Search Porter County Property Records
Porter County property records are maintained by the County Recorder at 155 Indiana Avenue in Valparaiso, Indiana, and include deeds, mortgages, releases, easements, liens, plats, and a wide range of other instruments that affect real estate in the county. The recorder's office provides both free and account-based online search options, making it one of the more accessible recorder offices in northwest Indiana. This page explains how to use those tools, what the recording process requires, how to access property tax data, and what fees apply.
Porter County Property Records
Porter County Recorder Office
The Porter County Recorder is located at 155 Indiana Avenue, Valparaiso, IN 46383, and can be reached at (219) 465-3465. The office operates under Indiana Code 36-2-11, the statute that defines the recorder's constitutional role in every Indiana county. The recorder's duty is to accept, index, and permanently preserve all instruments affecting real property in Porter County. The office handles a broad range of document types.
According to the Porter County Recorder's office, recorded documents include "deeds, mortgages, subordinations, modifications, assignments, releases, powers of attorney, real estate contracts, annexations, trustee elections, affidavits, final decrees, surveys, federal tax liens, mechanics liens, military discharges, articles of incorporation, cemetery deeds, bonds, plats, condominiums, firms doing business under assumed names, delinquent sewer liens, miscellaneous instruments and uniform commercial code instruments." That is a wide scope. If it touches real estate or a legal entity in Porter County, it likely passes through the recorder's office.
The recorder's office is open during standard courthouse business hours Monday through Friday. The Indiana Recorders Association lists updated contact information for every Indiana county recorder, including Porter County, if you need to confirm current hours or staff contact details.
Search Porter County Land Records Online
The Porter County Recorder offers two primary online search options. The first is Direct Search, which is free and provides basic recording information for most document types filed with the office. This no-cost tool is useful for anyone who needs to quickly look up an instrument number, a party name, or a document type without creating an account or paying a fee.
The second option is Laredo, an account-based platform aimed at frequent users such as title companies and attorneys who perform high-volume searches of Porter County recorded documents. Laredo provides more detailed access to the full document index and images. If you plan to search regularly, setting up a Laredo account may be more efficient than using the free portal for each search.
The Porter County Record Searches page explains both options in detail and links directly to the search tools. This is the best starting point when you are deciding which portal fits your needs.
Beyond the recorder's own portals, Doxpop also indexes Porter County recorded instruments and is used by many researchers who work across multiple Indiana counties. The Beacon GIS platform provides parcel maps, ownership data, and assessed values for Porter County properties and is a useful complement to the recorder's index when you want to see parcel boundaries alongside ownership history.
Recording Requirements for Porter County Documents
Indiana sets uniform standards for documents filed in any county, and Porter County is no exception. Documents must be on white paper no larger than 8.5 by 14 inches. Paper must weigh at least 20 pounds. Black ink is required throughout. Font size must be at least 10 points, including in legal descriptions and signature blocks.
The first page must have a 2-inch top margin for the recorder's stamp. The last page needs a 2-inch bottom margin. All other pages need at least a half-inch margin on every side. Documents that fall short on margin requirements are accepted but charged an extra fee for each non-conforming page.
A "Prepared by" statement with the drafter's name and address must appear on every document. Printed or typed names must appear directly beneath each signature, matching the signature exactly. Notarization is required for deeds and most real property instruments. The grantee's mailing address must be on every deed. Social Security numbers must be removed before submission under Indiana Code 32-21-2.
Deeds in Porter County follow the standard Indiana three-step process. The County Assessor reviews and stamps the deed. The County Auditor transfers ownership in the tax records and endorses the document. The Recorder then places the deed in the public record. Fees are collected at both the Auditor's and Recorder's offices. A Sales Disclosure form must be filed at the Auditor's office during the transfer. E-recording is available through CSC eRecording (866-652-0111), Simplifile (800-460-5657), and eRecording Partners Network (888-325-3365).
Porter County Property Tax and Assessment Records
Property tax and assessment data for Porter County is separate from the recorder's files. The County Assessor sets parcel values under Indiana Code 6-1.1, which requires assessment at market value on a regular cycle. The Auditor then calculates the tax bill for each parcel based on those values and the applicable levy rates.
The Indiana DLGF Assessed Value Search lets you look up the current assessed value for any Porter County parcel by name or parcel number. The DLGF Tax Bill Search provides the full tax bill breakdown for any parcel, including levies, deductions, and credits.
The Indiana Gateway Taxpayer Portal offers another way to access Porter County tax data. The Indiana State Archives holds older Porter County land records for researchers tracing long chains of title or reviewing documents from early county history.
Note: Property tax records are maintained by the County Auditor and Assessor, not the Recorder. Contact the correct office when requesting tax information rather than deed copies.Copy Fees for Porter County Property Records
Recording fees in Porter County follow the statewide schedule. Deeds cost $25. Mortgages cost $55. Releases, affidavits, and most other standard instruments cost $25 each. Pages larger than 9 by 15 inches carry an extra $5 per oversized page. Non-conforming documents are charged $1 per non-conforming page over the standard fee.
Copies of recorded documents are $1 per page for standard-size reproductions up to 11 by 17 inches. Larger copies are $5 per page. Certified copies add $5 to the per-page cost. Certified copies include the recorder's seal and signature and are frequently required for real estate closings and legal proceedings in Porter County.
Mail-in copy requests are accepted. Include a written description of the document, the estimated copy fee, and a stamped self-addressed return envelope. The office will mail copies once the request is processed. For large requests, call the recorder's office at (219) 465-3465 to confirm the total cost before mailing payment.
Nearby Indiana Counties
Porter County borders Lake, Jasper, Starke, and LaPorte counties in northwest Indiana. The county is home to two qualifying cities with their own property records pages.