Land Records in Hartford County

Hartford County maintains deed records at the local town level through each municipality's town clerk office. You can search land records for property transfers, mortgages, liens, and other recorded documents across all 29 towns in Hartford County. Connecticut does not have county-level recording, so each town keeps its own land records system. The main municipalities with online access include Hartford, West Hartford, New Britain, Bristol, Manchester, and East Hartford. Deed records include warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, mortgage deeds, releases, assignments, and easements. Most towns offer online search options through platforms like SearchIQS, RecordHub, and the Connecticut Town Clerks Portal. You can access these public records during business hours or search available databases online at any time.

How to Access Hartford County Land Records

Finding deed records in Hartford County starts with knowing which town the property is located in. Each town clerk office maintains records for properties within their jurisdiction. The City of Hartford uses SearchIQS for online access. You can search for free and view indexed information. West Hartford provides access through RecordHub with no subscription fee to view records. New Britain participates in the Connecticut Town Clerks Portal and also uses RecordHub. Bristol offers online records dating back to Volume 1 from March 22, 1787 through their own portal. Manchester has records dating to 1823 available via SearchIQS with a 24/7 subscription service option.

Most towns accept walk-in requests during business hours. Call ahead to confirm office hours and any special requirements. Bring photo ID. Some offices require appointments for title searches or extended research.

The Hartford Town and City Clerk Office is located at 550 Main Street in Hartford and can be reached at (860) 757-9750. West Hartford Town Clerk is at 50 South Main Street, Room 313. Their phone is (860) 561-7430. New Britain Town Clerk operates from 27 West Main Street, Room 109. You can call them at (860) 826-3347. Bristol's office is at 111 North Main Street with phone (860) 584-6200. Manchester Town Clerk serves the public at 41 Center Street and their number is (860) 647-3037.

The image above shows the Hartford Town and City Clerk online portal where residents can access land records and other municipal services.

Recording Fees and Requirements

Recording fees across Hartford County are uniform because they're set by state law under Connecticut General Statutes Section 7-34a. As of July 1, 2025, under Public Act 25-168, the standard fee is $70 for the first page of any document and $5 for each subsequent page. This applies across all Hartford County towns.

Additional surcharges apply in certain situations. If a deed involves consideration over $2,000, the town clerk adds a $2 surcharge for processing the Real Estate Conveyance Tax Return. If the grantee's address is missing from the deed, add $5. If names are not printed beneath signatures, the clerk adds $1. These fees are statutory and cannot be waived.

Nominee recordings like MERS documents cost more. The first page fee is $160. For MERS assignments and releases, this is a flat fee with no additional charges for extra pages. For other MERS documents, additional pages cost $5 each. Map filing costs $20. Subdivision maps with three or more parcels cost $30. Copy fees are $1 per page. Certification adds $2 per document.

West Hartford has a local conveyance tax of 0.0025 in addition to state taxes. Copies at the West Hartford office cost $1 per page with certified copies adding $2. Their land recording hours are 8:45 AM to 4:15 PM. Documents received after 4:15 PM are held until the next business day.

West Hartford provides detailed information about recording requirements and fees on their official town clerk website shown above.

Online Search Platforms

Several platforms serve Hartford County towns. SearchIQS serves Hartford and Manchester. This system provides index searches and document images. Hartford's SearchIQS portal offers 24/7 access to land records. Manchester's portal at SearchIQS Manchester includes records from 1823 forward. Note that book sizes changed starting with book 4584 and now contain 1,200 to 1,300 pages instead of the previous 350.

RecordHub through Cott Systems serves West Hartford, New Britain, and several other towns. West Hartford's RecordHub portal allows free viewing without subscription fees. New Britain joined the Connecticut Town Clerks Portal in 2014 and has land records index and images back to 1850. Bristol maintains its own system at cottweb.bristolct.gov with historical records from 1787.

The statewide Connecticut Town Clerks Portal provides 24/7 access to participating towns. This subscription-based service has indexed information and images for land records. Over 70 Connecticut cities and towns participate.

New Britain's town clerk page provides access to their land records system and information about available records dating back to 1850.

Electronic Recording

All Hartford County towns accept electronic recording through approved vendors. The four authorized e-recording providers are Simplifile, Corporation Service Company, eRecording Partners Network, and Indecomm Global Services. E-recording speeds up the process and provides immediate confirmation. Documents submitted electronically are processed during business hours only.

West Hartford accepts e-recordings via CSC, ePN, Indecomm, and Simplifile. Their electronic submissions are processed from 8:45 AM to 4:15 PM on business days. New Britain processes e-recordings from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM. Contact the specific town clerk office to obtain your customer ID before submitting electronic documents. Manchester requires you to email townclerkdept@manchesterct.gov to get your e-recording customer ID.

Bristol also participates in the e-recording program through all four vendors. No appointment is needed for walk-in recordings. The last recording of the day must be submitted 15 minutes before closing. East Hartford accepts e-recorded documents as well. Their town clerk office is at 740 Main Street and can be reached at (860) 291-7230.

Bristol provides public access to land record images from Volume 1 dated March 22, 1787 through their online portal shown above.

Document Types and What They Contain

Warranty deeds transfer ownership with guarantees from the seller. Quitclaim deeds transfer whatever interest the grantor has without warranties. Mortgage deeds create liens on property to secure loans. Releases discharge mortgages and liens. Assignments transfer mortgage interests from one party to another.

Easements grant rights to use property for specific purposes. Lis pendens notify of pending lawsuits affecting title. These must be accompanied by foreclosure registration forms with a $70 filing fee. Condominium documents establish ownership rules for multi-unit properties. Maps and surveys show property boundaries and subdivisions. Trade names can also be recorded at town clerk offices.

All documents must meet state requirements under Connecticut General Statutes Title 47. Documents need signatures, notarization, two witnesses, and proper formatting. Use white paper sized 8.5 by 11 inches or 8.5 by 14 inches. Black ink only. Minimum 10-point font. Include the grantee's current mailing address.

Legal Framework and State Statutes

Connecticut General Statutes Section 47-10 requires recording for deeds to be effective against third parties. The statute states that no conveyance shall hold land against any other person except the grantor and heirs unless recorded in the town where the land lies. Unrecorded deeds may be valid between the parties but provide no public notice. Recording creates a public record that protects ownership rights.

The Marketable Record Title Act under Sections 47-33b through 47-33l creates marketable title with an unbroken chain for 40 years or more. This automatically extinguishes defects and claims arising before the root of title. The root must be recorded at least 40 years prior. This law simplifies title examination and reduces the need to search centuries of records.

Section 7-34a of the Connecticut General Statutes sets recording fees. These rates were updated effective July 1, 2025 under Public Act 25-168. Town clerks must accept electronic recordings under Section 7-35ee if they elect to participate. All Hartford County towns have chosen to accept e-recordings.

Manchester's town clerk provides online access to land records dating back to 1823 as shown on their official website above.

Conveyance Tax Requirements

Real estate transfers in Connecticut require filing Form OP-236 with the town clerk when consideration exceeds $2,000. The state conveyance tax rate is 0.75 percent for residential property valued up to $800,000. For amounts over $800,000, the rate increases to 1.25 percent on the excess. Non-residential property and commercial transfers pay 1.25 percent on the full amount. Unimproved land is taxed at 0.75 percent.

Municipal conveyance taxes vary by town. West Hartford charges 0.0025. Some towns have no local tax while others assess different rates. The town clerk forwards the completed OP-236 to the Department of Revenue Services within 10 days of recording. You can access conveyance tax forms at the Connecticut DRS website.

If there are more than two grantors, attach Schedule A. If there is more than one grantee or the grantee is an entity, attach Schedule B. Make checks payable to Commissioner of Revenue Services. Submit both pages of the OP-236 form to the town clerk along with payment and the deed to be recorded.

Historical Records and Archives

Bristol has the oldest accessible records in Hartford County with documents from 1787. Manchester's records date to 1823. New Britain's online index goes back to 1850. Most towns have much older records available in person at the town clerk office. These historical documents are often stored in bound volumes kept in secure vaults.

Some towns have completed backfile scanning projects. Danbury recently scanned 66 years of records including 476 books with 384,135 pages. West Hartford maintains historical land transaction records available for viewing during vault hours of 8:30 AM to 4:15 PM. Researchers should call ahead when searching very old records as some may require special handling or appointments.

The Connecticut State Library at 231 Capitol Avenue in Hartford also maintains historical land records and can assist with genealogical research. Their phone number is (860) 757-6500. They hold microfilmed records and historical documents that complement town clerk records.

Major Cities in Hartford County

Hartford County includes several major cities with populations over 25,000. Each maintains its own land records system at the town clerk office.

• Hartford - The state capital and county seat with 122,129 residents uses SearchIQS for online access
• West Hartford - Population 64,184 provides free RecordHub access with no subscription fees
• New Britain - Home to 75,871 people with records dating to 1850 available online
• Bristol - Population 62,195 offers historical records from 1787 through their portal
• Manchester - With 59,948 residents provides SearchIQS access to records from 1823
• East Hartford - Population 51,127 maintains comprehensive land records and maps
• Southington - 44,197 residents with town clerk office at 75 Main Street
• Enfield - Population 41,140 with clerk office at 820 Enfield Street
• Glastonbury - Home to 35,553 people with clerk at 2155 Main Street
• Newington - Population 31,692 participates in Connecticut Town Clerks Portal
• Windsor - With 29,658 residents and clerk office at 275 Broad Street
• Farmington - Population 28,189 offers RecordHub access with no subscription fee
• Wethersfield - Home to 27,372 people with clerk at 505 Silas Deane Highway
• South Windsor - Population 27,062 with clerk office at 1540 Sullivan Avenue
• Simsbury - With 25,353 residents and clerk at 933 Hopmeadow Street

Getting Copies and Certifications

You can get copies of recorded documents in person, by mail, or online depending on the town. In-person copies cost $1 per page at most offices. Online printing through subscription services may cost $2 per page. Certification adds $2 per document. This official seal verifies the copy is a true reproduction of the recorded original.

To request copies by mail, send a written request with the document details including book and page number or land record volume. Include payment by check or money order made out to the town. Provide a return address. Processing time varies but typically takes one to two weeks. Some offices accept credit card payments over the phone for copy requests.

Many towns offer same-day copy service for walk-in requests. Bring the book and page reference if you have it. Staff can help locate documents if you provide names, dates, and property addresses. Large copy orders may require advance notice.