Arizona Passes Flat-fee Recording Legislation

April 17, 2018

Arizona passed a bill that that amends the state’s recording fee statute.

The legislation, which goes into effect June 30, 2019, introduces a flat-fee structure and replaces individual fees that are currently charged in connection with the transfer of property to be collected.

Senate Bill 1043 amends Section 11-275 of the Arizona Revised Statutes to read, “The recorder shall receive the following fees:

  • For recording papers required or authorized by law to be recorded, if the fee is not otherwise specified in this section, $30 per instrument;
  • For recording papers to which the United States, this state or a political subdivision of the state, including cities, towns and irrigation, drainage and electrical districts, is a party, when recorded at the request of the United States, this state or the political subdivision, $15 per instrument;
  • For preparing and certifying copies of a record in the recorder’s office, $1 for each page or partial page. In addition for attaching the recorder’s certificate and seal, $3; and
  • For issuing a certificate pursuant to section 47-9523, $10 for each name, plus $1 for each financing statement or statement of assignment reported therein.” 

The new law also states that “For each separate affidavit of annual work on affidavit of claim maintenance fee payment recorded, the county recorder, by the 10th day of each month, shall forward to the state treasurer for deposit in the state general fund $4 of each total fee collected pursuant to Section 11-475 during the previous month.”

Other jurisdictions with predictable or flat recording fees include:

  • Idaho
  • Illinois
  • Indiana
  • Louisiana
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • Nevada
  • New Mexico
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • South Dakota
  • Wisconsin
  • Wyoming


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