What are recording fees on a Loan Estimate?

Updated November 2026 · Every dollar figure is an illustrative example, not a quote

Recording fees are what the county charges to file the deed and the mortgage in the public record, and roughly $50 to $300 is common, set by the county. They sit in Section E with transfer taxes, and they are in the 10% tolerance group, so the total of recording fees plus the services you shopped from the lender's list can rise by no more than 10% at closing.

Where it is on the form

Page 2, Section E, Taxes and Other Government Fees, as Recording Fees and Other Taxes. On a purchase the line covers both the deed and the mortgage; on a refinance it is the new mortgage and the release of the old one.

Illustrative rangeOften $50–$300; set by the county, sometimes per page

Counties charge a flat fee per document, a fee per page, or both, and some add a small surcharge for a records-modernization fund. A long mortgage with riders costs more to record than a short one. A figure near $500 is possible in a high-fee county but worth a question elsewhere.

Paid toThe county recorder or clerk, through the settlement agent

Can you shop for it?No

Can it change at closing?10% tolerance: It can rise, but only 10% in total with the other fees in its group

Why the fee exists: recording the deed is what makes you the owner of record, and recording the mortgage is what makes the lender's lien enforceable against anyone who comes later. Both are a few dollars of public-records work against a few hundred thousand dollars of consequence, which is why nobody argues about them.

Do not confuse recording fees with transfer taxes on the next line. Recording is a small flat fee for filing; a transfer tax is a percentage of the price and can be thousands. They share Section E but follow different rules: recording fees get 10% tolerance, transfer taxes get zero.

Can you shop for it?

No. The county sets the fee and the settlement agent pays it. The only control you have is indirect: fewer pages, no unnecessary riders, and a refinance that records a release rather than two new documents.

Can it change between the Loan Estimate and closing?

The 10% group. Recording fees are grouped with the Section C services you chose from the lender's written list, and the total of that group on the Closing Disclosure can be no more than 10% above the Loan Estimate's. A lender that under-estimated the county's fee by more than that absorbs the difference.

Questions to ask the lender

Does this line include recording both the deed and the mortgage, and on a refinance the release of the old loan?
Is the county's fee per page, and how many pages is your mortgage with its riders?
Is there a separate line for the mortgage registration or documentary stamp tax in this state?

Red flags

Recording fees well above the county's published schedule.
A recording fee that rises sharply on the Closing Disclosure and pushes the 10% group past its limit with no refund offered.
Recording fees charged twice: once here and again as a title company line in Section C.

Questions people ask

Who pays recording fees, the buyer or the seller?

By custom the buyer pays to record the deed and the mortgage, and the seller pays to record anything that clears their own title, such as the release of their old loan. The purchase contract can shift that, and the Loan Estimate shows the lender's expectation of your share.

Can recording fees change at closing?

Yes, but only within the 10% group: recording fees plus the Section C services you chose from the lender's list can total no more than 10% above the Loan Estimate. Any increase beyond that is refunded by the lender.

Are recording fees tax deductible?

Generally not as a deduction, but on a purchase they are usually added to the cost basis of the home, which matters when you sell. That is a question for a tax professional, not the lender.

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Every dollar figure on this page is illustrative. Fee ranges are general observations, not a survey or a quote, and are not a loan offer, approval, commitment to lend, or Loan Estimate. Your actual rates and fees depend on qualification with lenders, your state and county, and your closing date. The tolerance rules described are the federal TRID rules in general terms; the rule itself and your own Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure decide how it applies to your loan. comparemyloan does not negotiate with lenders, lock rates, or take loan applications.