Charles City County Deed Records

Charles City County deed records rank among the oldest continuous land records in Virginia, with some instruments dating back to the 17th century. The Circuit Court Clerk in Charles City maintains these records, covering current property conveyances, plats, deeds of trust, UCC filings, and historical deeds from the county's earliest years. Searching these records gives you access to one of the most complete chains of land title in the entire state, useful for both current property transactions and deep historical research.

Charles City County Circuit Court Clerk

The Circuit Court Clerk in Charles City County holds and maintains all land records for the county. The clerk records deeds, deeds of trust, plats, mortgages, and other real property instruments, and keeps them as part of the permanent public record. When a deed is submitted, staff verify that it meets Virginia's requirements, collect the applicable fees and taxes, assign a deed book and page number, and return the original to the submitter after recording.

The Charles City County Circuit Court serves the county as part of Virginia's 9th Judicial Circuit. The county seat is Charles City, a small community along the James River. Contact the clerk's office for current hours, the mailing address, and any local submission requirements before visiting or mailing documents. A self-addressed stamped envelope should be included with any mailed recording so your originals can be returned promptly.

Charles City County is a small, rural county with a rich land history. Because the county has been continuously settled since the early 1600s, the deed records here can be remarkably long. Title searches for some parcels go back many generations, making careful research important for any transaction.

Searching Charles City Deed Records

The primary online search tool for Charles City County deed records is the Virginia SRA system. This free statewide index lets you search grantor and grantee entries for the county by party name. Results show the instrument type, recording date, and deed book reference. Full-document image access requires a paid SRA subscription set up through the local clerk's office.

For historical deed records from the 17th and 18th centuries, an in-person visit to the courthouse is often necessary. Some older deed books may exist only in physical form. The Library of Virginia holds microfilmed copies of early Charles City County land records and is a good supplementary source for genealogical and historical research. The LVA's digital catalog can help you identify which microfilm rolls contain the records you need.

The VJEFS system lets you search judgment liens for Charles City County. Combining a deed index search with a judgment lien check gives you a more complete picture of a property's title status before any transaction closes.

What Charles City County Records Are Available

Charles City County's land records span several centuries. Current records include warranty deeds under Virginia Code § 55.1-300, quitclaim deeds, deeds of trust, certificates of satisfaction, easement deeds, plat records, powers of attorney for real estate transactions, judgment liens, and UCC filings affecting real property fixtures. Condominium declarations and notices of lis pendens are also part of the recorded set.

Historical deed records in Charles City County may document colonial land grants, early conveyances between prominent Virginia families, and the complex land tenure arrangements that characterized the tidewater region in the 17th and 18th centuries. These older records are of particular interest to genealogists and historians, as well as to title attorneys working on properties with long chains of ownership.

Virginia's race-notice recording rule under § 55.1-407 means that a deed not promptly recorded can lose priority to a later buyer who records first without notice. This rule applies to new transactions in Charles City County just as it does across the state.

Recording Requirements and Fees

To record a deed in Charles City County, you need to submit the original document with original signatures and notarization. A cover sheet is required under § 17.1-227. The tax map parcel number must appear on the first page per § 17.1-252. Pages must be numbered. Social Security numbers may not appear in any recorded document. Margin and format requirements apply under § 55.1-300.

Recording fees are set by § 17.1-275: $18 for documents of 10 pages or fewer, $32 for 11 to 30 pages, and $52 for over 30 pages. The state recordation tax is 25 cents per $100 of consideration under § 58.1-801. Grantor tax under § 58.1-811 applies to most conveyances. Certified copies cost $0.50 per page.

Plat Records and UCC Filings

Plat records in Charles City County document survey boundaries and subdivision layouts for the county's real estate. When land is divided into lots, the plat must be recorded at the clerk's office before any lots can be sold. Plats are indexed separately from deed books. Finding a plat usually requires knowing the subdivision name or the deed book and page where the lot's deed references the plat. Older plats may be in large-format bound volumes at the courthouse.

UCC filings that affect fixtures or real property interests are also recorded at the clerk's office in Charles City County. These filings create a public record of security interests that touch the land. If you are doing a full title search, checking UCC records in addition to the deed index helps identify any security interests that may encumber the property.

The image below comes from the Virginia Circuit Court directory, the official statewide source for circuit court contact information, including the Charles City County clerk.

Use the circuit court directory to find current contact information for the Charles City County Circuit Court Clerk before submitting documents or requesting copies.

Nearby Counties

Properties bordering Charles City County may be recorded in one of the surrounding jurisdictions. Confirm the correct county before filing any deed.