Find Property Records in Putnam County

Putnam County property records are filed and maintained by the County Recorder in Greencastle, Indiana, covering deeds, mortgages, easements, releases, liens, and other instruments that affect real estate in the county. If you need to confirm ownership, check whether a lien is still active, or pull a copy of a recorded deed in Putnam County, the recorder's office in Greencastle is the place to start. This guide covers how to search online, what documents require for recording under Indiana law, where to access tax and parcel data, and what the applicable fees are.

Putnam County Recorder Office

The Putnam County Recorder operates under Indiana Code 36-2-11, the statute that gives the recorder a constitutional role in Indiana's recording system. The office in Greencastle accepts, indexes, and preserves all documents affecting real property in Putnam County. Deeds, mortgages, releases, easements, and other instruments must go through this office before they are part of the public land record. The recorder does not conduct title searches or give legal advice, but staff can help you find documents by name or instrument number.

When a document is submitted, the recorder assigns an instrument number, records the date and time, and returns the original to the submitter. The index is organized by the names of the parties to each transaction. Searching by grantor or grantee name will pull up all instruments recorded in Putnam County under that name, which is the standard way to research ownership history or check for outstanding liens on a parcel.

The recorder's office is located at the Putnam County Courthouse in Greencastle. Standard courthouse hours apply Monday through Friday. If you need older records that may require retrieval from storage, call before visiting to confirm they are available. The Indiana Recorders Association lists contact information for the Putnam County office and every other recorder in Indiana.

Search Putnam County Deeds and Documents Online

Doxpop covers Putnam County as part of its Indiana-wide recorder index. You can search by party name, document type, or date range. Viewing full document images requires a subscription or per-document payment, but index searching is available at low cost. Title examiners, lenders, and attorneys doing Putnam County property research regularly use Doxpop because it lets them search remotely without driving to Greencastle.

Parcel data for Putnam County is available through the Beacon GIS platform. Search by owner name, parcel number, or street address to see ownership details, the parcel on an interactive map, and the assessed value. This is often the first step in a Putnam County property search, giving you the parcel number and owner name you need before pulling the underlying deed or mortgage from the recorder's files.

Recording Requirements for Putnam County

Indiana requires the same document standards in Putnam County as in every other county. Documents must be on white paper, no larger than 8.5 by 14 inches, with a paper weight of at least 20 pounds. Black ink is required throughout. Font size must be at least 10 points in every part of the document, including the legal description and signature blocks.

Margins must be specific. The first page needs a 2-inch top margin. The last page requires a 2-inch bottom margin. All other pages need at least a half-inch margin on every side. Documents that fall short of these margin standards are accepted but charged an extra fee per non-conforming page on top of the standard recording charge.

A "Prepared by" statement listing the name and mailing address of the person who drafted the document must appear on every instrument. Signatures must have printed or typed names directly beneath them, matching the signature exactly. Notarization is required for deeds and most instruments affecting real property in Putnam County. The grantee's mailing address must appear on every deed. Social Security numbers must be redacted prior to filing under Indiana Code 32-21-2.

Deeds in Putnam County follow a three-step process. The County Assessor reviews and stamps the deed. The County Auditor transfers ownership on the tax rolls and endorses the document. The Recorder then records it 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 at the time of the deed transfer. E-recording is available through Simplifile (800-460-5657), CSC eRecording (866-652-0111), and eRecording Partners Network (888-325-3365).

Putnam County Property Tax and Assessment Records

Property tax records for Putnam County parcels are held by the County Assessor and County Auditor. The Assessor values each parcel under Indiana Code 6-1.1, which requires assessment at market value on a regular cycle. The Auditor applies levy rates to those values to produce the tax bill for each parcel. These records are separate from the deed and mortgage records kept by the recorder.

The Indiana DLGF Assessed Value Search lets you look up the assessed value for any Putnam County parcel by owner name or parcel number. This is useful for checking how a property is valued for tax purposes or comparing it to similar parcels in Greencastle or elsewhere in the county.

Copy Fees for Putnam County Property Records

Recording fees in Putnam County follow the statewide schedule. Deeds cost $25. Mortgages cost $55. Releases, affidavits, and most other instruments cost $25. Pages larger than 9 by 15 inches add $5 per oversized page. Non-conforming documents are charged $1 per non-conforming page in addition to the base recording fee.

Copies of recorded documents are $1 per page for standard-size reproductions up to 11 by 17 inches. Larger copies cost $5 per page. Certified copies add $5 to the per-page cost and include the recorder's seal. These are often required for real estate closings and legal proceedings involving Putnam County property.

Mail-in copy requests are accepted. Include a written description of the document, your estimated payment, and a stamped return envelope. Call the recorder's office first if you are unsure of the total cost. The office processes requests and mails copies once payment is confirmed.

Nearby Indiana Counties

Putnam County borders Parke, Fountain, Montgomery, Hendricks, Owen, and Clay counties in west-central Indiana. Records for property near a county line may be filed in adjacent counties.