Register of Deeds

About the Register of Deeds

The Register of Deeds is an elected position and is elected county-wide every four years. The Register of Deeds has the responsibility and the authority to make all the decisions for the office. Of course, she is guided first by the Kansas Statutes and then by common sense.

The Register of Deeds and her staff take pride in their work and are always looking for ways to give better customer service. At the present time, the Register of Deeds office employs one full-time Deputy in addition to the registrar.

Responsibilities 

The main purpose of the Register of Deeds office is to record and preserve the records of Grant County and is responsible for keeping a record of who owns what property. When you go to sell your property, someone checks our records to make sure that you have clear title to the property. If you are a buyer, someone is doing the same. They will need to know if the property is in your name (is on your deed and has been recorded in our office) and if there are any liens against the property, such as mortgages, federal or state tax liens.

Research

Research would take you back to the very first transaction between the Native Americans and the U.S. Government and everything in between then and now. The records here are also used to determine where to send the tax bills, where to put utility lines and how to make the best land usage plans and lots more. The county appraiser and the county clerk's office depend on the records in our office to accurately reflect the tax role process.

We record all documents pertaining to the land transactions in the county. Some of the documents that are recorded in this office might be deeds, mortgages, mortgages releases, contract, death certificates, financing statements, tax liens, power-of-attorneys, easements, assignments, oil and gas documents, affidavits, plats of additions to the city of Ulysses, military discharge records, corporation records, and cemetery records.

Once these documents are recorded they show the correct ownership of the land in the entire county. Some of the people that research our records are attorneys, financial institutions, real estate people, title insurance companies and buyers and sellers of the properties. Most of our records are open for public inspection during regular business hours.

Recording Documents

A copy of all documents recorded in our office is kept here in the Register of Deeds office and microfilm of all of our records is kept in the salt mines at Hutchinson, Kansas. Our records are microfilmed each year and taken to the salt mines for safekeeping.

Passports

The Register of Deeds office is also a designated acceptance agency for passport services. We accept applications by appointment only, so please call our office for details.

See more information, including filing fees by visiting the Kansas Register of Deeds Association Web Page.