often referred to as the "DD-214" forms)
• Cemetery Deeds
• Officials' Bonds
• Subdivision Plats
• Horizontal Condominium Plats
• Firms Doing Business Under Assumed Names
• Miscellaneous Documents

Other Office Responsibilities Include:

• File Uniform Commercial Code instruments
• Supply copies of any recorded instrument and certifies, upon request, to those recorded

Access Records Online

Online document viewing from January 1991 to present.  Residents get six free searches per month, and businesses pay a subscription fee based upon usage. Directions for use of the DoxPop service can be found in the comprehensive help section on their website.

If you require a document older than January 1991 that is not yet available in DoxPop, please contact our office and let us know what you need. Requests made before 2pm should be available in DoxPop by the following morning.

Property watch fraud alert system free to Monroe County residents. The service allows you to receive alerts whenever your name or property information is entered on a new recorded document. This new service is provided to the residents of Monroe County at no charge.