Property Records

The Shelby County Register of Deeds Office, currently led by Willie F. Brooks, Jr., is responsible for recording and maintaining the county’s official land records. This office indexes documents by grantor, grantee, instrument number, book and page, and parcel information, making it possible to search records efficiently through its online search portal. As of this writing, instruments in the system are verified through October 16, 2026.

Property Deeds, Appraisals, Transfers, and Liens

A deed is the legal document that transfers ownership of real property from a grantor (seller) to a grantee (buyer), and it serves as the definitive record of who holds title to a parcel. Deeds filed in Shelby County, along with trust deeds, releases, liens, UCC filings, and related instruments, are searchable through the Register’s online lookup tool, which offers a Standard Search, a Full Text Search, and options to search by grantor or grantee name.

If you need a certified copy of your deed, the Register’s Office can issue one for a fee; exact costs for deed copies and recording vary by document type and are outlined in the Fee Calculator on the Register’s website.

Property appraisals, which establish the assessed value used for taxation, fall under the authority of the Shelby County Assessor of Property. The Assessor’s office evaluates real estate throughout the county to determine fair market value, a figure that directly affects annual property tax bills. When a property changes hands, that transfer is documented through a recorded deed, which becomes part of the permanent public record maintained by the Register’s Office; according to the Register, a deed typically takes about one business day to record and is returned by mail along with its recording information.
Liens represent a legal claim against a property, often tied to unpaid debts such as contractor fees, taxes, or court judgments, and they can complicate or delay a sale until resolved. Lien records, including federal and state tax liens, releases, and partial releases, are searchable alongside deed records in the same Register’s database. For questions specifically related to property taxes and assessments, the Shelby County Trustee’s Tax Look-Up tool provides a dedicated resource for checking current tax status and payment history.

Accessing Shelby County Property Records

For those who prefer to visit in person or need to file documents directly, the Register’s Main Office is located at 1075 Mullins Station Rd., Building W-3, Memphis, TN 38134, and can be reached at 901-222-8100. The office also offers e-file options for submitting documents electronically, along with a mobile app that allows residents to search deeds and property information from a smartphone. Additional online resources include the Register’s GIS mapping tool for viewing parcel boundaries and the Trustee’s tax lookup database for payment records.