Elkhart County Property Records

Elkhart County property records are maintained by the County Recorder in Goshen, Indiana, where deeds, mortgages, easements, liens, and other instruments affecting real estate in the county are filed and kept as permanent public records. With a population of over 207,000, Elkhart County is one of the larger counties in northern Indiana, and its recorder's office processes a high volume of real estate documents each year. This guide explains how to search Elkhart County land records, what the recorder requires, and where to find property tax and assessment data.

Elkhart County Recorder Office

The Elkhart County Recorder is located at 117 North 2nd Street, Goshen, Indiana 46526. The office phone is (574) 535-6700. You can find more information and department contacts at the Elkhart County Recorder page on the county's official website. The recorder holds a constitutional office under Indiana Code 36-2-11 and is responsible for recording all instruments that affect real property in Elkhart County.

The recorder's office accepts deeds, mortgages, easements, releases, affidavits, powers of attorney, contracts, surveys, and other documents that create, transfer, or extinguish interests in real estate. Each document is assigned an instrument number, stamped with the date and time of receipt, scanned, and returned to the submitter. That instrument number is your permanent reference in the Elkhart County recorder's index. Staff can search the index by name or instrument number but do not perform full title searches or give legal advice.

The Elkhart County Recorder's official page is shown below, with current office hours, fee schedules, and policy details for submitting documents or requesting access to Elkhart County property records.

The Elkhart County Recorder's office in Goshen processes a significant volume of real estate documents for both the city of Elkhart and the city of Goshen, which are the two largest population centers in the county. Both cities' real estate transactions are recorded here at the same office.

Search Elkhart County Land Records and Parcel Data

Doxpop provides online access to Elkhart County recorded instruments including deeds, mortgages, and releases. You can search by name, document type, or date range and view document images for a per-page fee. Title companies, real estate attorneys, and lenders working in Goshen and Elkhart regularly use Doxpop for deed research and lien searches in Elkhart County. It is the most direct path to recorded documents outside of visiting the courthouse.

The Elkhart County Assessor maintains property record cards online through the Elkhart County Assessor property record card page. The assessor's office is also at 117 North 2nd Street in Goshen and can be reached at (574) 535-6700. Property record cards show the physical data the assessor uses to value each parcel, including building size, construction type, condition, and lot characteristics. These cards are useful alongside the recorder's deed records for a complete picture of any parcel in Elkhart County.

The Elkhart County Assessor property record card search is shown below. It provides detailed parcel data and physical characteristics for every property in the county, which pairs well with the deed and lien records from the recorder's index.

Property record cards from the Elkhart County Assessor show detailed characteristics of each parcel that complement the ownership and lien data available through the recorder's index. Together, these tools give you a thorough view of any real estate in Elkhart County.

Parcel mapping tools for Elkhart County, available through county GIS resources, show ownership, assessed values, and property boundaries on a map. Search by owner name, address, or parcel number to find property locations before pulling recorded instruments from the recorder's index.

Recording Requirements for Elkhart County Documents

Indiana's statewide recording requirements apply to all documents submitted to the Elkhart County Recorder. Paper must be white, no larger than 8.5 by 14 inches, and at least 20-pound weight. Text must be in black ink at a minimum of 10-point size. The first page must have a 2-inch top margin so the recorder's stamp does not cover any text. The last page needs a 2-inch bottom margin. All interior pages require at least a half-inch margin on all four sides.

Every document must include a "Prepared by" statement with the drafter's name and address. Signatures must have printed or typed names directly beneath them that match the signed form exactly. Deeds and most real property instruments must be notarized. Every deed must show the grantee's full mailing address and must include a legal description of the property. Social Security numbers must be removed before submission under Indiana Code 32-21-2. Non-conforming documents are accepted but cost an extra $1 per non-conforming page.

Before a deed is recorded in Elkhart County, it moves through three offices. The County Assessor reviews and stamps the deed first. The County Auditor then transfers the property on the tax rolls, accepts the Sales Disclosure form, collects the transfer fee, and endorses the document. Finally, the Recorder records the deed at 117 N 2nd Street and returns the original. Pay fees at both the Auditor's and Recorder's offices. A Sales Disclosure form is required at the Auditor's step for every deed transfer.

E-recording is an option for Elkhart County. Vendors such as CSC eRecording (866-652-0111), Simplifile (800-460-5657), and ePN (888-325-3365) allow title companies and lenders to submit documents electronically without going to the Goshen courthouse. Contact the Elkhart County Recorder at (574) 535-6700 to confirm which vendors are currently accepted.

Property Tax and Assessment in Elkhart County

Elkhart County property taxes are administered by the County Assessor and County Auditor under Indiana Code 6-1.1. The Assessor sets market values on a regular assessment cycle, and the Auditor applies local levy rates to calculate the annual tax bill. Property in Elkhart County includes a wide mix of residential, commercial, and industrial parcels spread across Goshen, Elkhart city, and the surrounding rural areas. Taxes are billed twice a year, and unpaid taxes become a lien on the parcel.

Use the DLGF Assessed Value Search to look up the current assessed value for any Elkhart County parcel by owner name or parcel number. The DLGF Tax Bill Search lets you pull up past and current tax bills. The Indiana Gateway Taxpayer Portal provides another access point for Elkhart County property tax data. All three tools draw from county assessor and auditor records.

If you believe your Elkhart County property is over-assessed, you can appeal with the County Assessor in Goshen. Appeals that remain unresolved at the county level go to the Indiana Board of Tax Review. The assessor's office at 117 N 2nd Street in Goshen is where you file the appeal form.

Fees for Recording Elkhart County Documents

Elkhart County follows Indiana's statewide recording fee schedule. Deeds cost $25. Mortgages cost $55. Releases, assignments, and affidavits cost $25 each. Oversized pages larger than 9 by 15 inches add $5 per page. Documents that do not meet the standard format requirements carry an extra $1 per non-conforming page on top of the base fee. Copies of recorded instruments cost $1 per page for standard sizes, $5 per page for larger formats, and certified copies add a $5 certification fee.

The Indiana State Archives holds early Elkhart County land records including survey notes, original patents, and early deed books from before the modern recording system was in place. These are useful for tracing ownership on rural parcels in Elkhart County where the title history extends many decades back. The archives can be searched online and documents ordered by mail.

Cities and Nearby Counties

Elkhart County is home to two qualifying cities: the city of Elkhart and the city of Goshen. Neighboring counties share borders with Elkhart County in northern Indiana, and records near county lines may require a search at adjacent recorder offices.