To record a deed in NYC you file the signed, notarized deed with the City Register through ACRIS, along with the required transfer-tax forms, and pay the recording and transfer-tax fees. It sounds simple, but a missed form or a wrong tax calculation gets the whole package rejected, and an unrecorded deed can leave your ownership legally exposed. Here is the full step-by-step for 2026, plus how to avoid the mistakes that send deeds back.
1 Where deeds are recorded
NYC deeds are recorded with the City Register through the Automated City Register Information System, known as ACRIS. That covers four boroughs: Manhattan (New York County), the Bronx, Brooklyn (Kings County), and Queens. Staten Island is the exception; its deeds are recorded through the Richmond County Clerk, not ACRIS. Recording is what makes your ownership part of the public record and protects your priority against later claims.
2 What you need to file
A deed does not record on its own. You need the full package:
- The executed deed. Signed by the grantor and notarized.
- RP-5217NYC. The Real Property Transfer Report.
- TP-584. The Combined Real Estate Transfer Tax Return.
- Transfer-tax payment. New York State transfer tax plus the NYC Real Property Transfer Tax (RPTT), where they apply.
- Recording fees. Paid to the City Register at filing.
3 The recording steps
Start to finish, the process looks like this:
- Prepare and sign the deed in front of a notary.
- Complete the RP-5217NYC and TP-584 accurately, including the tax calculation.
- Create the cover pages in ACRIS and submit the package.
- Pay the recording fees and any transfer taxes due.
- Receive the recorded deed back with its recording stamp and reference.
4 Mistakes that get deeds rejected
The City Register returns packages for small errors, and each rejection costs you weeks. The common ones: a defective notarization, a missing or miscalculated transfer-tax form, the wrong legal description or block and lot, and unsigned or incomplete RP-5217NYC fields. Getting the tax math wrong is the single most frequent reason a deed bounces.
5 Getting it done for you
If you would rather not navigate ACRIS, the transfer-tax forms, and the fee schedule yourself, we handle the whole thing. We notarize the deed, prepare and file the package, and get it recorded correctly the first time, with built-in checks against the kind of errors that fuel deed fraud. See our NYC document recording service, or call 347-762-0262 to talk it through.
Need a deed recorded in NYC?
We notarize, prepare the transfer-tax forms, and file it through ACRIS, done right the first time.
File the notarized deed with the City Register through ACRIS, along with the RP-5217NYC and TP-584 transfer-tax forms, and pay the recording and transfer-tax fees. Staten Island files through the Richmond County Clerk.
What documents do I need to record a deed?
The executed and notarized deed, the RP-5217NYC Real Property Transfer Report, the TP-584 transfer-tax return, and payment of the recording fees and any transfer taxes.
What happens if I do not record my deed?
Title still passes between the parties, but you are unprotected against later liens, competing claims, or fraud. Recording puts your ownership on the public record.
How long does recording take?
It varies with the City Register’s processing and whether the package is error-free. Rejections for missing forms or tax errors add weeks, which is why accuracy up front matters.
Related: how to transfer a deed in NYC and property title search in NYC.
See also: how to get a copy of your deed in NYC, step by step.
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. NYC recording requirements, forms, and transfer-tax rules can change. Confirm current requirements or work with a professional before filing.
Related: ACRIS NYC: How to Search Property Records and Record a Deed
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Why a submission gets rejected
Most rejections come from a short list, and every one of them costs days.
A wrong or missing borough, block and lot. A defective or incomplete notarial acknowledgment, which is the single most common one. Missing or incorrectly completed transfer tax forms. A legal description that does not match the prior deed. Names that differ from the record without explanation. Blank fields left empty rather than marked N/A. And insufficient fees.
Check each of those before submitting rather than after. See how to find a BBL.
The tax forms are part of the filing
A deed rarely records alone. Expect the state transfer tax return TP-584, the real property transfer report RP-5217, and the applicable New York City Real Property Transfer Tax return, plus recording fees.
These are generally required even when the consideration is zero. A transfer between relatives for no money is still reportable, and exemptions must be claimed correctly on the forms rather than assumed.
After recording
Read the returned document. Confirm the names, the legal description and the BBL match what you submitted, and that the recording stamp and file number are present. Errors are far easier to correct in the first weeks than years later at a closing.
Then enroll in the City Register’s Recorded Document Notification Program, which mails a notice whenever anything is recorded against your property. It is free, and it is the main way owners catch deed fraud early.
Who signs, and who does not
Only the grantor signs a deed. The grantee normally does not, which surprises buyers who expect to sign something.
The grantor’s signature must be acknowledged before a notary public, and that acknowledgment is what the recording office checks first. A missing commission expiration date, an incomplete venue or the wrong certificate type will stop the filing.
Where an entity is conveying, the signer’s title and authority should appear. Where somebody signs under a power of attorney, note that we sign New York powers of attorney in person rather than online. See why.
Timing and priority
Record promptly. New York priority generally runs on recording order, so a deed held in a drawer leaves a window in which another instrument could be recorded ahead of it.
An unrecorded deed can still be valid between the two parties. It simply does not protect the new owner against the rest of the world, and it will not appear to anyone searching the title.
What recording does and does not prove
Recording is an administrative act. The City Register accepts a document that meets the formal requirements and enters it into the public record.
It does not decide that the document is valid, that the signer owned anything, or that the transfer was lawful. A fraudulent deed can be recorded, which is precisely why the City Register refers suspicious filings to the Sheriff and why the notification program exists. Recording gives your document priority and public notice. It does not give it legitimacy it never had.