Find Deed Records in Quincy

Quincy deed records are filed at the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds in Dedham, which serves Quincy and all other communities in Norfolk County. You can search Quincy deed records for free online or visit the registry in person to look up property transfers, mortgages, discharges, and other recorded land documents tied to real estate in the city.

Where Quincy Deed Records Are Kept

Quincy is in Norfolk County, so all deed records for properties in the city go to the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds. The registry is located at 649 High Street in Dedham, not in Quincy itself. This is important to know if you plan to visit in person. The mailing address is P.O. Box 69, Dedham, MA 02026. Register William P. O'Donnell is the elected official who oversees the registry and is responsible for recording and maintaining all land records for the county.

The registry is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM. If you need to record a new document, you must arrive before 4:00 PM. The office handles a large volume of filings each day. Norfolk County is one of the more active land markets in the state, and Quincy accounts for a significant share of those transactions.

The registry also maintains a secondary website at massrods.com/norfolk, which has filing guides and links to the registry's online search tools. Both sites are useful resources for Quincy property owners and researchers.

How to Search Quincy Deed Records Online

Norfolk County offers two free online portals for searching deed records. The primary one is Massachusetts Land Records, the statewide system maintained by the Secretary of State's office. It covers all Norfolk County documents, including every deed, mortgage, and discharge filed for Quincy properties. The second portal is norfolkresearch.org, the registry's own dedicated search tool. Both are free and do not require you to create an account for basic searches.

You can search by the name of the grantor (seller) or grantee (buyer), by book and page number, by document type, or by date range. Address searches are available for documents recorded from 2003 forward. For older Quincy records, a name search works better. Both portals give you access to scanned images of the actual recorded documents. You can view, print, or save these images at no cost. The Norfolk County records in these systems go back to 1793 and include every land document the registry holds for Quincy.

The MassGIS Interactive Property Map is another useful tool for Quincy property research. It layers parcel data, ownership information, and assessment values on a map of the state. You can zoom in to any address in Quincy and pull up parcel details tied to the registry's records. The map tool is at mass.gov and is a good starting point when you know a property address but do not yet have the grantor or grantee name you need to run a deed search.

The MassGIS map shown above lets you find parcel IDs and owner names for Quincy properties, which you can then use to pull up the corresponding deed records at masslandrecords.com or norfolkresearch.org.

Types of Documents Recorded for Quincy Properties

The Norfolk County Registry of Deeds records all types of real property documents for Quincy. Deeds are the most common. A standard deed shows the names of the seller and buyer, a legal description of the property, the date of the transfer, and the consideration paid if it is stated in the document. Quitclaim deeds are the most common deed type in Massachusetts. Warranty deeds offer a stronger guarantee of clear title and show up less often. Foreclosure deeds, trustee deeds, and fiduciary deeds also appear in the registry's index.

Mortgages and mortgage discharges are also a large part of the record set. A mortgage document shows the lender, the borrower, the loan amount, and the property used as security. When a loan is paid off, the lender records a discharge of mortgage, which removes the lien from the property's title. If you are researching a Quincy property and want to check whether an old mortgage has been paid off, search for a discharge document in the same name and time period. Homestead declarations, liens, easements, and subdivision plans round out the types of documents you will find in the Norfolk County index for Quincy parcels. Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 183, recording a document at the registry is what gives it legal effect against third parties. An unrecorded deed, for example, does not protect a buyer against a later purchaser who had no notice of it.

Recording Fees for Quincy Deed Documents

Fees at the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds are set by state law and apply to all documents submitted for recording. A deed costs $155. A mortgage costs $205. A discharge of mortgage runs $105. A homestead declaration is $35. The full fee schedule is posted at norfolkdeeds.org/services/fee-schedule. These amounts are the same across all Massachusetts registries of deeds.

Massachusetts also charges a real estate excise tax on deed transfers. The rate is $4.56 per $1,000 of the purchase price. This tax must be paid before the registry will accept a deed for recording. The tax stamps are attached to the document as proof of payment. So on a $400,000 Quincy home sale, the excise tax alone would be $1,824, separate from the $155 deed recording fee.

Documents submitted for recording must meet the state's formatting requirements. The first page must have a three-inch top margin. All other pages need at least a one-inch margin on all sides. Documents must be on white paper, clearly printed, with original signatures and proper notarization where required. Deeds and mortgages always need notarization. A document that does not meet these standards may be rejected at the counter.

Quincy City Assessor Records

The Quincy City Assessor's Office is a useful companion to the deed registry when you are researching property in the city. The assessor keeps records on every parcel in Quincy, including the current assessed value, the owner of record as of the last assessment date, lot dimensions, building data, and the parcel identification number. These details can help you build a complete picture of a property before or after pulling deed records from the registry.

The Quincy Assessor's Office is located at City Hall, 1305 Hancock Street, Quincy, MA 02169. The phone number is (617) 376-1170. You can search assessor data online at quincyma.gov/assessing. The site lets you look up properties by address or parcel ID and view the assessment details the city has on file.

Keep in mind that assessor records and deed records are not the same thing. The assessor updates ownership data on an annual basis, so a recent sale may not yet show up in the assessor's system. For the most current and legally recorded ownership information, the deed registry is always the right source. Use the assessor's database to get the parcel ID or owner name, then take that information to norfolkresearch.org or masslandrecords.com to pull the actual deed documents.

Deed Fraud Protection for Quincy Property Owners

The Norfolk County Registry of Deeds offers a free Consumer Notification Service (CNS) that sends email alerts whenever a document is recorded in the county using your name. This service is designed to help Quincy property owners catch deed fraud early. Fraudulent deed transfers have become a real concern in Massachusetts. Someone could file a forged deed in your name without your knowledge, and by the time you find out, significant damage may already be done.

Signing up for CNS is free and straightforward. You enter your name as it appears in deed records, and the system sends an automatic email alert each time a new document is indexed under that name at the Norfolk County Registry. The alert does not block the filing, but it gives you immediate notice so you can contact the registry and take action quickly. You can sign up directly at norfolkdeeds.org/services/consumer-notification-service or through the statewide portal at cns.masslandrecords.com, which covers all Massachusetts registries at once. For Quincy homeowners, enrolling in this service costs nothing and takes only a few minutes.

Getting Copies of Quincy Deed Records

There are three ways to get copies of deed records for Quincy properties. You can visit the Norfolk County Registry in person, request copies by mail, or download copies for free from the online portals. The method that works best depends on whether you need a certified copy or just need to see what is on file.

In person, plain copies cost $1.00 per page. Bring the book and page number if you have it, or the grantor or grantee name and approximate date of the document. Staff at the registry counter can pull the document and print it while you wait. This is the fastest option. More details are at norfolkdeeds.org/services/obtain-copy-of-deed.

By mail, the fee is $2.00 for the first page and $1.00 per page after that, plus $1.00 for postage. Send your request to Norfolk County Registry of Deeds, P.O. Box 69, Dedham, MA 02026. Include a check payable to Norfolk County Registry of Deeds and as much detail as you can about the document. Online copies from norfolkresearch.org or masslandrecords.com are free but are not certified. For most research purposes a plain copy is fine. If you need the document for a real estate closing or a court proceeding, you will need a certified copy from the registry office.

Norfolk County Deed Records

Quincy is part of Norfolk County, and all deed filings for the city go through the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds. The county page covers the full registry in detail, including its history going back to 1793, the complete fee schedule, e-filing options, and all 28 communities the registry serves.

View Norfolk County Deed Records

Nearby City Deed Records

These nearby cities also file deed records through Massachusetts registries. Each has its own page with local resources and search tools.