Florida Electronic Recording Advisory Committee Moves Forward with Uniform Statewide Plan

January 2, 2008

The Florida Electronic Recording Advisory Committee has taken the first step to join 14 other states in implementing a statewide electronic recording plan.

The committee, chaired by Orange County Comptroller Martha O. Haynie, delivered its final report to the Florida Department of State, the agency charged with formalizing electronic recording rules. Once rules are adopted, Florida will have statewide electronic recording standards.

The committee has deliberated over the course of several months to meet the charge of the Florida Statutes and provide assistance to the Department of State in considering:

  • 1. Standards and practices of other jurisdictions.
  • 2. The most recent standards adopted by national standard-setting bodies, such as the Property Records Industry Association.
  • 3. The views of interested persons and governmental officials and entities.
  • 4. The needs of counties of varying size, population, and resources.
  • 5. Standards requiring adequate information security protection to ensure that electronic documents are accurate, authentic, adequately preserved, and resistant to tampering.


- The passage of the Uniform Real Property Electronic Recording Act provides county clerks and recorders with the clear legal authority to electronically record real property instruments. The act authorizes land records officials to begin accepting records in electronic form, storing electronic records and setting up systems for searching and retrieving these land records.

The committee is comprised of nine members including: Chair Haynie; Vice Chair R.B. “Chips” Shore, Manatee County Clerk of Court; J.K. “Buddy” Irby, Alachua County Clerk of Court; James Jett, Clay County Clerk of Court; Sue Baldwin, Broward County Recorder; Patricia P. Hendricks Jones, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of The Florida Bar; Steve T. Rumsey, Florida Land Title Association; Arnold “Skip” Straus, Florida Land Title Association; and John M. Hutchinson, Florida Banker’s Association.

The committee's final report can be viewed online on the www.flclerks.com/eRecording.html website.


Contact ALTA at 202-296-3671 or communications@alta.org.