Search Springfield Deed Records

Springfield deed records are kept at the Hampden County Registry of Deeds, located at 436 Dwight Street in downtown Springfield. This office holds land documents going back to 1636, and most records are now available to search online. Whether you need a recent property transfer, an old mortgage, or a discharge, this guide covers where to look and how to get what you need.

Where to Find Deed Records in Springfield

Springfield is the county seat of Hampden County, and all deed records for the city are filed and stored at the Hampden County Registry of Deeds. The registry serves 23 cities and towns across Hampden County, and Springfield is the main office location. Register Cheryl A. Coakley-Rivera, Esq. oversees the office and its records. Staff can help you search indexes, pull documents from the vault, and process recording requests.

The Springfield office is the main place to record new documents and search existing records in person. There is also a second office in Westfield that serves the western part of the county. If your search involves Springfield property, the downtown office on Dwight Street is where you want to go.

Search Springfield Deed Records Online

The fastest way to search deed records for Springfield is through the Massachusetts Land Records system. The free public portal at masslandrecords.com/hampden covers the Hampden County registry and lets you search by name, address, document type, or book and page number. Most searches take only a few minutes. You do not need to create an account to view records.

The online system gives you access to a wide range of records. Recorded Land indexes go back to 1948, and document images are available from 1636 to the present. Land Court records go back to 1905. Grantor and grantee indexes from 1636 to 1964 are also searchable online. This means you can trace property ownership in Springfield back nearly 400 years without leaving your desk. The scanned images are clear and easy to read. For older documents, the handwriting may take some time to parse, but the images are fully accessible.

To search, go to the Hampden County section of the site and enter a party name or street address. The system will pull up a list of matching documents. Click on any result to view the full index entry. If you need the scanned image of the actual document, click the image link in the result. You can save or print what you find. The portal is free to use and available around the clock.

For professional users, title examiners, and others who need more advanced access, the registry also offers the Massachusetts Registered Land system (CNS). This system covers Land Court documents and provides additional tools for working with registered land. Most casual searches can be done through the main masslandrecords.com portal.

Submit Documents Without Visiting the Office

E-recording lets attorneys, title companies, and other filers send documents to the Hampden County Registry electronically, without coming in person. The registry accepts e-recorded submissions through approved service providers. Once the document is reviewed and accepted, it gets a recording number and is indexed the same day. This saves a trip to Dwight Street and speeds up the recording process, especially for mortgage companies and real estate firms that handle high volume.

The image above shows the Massachusetts e-recording service used by registries across the state, including Hampden County. Individual homeowners typically record in person at the Springfield office. But law firms, mortgage servicers, and title companies often use e-recording for routine filings. Contact the registry at (413) 755-1722 to ask which e-recording providers are accepted.

Types of Documents Recorded in Springfield

The Hampden County Registry of Deeds records all land-related documents for Springfield property. Deeds are the most common document type. A deed transfers ownership of real estate from one party to another. The registry records the deed, stamps it with the date and document number, and returns the original to the new owner. From that point forward, the deed is part of the public record.

Mortgages are the other high-volume document type. When you borrow money to buy a home, the lender records a mortgage against the property. This creates a lien in the public record. When you pay off the loan, the lender records a discharge of mortgage, which removes the lien. Both the mortgage and the discharge are searchable at the registry. Other documents you might find in a Springfield property search include easements, restrictions, attachments, liens, releases, and notices of lease.

The registry also handles homestead declarations. A homestead under M.G.L. Chapter 188 protects a portion of your home's equity from certain creditors. Recording a homestead declaration at the registry gives you that protection. It is a separate filing from the deed, and it stays on record as long as you own the home. Many Springfield homeowners record a homestead at the same time they record their deed when they buy a property.

Recording Fees at the Hampden Registry

The Hampden County Registry of Deeds charges a set fee for each document it records. These fees apply to all recordings at both the Springfield and Westfield offices. The fee covers the cost of reviewing, indexing, and storing the document in the public record. All documents must be paid in full at the time of recording.

Standard recording fees at this registry are as follows: a deed costs $155, a mortgage costs $205, a discharge of mortgage costs $105, and a homestead declaration costs $35. For deeds that involve a sale, Massachusetts also charges an excise tax on the transfer. The tax rate is $4.56 per $1,000 of the sale price, paid at the time of recording. On a $300,000 home, the excise tax would come to $1,368. The seller typically pays this tax, though local custom can vary.

Deed recording in Massachusetts is governed by M.G.L. Chapter 183, which sets the rules for what must be recorded, how documents must be formatted, and what rights recording gives to a buyer. Under this law, a deed that is not recorded may not be binding against a later buyer who purchases the same property without notice. Recording protects the buyer's ownership in the public record.

Springfield City Assessor

The Springfield City Assessor's Office maintains property assessment records for all parcels within city limits. While the Registry of Deeds tracks who owns what and how the deed was transferred, the Assessor tracks property values for tax purposes. These two offices work with the same properties but serve different functions. You can often use the Assessor's records to identify a parcel or property owner before pulling the deed at the registry.

The Assessor's online portal lets you search by street address and see property details like lot size, building type, assessed value, and ownership. This is a good starting point when you know an address but not the owner's name. Once you have the owner's name, you can use it to search the deed index at masslandrecords.com.

City Clerk and Building Department

Two other city offices are worth knowing about when researching Springfield properties. The City Clerk holds city-level records, including some land-related filings. The Building Department tracks permits and inspections tied to specific addresses.

The Springfield City Clerk is located at 36 Court Street, the same building as the Assessor. You can reach the clerk at (413) 787-6095 or by email at cityclerk@springfield-ma.gov. The Building Department is at 160 Pearl Street and can be reached at (413) 787-6090. The building permit database is available online at springfield-ma.gov/building. Permit records can tell you about additions, renovations, and code issues at a property. This type of research often goes hand in hand with a deed search when buyers are doing due diligence on a Springfield home.

Historical Deed Records for Springfield

Springfield has some of the oldest property records in the country. Hampden County was created in 1812 when it split off from Hampshire County. When the new county was formed, it took custody of the original Hampshire County deed books going back to 1662. Those records, now held by the Hampden County Registry, cover land transactions from the earliest days of European settlement in the Connecticut River Valley. Digital images of these old records, along with documents dating back to 1636, are available through the masslandrecords.com portal.

For historical research that goes beyond the deed books, the Springfield History Library and Archives is an excellent resource. The library holds maps, photographs, and local records that can help you place a property in its historical context. It is located at 1500 Main Street and can be reached at (413) 263-6800. The library's website is at springfieldmuseums.org. Staff there can help with chain-of-title research and other historical land questions that go beyond what the registry holds.

When working with older deed records, keep in mind that the grantor/grantee indexes from 1636 to 1964 are searchable online but may require some patience. Names were often spelled differently in old records, and land descriptions relied on metes and bounds rather than street addresses. For research going back before the 20th century, it helps to cross-reference the deed index with tax records and probate files, which can also show land transfers through inheritance.

Hampden County Deed Records

Springfield is located in Hampden County, and the Hampden County Registry of Deeds handles all property recordings for the city. For a full overview of the registry, including coverage of all 23 communities served, additional office details, and county-wide resources, visit the Hampden County deed records page.

View Hampden County Deed Records

Nearby Cities

Other cities in western Massachusetts also have deed record pages with local registry details and search resources.

• Chicopee Deed Records
• Worcester Deed Records