Dukes County Deed Records

Dukes County deed records are kept at the Registry of Deeds in Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard, with land documents going back to 1641. The registry serves all seven island towns, and you can search deed records online through the state land records portal or visit the office in person on Main Street in Edgartown. Because Dukes County is an island, every land transfer also goes through the Martha's Vineyard Land Bank before it can be recorded, which is a step you will not find anywhere else in Massachusetts.

Dukes County Registry on Martha's Vineyard

The Dukes County Registry of Deeds is at 81 Main Street in Edgartown, with a mailing address of P.O. Box 5231, Edgartown, MA 02539. Paulo C. DeOliveira serves as Register. This is the only deed registry in Massachusetts that sits on an island, which shapes how people plan visits and how transfers get processed. Recording hours run Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Office hours extend slightly later, to 4:30 PM. You can reach the registry by phone at (508) 627-4025 or by fax at (508) 627-7821. For email, use registry@dukescounty.org.

The registry website is at massrods.com/dukes. You can also reach deed record information at dukescountydeeds.com. The registry covers all seven towns in Dukes County: Aquinnah, Chilmark, Edgartown, Gosnold, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury, and West Tisbury. Gosnold is the smallest town by population and includes the Elizabeth Islands, which sit off the southwestern tip of Cape Cod. All land records for these communities flow through the single registry office in Edgartown.

Note: Documents recorded before 1915 are held in the book vault or must be ordered directly from the registry, as they are not available online.

The Martha's Vineyard Land Bank

Every land transfer in Dukes County must go through the Martha's Vineyard Land Bank before the deed can be recorded at the registry. This is not optional. The Land Bank charges a fee of 2% of the purchase price, paid by the buyer at the time of transfer. The fee also applies to transfers of interest in land, including leases of 30 years or more, even when extensions are factored in. This rule applies to all seven towns in the county. No other county in Massachusetts has this step built into the recording process.

To complete a transfer, the buyer fills out Land Bank Form 1 and submits a check for the 2% fee (unless an exemption applies). If an entity is involved, Form 2 is also required. Buyers who qualify for an exemption submit the relevant exemption form, which runs from Forms A through N depending on the situation. The registry of deeds checks for recording fees and deed stamps are also bundled together. Once all of this is in order, the Land Bank hand-delivers the package to the Registry of Deeds for recording. You do not submit anything to the registry directly for a standard land transfer. You go through the Land Bank first.

There is a first-time home buyer exemption. As of January 2025, the exemption covers purchases up to $1,200,000. To qualify, the buyer must meet ownership and domicile requirements. If those requirements are not met after the fact, the full 2% fee comes due along with 14% interest and penalties. The Land Bank places a lien on properties where an exemption is claimed to make sure the conditions are followed. That lien is subordinate to mortgage refinancing, so it does not block the refinance process. You can learn more at mvlandbank.com or call the Land Bank at 508-627-7141. The Land Bank office is at 22 Broad Street, Edgartown, MA.

How to Search Dukes County Deed Records Online

The main tool for searching Dukes County deed records online is the Massachusetts Land Records portal. Go to masslandrecords.com/Dukes to start. The portal is free and does not require an account for basic searches. Once there, you have several ways to find documents. The default view is a Recorded Land Name Search, which lets you look up deeds by grantor or grantee name. You can also switch to a Registered Land search for Land Court records, or search by book and page, document number, or property address.

Name searches work best when you know one of the parties to the deed. If you are doing a title search, run both the grantor and grantee indexes going back as far as the records allow online. For older documents, especially those prior to 1915, the online system may not have what you need. In that case, contact the registry directly to order copies. The registry FAQ at massrods.com/dukes/faq gives more detail on what is searchable and how to request documents that are not yet available online.

The Massachusetts Land Records portal also covers the Consumer Notification Service, which lets you sign up for free email alerts at cns.masslandrecords.com. You get an email any time a document is recorded in your name in Dukes County. It takes a few minutes to set up and costs nothing.

The Massachusetts Land Records portal at masslandrecords.com is the primary online tool for searching Dukes County deed records by name, document number, or property address.

The portal gives free access to scanned deed images for Dukes County and covers all seven Martha's Vineyard towns in a single search interface.

Historical Deed Records Dating to 1641

Dukes County has land records going back to 1641, which puts it among the oldest recording systems in New England. The registry holds a range of historical documents that go well beyond standard deed books. These include Chilmark Vital Records from 1850, Edgartown Vital Records from 1850, and Tisbury Vital Records from 1850. Researchers can also find the Town of Tisbury Proprietors Records from 1669 to 1864, which cover early land grants and divisions on the island. Other materials include The History of Cuttyhunk, records of the Martha's Vineyard Railroad, and detailed land boundary records for the Gay Head area.

For those researching Native American land history, the registry has documents on the Land Titles and Boundary Lines of Indian Lands at Gay Head, as well as an 1870 Gay Head Homestead Map. The 1890 Cottage City Water Company Map is also part of the collection. These materials are not widely known and can be hard to find elsewhere. If you are doing genealogical research or a deep title chain going back more than a century, the registry is worth contacting directly. Some of these records are in the book vault and cannot be pulled up through the online search tool.

Getting to these older materials takes planning. Documents prior to 1915 must be ordered from the registry. If you need something from the very early books, call ahead at (508) 627-4025 before you make the trip to the island.

Types of Deed Records in Dukes County

A deed is a written document by which a buyer gets record title to a piece of land. The two most common deed types in Massachusetts are the Quitclaim Deed and the Warranty Deed. A Quitclaim Deed means the seller makes no claims about encumbrances they did not personally create. A Warranty Deed goes further and warrants against all encumbrances, including those created by prior owners. Which type you receive matters for title insurance and for understanding what protections you have as a buyer.

Beyond basic deeds, the Dukes County Registry holds mortgages, mortgage discharges, homestead declarations, attachments, liens, and easements. A homestead declaration protects a portion of your home's value from creditors under state law. A mortgage discharge tells you a loan has been paid off and the lien has been released. Plans and surveys that show lot lines and subdivisions are also recorded here, though plot plans are not recorded with the registry and must be obtained from each town's assessor office. Property tax questions go to the assessor for the specific town where the land sits. Contact numbers for each town: Aquinnah (508) 645-2306, Chilmark (508) 645-2102, Edgartown (508) 627-6140, Oak Bluffs (508) 693-3554, Tisbury (508) 696-4207, and West Tisbury (508) 696-0101.

Massachusetts deed recording requirements fall under MGL Chapter 183, which governs the way property is conveyed in the state. Homestead protections come under MGL Chapter 188. A full title search for Dukes County property will involve looking at deed books, mortgage records, discharges, and any liens or attachments recorded against the property. You can find recording requirements at massrods.com/dukes/recording-requirements.

Note: If you want a certified copy of a deed rather than a scanned image, you need to request it directly from the registry; online copies from the portal are not certified.

Island Access: Planning a Visit to the Registry

Getting to the Dukes County Registry of Deeds requires a ferry ride from the mainland. Martha's Vineyard is accessible by ferry from Woods Hole, Falmouth, New Bedford, and a few other points depending on the season. The main ferry service runs from Woods Hole, operated by the Steamship Authority. In summer, the island gets very busy and ferry reservations are often required. Winter schedules are reduced, and bad weather can delay or cancel trips. If you plan to visit the registry in person, give yourself extra time on both ends of the trip.

Depending on how much research you need to do, an overnight stay may make more sense than a same-day trip. The registry office is on Main Street in Edgartown, which is a short drive or cab ride from the Vineyard Haven ferry terminal. If you are traveling from the mainland just to record a document, keep in mind that most transactions can go through the Land Bank process or, for eligible documents, through e-filing. Call the registry at (508) 627-4025 before you plan the trip to confirm what you need and whether an in-person visit is necessary.

Recording Fees and E-Filing for Dukes County Deed Records

The Dukes County Registry of Deeds uses the standard Massachusetts fee schedule. A deed costs $155 to record. A mortgage is $205. A discharge runs $105. A homestead declaration is $35. On top of recording fees, Massachusetts charges a real estate excise tax of $4.56 per $1,000 of the sale price. That means a $400,000 sale carries a transfer tax of $1,824. And for Dukes County specifically, the buyer also pays the 2% Land Bank fee on the purchase price at the time of transfer. That 2% is on top of everything else, so budget for it when planning a closing. Details on recording requirements are at massrods.com/dukes/recording-requirements.

E-filing is available for Dukes County, but with a catch: the registry is currently only accepting deeds through e-filing, not all document types. The approved vendor for e-filing is Simplifile, which you can reach at 800-460-5657. CSC is also an option at 855-200-1150. Even when filing electronically, all land transfers must still go through the Martha's Vineyard Land Bank first. E-filing does not bypass that step. More information on the e-filing process is at massrods.com/dukes/e-filing. If you need a copy of your deed and do not want to travel to the island, the registry can provide one by mail. See massrods.com/dukes/obtain-deed for instructions.

The Consumer Notification Service at cns.masslandrecords.com lets Dukes County property owners sign up for free email alerts when new documents are recorded in their name.

Signing up takes a few minutes and gives you an alert any time a deed, mortgage, or other land document is recorded in your name at the Dukes County Registry of Deeds.

Accessing Dukes County Records from the Mainland

Because Dukes County is an island, there are no bordering counties to link to. Most deed record needs can be handled remotely. The online search portal at masslandrecords.com/Dukes covers modern records, and the registry offers mail requests for copies of older documents. For questions about specific transactions or older materials, contact the registry by phone or email before making the trip to Martha's Vineyard.