Bedford County Deed Records

Bedford County deed records are maintained by the Circuit Court Clerk at 123 East Main Street in Bedford, Virginia. The clerk's office handles deed recording, UCC filings for real estate, plat recordation, judgment docketing, and lien recordation for all property in Bedford County. Searching deed records can be done online through Virginia's SRA system or in person at the Bedford courthouse during regular office hours.

Bedford County Circuit Court Clerk

The Circuit Court Clerk for Bedford County is Hon. Judy E. Reynolds. The clerk's office is located at 123 East Main St., Suite 201, Bedford, VA 24523. Office hours are 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday.

The Bedford County Circuit Court is part of the 24th Judicial Circuit, which also covers Amherst and Campbell Counties. The clerk's office records and indexes all real property instruments for Bedford County. If you plan to visit, confirm current hours by phone before making the trip, as holidays and local closures can affect availability.

Searching Bedford County Deed Records

Virginia's SRA (Secure Remote Access) system provides free index access to Bedford County deed records. You can search by grantor or grantee name and see the instrument type, recording date, and deed book and page number. For full document images, a paid subscription is required through the clerk's office.

In-person searches are available at the Bedford courthouse during office hours. Public access terminals in the clerk's office let you run index queries without staff assistance. For records that predate the computerized index, the clerk can direct you to the appropriate deed books. The Library of Virginia also holds microfilm and digital collections for older Bedford County land records.

Types of Instruments Recorded in Bedford County

The Bedford County Circuit Court Clerk records all instruments affecting real property in the county. This includes warranty deeds and quitclaim deeds, deeds of trust and mortgages, certificates of satisfaction, plat records and subdivision maps, and easement deeds. Condominium declarations and amendments, judgment liens, and notices of lis pendens are also recorded here.

UCC filings that affect real estate, such as fixture filings, are filed at the Circuit Court Clerk's office. Powers of attorney used in real estate transactions must also be recorded before the deed they support can be accepted for filing.

Under Virginia Code § 55.1-407, recording is what establishes priority of ownership. An unrecorded deed is void against a bona fide purchaser who records without notice. Do not delay recording after closing.

How to Record a Deed in Bedford County

Bring the original deed with original signatures and notarization to the clerk's office. Under Virginia Code § 55.1-300, the deed must have consecutively numbered pages, grantor and grantee surnames in all caps or underscored in the first clause, and the tax map or parcel ID on the first page per § 17.1-252. Social security numbers must be removed under § 17.1-227.

A cover sheet is required. Bring a self-addressed stamped envelope. eRecording may be available for title companies and settlement agents; call the clerk's office at (540) 586-7632 to confirm current options. Mail submissions are accepted; include all required items and a check for the recording fee.

The image below is from the Bedford County Circuit Court's official page, which is the primary source for deed recording and land record access in the county.

The Bedford County Circuit Court page provides clerk contact details and links to online deed record search tools.

Use this resource to confirm current office hours, get contact information, and access the SRA index for Bedford County property records.

Recording Fees and Taxes in Bedford County

Bedford County recording fees follow Virginia Code § 17.1-275. A document of 10 pages or fewer costs $18. Documents of 11 to 30 pages cost $32. Documents over 30 pages cost $52. Each fee includes $3.50 sent to the Library of Virginia for records preservation. These fees apply to deeds, deeds of trust, plats, and other recorded instruments.

The state recordation tax under § 58.1-801 is 25 cents per $100 of consideration or actual value, whichever is greater. Some transfers qualify for an exemption under § 58.1-811. Copies of recorded documents cost $0.50 per page, with an additional certification fee for certified copies.

Judgment Docketing and Lien Records in Bedford County

Judgment liens must be docketed with the Circuit Court Clerk to attach to real property in Bedford County. When a court enters a money judgment, the creditor can file a certified copy with the clerk's office to create a lien on any real property owned by the debtor in the county. The clerk indexes these liens in the general index, making them searchable by the debtor's name.

Lien records are important in title searches because they can affect ownership. Any deed searcher working on a Bedford County property should check the lien index, not just the deed index, to make sure the seller's title is clear. The SRA system includes lien record searches alongside deed record searches.

Using the Bedford County Deed Index

The general index maintained by the Bedford County Circuit Court Clerk under Virginia Code § 17.1-249 covers all recorded land instruments in the county. The index is organized by grantor and grantee surnames, which is the standard approach for title research in Virginia. When you search the SRA system for Bedford County, you are pulling from this same index.

For a title search on Bedford County property, run the grantee index to find the chain of prior ownership going back in time. Then check the grantor index and lien records for any encumbrances that might affect the title. This is especially important when a property has changed hands multiple times or when there are pending judgment liens from court cases.

Bedford County's deed records have historical depth that makes it a useful county for genealogical research as well as title work. For records before the computerized index, the clerk's staff at 123 East Main St. can guide you to the right deed book. The Library of Virginia also holds microfilm for older Bedford County land records that may not be at the courthouse.

Nearby Counties

Deed records for counties surrounding Bedford are filed with their own Circuit Court Clerk offices.