Recording Requirements

Recording Time
Land records are recorded from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.

Recording Requirements - Effective July 1, 2020 

  • PLEASE use the deed calculation tool at www.courts.state.va.us for help in calculating your recording costs. Be sure to use the drop down menu and select the York County-Poquoson Circuit Court.
  • Margin requirements: 1 inch on all sides and Z.5 inches on bottom of the last page of document
  • Paper Size: letter or legal (8.5" x 11" OR 8.5" x 14")
  • Font Size: No smaller than 9
  • All documents must be originals. NO PHOTOCOPIES ACCEPTED
  • Pursuant to §17.1-258:1, a $5.00 will be added to each document submitted in paper format
  • Handwritten documents MUST be legible
  • Print quality must be legible for scanner to read and produce an acceptable image. If there is a question about legibility of the document, the recorder will be happy to test-scan the page(s) in question. 
  • Surnames must be underlined to ensure that all names are indexed properly.
  • Document pages should be numbered (e.g. Page 1 of 10, Z of 10, etc.)
  • Documents must state who prepared them, and Virginia attorneys are required to provide their VSB number on all Deeds.
  • Documents must state to whom they are to be returned after recording.
  • The Consideration and Assessed Value must be on the First Page of all Deeds and must have a proper legal description.
  • Tax exemption codes must be written clearly on FIRST page if any exemption is being claimed under Virginia or Federal Laws.
  • Refinance Deeds of Trust must have proper language and correct original instrument number. 
  • Corrections and/or re-recordings must state what is being corrected or reason for re-recording along with original instrument number on FIRST PAGE of document. 
  • Signatures must be in black or dark blue ink. 
  • All documents put to record must be acknowledged and contain a notary seal. All acknowledgments by a Virginia· notary must include their commission number, expiration date and a darkened seal. All of this information must be legible. 
  • A maximum of FOUR documents per check will be accepted for recordation.
  • Checks are made payable to Clerk of Circuit Court and all documents should include a SASE to insure proper return.
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