Nantucket County Deed Records

Nantucket County deed records are kept at the Registry of Deeds on Broad Street in Nantucket, with records going back to 1659. Nantucket is the only county-town in Massachusetts, meaning the town and county are one and the same, and all deed records for the entire island are held at a single registry. You can search deed records online through the state's land records portal or visit the office in person during research hours, but be aware that this registry has an earlier close time than most others in the state.

Nantucket County Registry of Deeds

The Nantucket County Registry of Deeds is located in the Town Building at 16 Broad Street, Nantucket, MA 02554. Jennifer H. Ferreira serves as the Register. The registry holds deed records for the entire island going back to 1659, making it one of the older recording offices in the state. Because Nantucket is the only county-town in Massachusetts, there is just one registry, one town, and one county all in the same place. Every land transfer on the island runs through this single office.

You can reach the registry by phone at (508) 228-7250 or by fax at (508) 325-5331. Email is available at both jen.ferreira@sec.state.ma.us and regdeeds@nantucket.net. Research hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Recording hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 3:45 PM. That 3:45 PM cutoff is earlier than most other Massachusetts registries, so plan ahead if you need to record a document. The registry website is at nantucket-ma.gov/234/Registry-of-Deeds.

Note: Due to the island's limited space and staffing, call ahead at (508) 228-7250 if you have research questions before visiting in person.

Nantucket Land Bank Requirement

Before you can record any deed in Nantucket County, you must go through the Nantucket Land Bank Commission. This is not optional. Every transfer of land on the island, and every lease of 30 years or more, requires Land Bank processing before the registry will accept a document for recording. The Land Bank office is at 22 Broad Street, just down the street from the registry. Their phone is 508-228-7240, and their website is nantucketlandbank.org.

The Land Bank fee is 2% of the purchase price, paid by the buyer. So on a $1,000,000 sale, the buyer owes $20,000 to the Land Bank before recording. There are exemptions. As of January 2025, first-time home buyers can claim an exemption on purchases up to $1,200,000. Other exemptions cover affordable housing restrictions and specific transfer types listed as Forms A through N. Exempted properties have a lien recorded against them. If the exemption terms are violated later, a 14% interest charge applies. You can review the full FAQ at nantucketlandbank.org/filing/faq.

Land Bank hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. The office is at 22 Broad Street, same street as the registry. Make sure you visit the Land Bank first, get your paperwork stamped, then head over to the registry to record. If you skip this step, the registry will not accept your deed.

Search Nantucket Deed Records Online

The main online tool for searching Nantucket County deed records is the state's land records portal at masslandrecords.com/Nantucket. The system is free and does not need an account for basic searching. You can look up records by name, book and page number, document number, or property address. When you find a record, you can view the scanned image on screen.

One thing to watch: the portal defaults to Recorded Land searches. If you search and don't find what you're looking for, it may be on the Registered Land (Land Court) side instead. To switch, click "Search Criteria" in the upper left corner of the portal and select "Registered Land (Land Court) - Name Search." This is a common reason people miss records they know exist. Also, your browser's pop-up blocker must be turned off if you want to view, print, or download documents. The system uses pop-up windows for document images, and if your blocker is on, the images won't load. You can see more on services and search options at nantucket-ma.gov/236/Services-Fees.

The Massachusetts Land Records portal at masslandrecords.com provides free access to Nantucket deed records across all registry districts in the state.

The portal covers deeds, mortgages, discharges, homestead declarations, plans, and other recorded land documents for Nantucket County going back many decades.

Two Types of Land: Why It Matters for Deed Records

Massachusetts has two parallel land systems: Recorded Land and Registered Land. Most people know about Recorded Land, which is the standard system used across the state. When a deed is recorded, it gets a book and page number at the registry and is searchable by name. This is governed by MGL Chapter 183, which sets out the rules for conveyances and recording in Massachusetts.

Registered Land works differently. It was set up to give property owners a guaranteed, court-confirmed title. Once land is "registered" through a Land Court proceeding, it gets a Certificate of Title. From that point on, all transfers are tracked on that certificate, not just recorded in a book. Registered Land documents do not show up in the regular name search on the MassLandRecords portal. You have to switch to the Registered Land search mode. The registry can help you figure out which system applies to a given property. If you're not sure, try both searches before concluding that no record exists. More information on the legal framework is at malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws.

For most buyers and sellers on Nantucket, their attorney handles this. But if you are doing your own research, knowing the difference can save you from missing half the picture.

Recording Fees and Copy Costs

Nantucket County has a set fee schedule for recording documents and getting copies. These fees apply in addition to the Land Bank fee. The current recording fees are listed below. Fees and forms of payment are also detailed at nantucket-ma.gov/236/Services-Fees.

• Deed: $155
• Mortgage: $205
• Discharge: $105
• Declaration of Homestead: $35
• Declaration of Trust: $255
• Foreclosure Deed and Affidavit: $155
• Plans (per sheet): $105
• Municipal Lien Certificate: $80
• UCC Documents: $75
• Federal Tax Liens: $5
• All other documents: $105
• Copies: $1 per page

Land Court documents have their own additional fees: Change of Address costs $75, and a Decree costs $125. For copies by mail, send a self-addressed stamped envelope with $1 per page. The registry processes mail requests within 24 hours. Fax copies cost $1 per page plus a fax surcharge: $3.00 for on-island numbers, $5.00 for other Massachusetts numbers, and $10.00 for out-of-state. If you ask the registry to search for a document and you don't have the book and page number, there is a $5.00 research fee covering up to three instrument searches.

Massachusetts real estate excise tax also applies to deed recordings. The rate is $4.56 per $1,000 of the sale price, rounded up to the nearest $500. This excise tax must be paid by a separate check from your recording fee check. The registry will not accept a single combined check for both.

Note: Bring two separate checks when recording a deed: one for the recording fee and one for the excise tax.

E-Filing Options and Island Access

Nantucket is an island, and getting documents to the registry in person is not always easy for people on the mainland. For Recorded Land documents, e-filing is available through Simplifile and CSC. These are the two approved e-filing platforms for Massachusetts registries. Attorneys and title companies use them to submit deeds, mortgages, and other documents electronically without physically traveling to the island.

Registered Land documents cannot be e-filed. Those must come in by mail, FedEx, UPS, or in-person drop-off. If you mail documents to the registry, include your recording fee check, the Land Bank stamp showing the fee was paid or an exemption was approved, and a self-addressed stamped envelope for the return of your recorded document. The registry's mailing address is Town Building, 16 Broad Street, Nantucket, MA 02554. FedEx and UPS deliveries go to the same address.

For frequent filers and real estate professionals, e-filing for Recorded Land is the practical choice. It avoids ferry schedules and travel costs. But the Land Bank step still has to happen first, even for e-filed documents. Check the Land Bank FAQ at nantucketlandbank.org/filing/faq for how to handle that step remotely.

Consumer Notification and Common Deed Questions

The Massachusetts land records system offers a free Consumer Notification Service at cns.masslandrecords.com. Sign up and you will get an email alert any time a document is recorded in your name at the Nantucket County Registry. This is a good tool for catching deed fraud or unauthorized transfers. Property owners who spend part of the year off-island find it especially useful since they may not be around to notice a problem.

The Nantucket Registry Consumer Notification portal at cns.masslandrecords.com lets island property owners set up free email alerts for any deed activity recorded under their name at the Nantucket County Registry of Deeds.

The alert service is free to any property owner and takes only a few minutes to set up, giving you automatic notice any time a deed, mortgage, or other document is recorded under your name in Nantucket County.

The registry FAQ at nantucket-ma.gov/Faq.aspx?QID=331 covers several questions that come up often. Here are a few worth knowing. If your lender paid off your mortgage, the lender should send you a Discharge of Mortgage. That discharge must be recorded at the registry for $105. If you changed your name since recording a deed, you do not need to update the deed right away. The next time you record a document, write your current name followed by "formerly known as" and your previous name. If your spouse passed away and you held the property as tenants by the entirety, record a certified death certificate at the registry with the property information noted in the margin. These are common situations the registry staff can walk you through if you call ahead.

Original deeds are returned to the lawyer who handled the closing when the document is first recorded. If you want a copy of your deed later, a copy from the registry is legally sufficient. You do not need the original. You can get a copy by visiting the office, mailing a request with a stamped return envelope and $1 per page, or calling the registry at (508) 228-7250 to ask about your options.

All Massachusetts Counties

Nantucket is an island with no bordering counties. If you are researching land records in another part of Massachusetts, you can browse the full list of county registries at counties.html. Each county has its own registry with its own search tools and fee schedule.