Document Requirements

Documents Acceptance Policy: 

The following list sets forth the requirements for recording documents with the Register of Deeds office. Documents that fail to contain the required items will be rejected and will not be recorded. This list does not attempt to set forth all of the items that should be addressed in a well-drafted, legally valid document, it only details those items that will be required and checked by the Register of Deeds office for recording purposes.

All documents must be originals or certified copy.

Documents must contain:

• Signed, all signatures must be properly notarized
• The name of the first party (i.e., the grantor's or mortgagor's name).
• The name of the second part (i.e., the grantee's or mortgagee's name).
• The full legal description of the subject property.
• K.S.A. 58-2205; 58-2209; 58-2211; 58-2221.

Additional requirements for some documents: 

In addition to the requirements for most documents, the following items are required for the various types of documents.

Deeds: 

To be recorded, deeds must:

• Be accompanied by a completed real estate sales validation questionnaire. K.S.A. 79-1437c.
• If a questionnaire is not required, then the applicable exemption must be stated on the document being filed. K.S.A. 79-1437e.

Assignment of Mortgage:

• Correct book and page number of each mortgage being assigned: K.S.A. 58-2306.
• Name and address of assignee: K.S.A. 58-2319.
• Signed by mortgagee/assignor: K.S.A. 58-2306; 58-2319
• Details must match original mortgage (i.e., mortgagers name, marital status).

Amendment or Modification of Mortgage:

• Book and page number of mortgage being amended or modified.
• Details must match original mortgage (i.e., mortgagers names, marital status). 

Assignment of Rents or of Leases & Rents: 

• Name and address of assignee.

Release or Revocations of Other Documents:

• For example, a Release of Assignment of Rents, a Release of Easement, Revocation of a Power of Attorney, Revocation of a Transfer on Death Deed.
• Book and page number of document being released or revoked.

Death Certificate: 

State certified copy: K.S.A. 58-501; 65-2416; 65-2417.

Court Records: 

Original or court-certified copy: K.S.A. 58-2242a.

Corporation Documents: 

Copy certified by Secretary of State. However, the general provisions requiring the recording of corporate documents with the Register of Deeds Office have been repealed. K.S.A. 17-6003.

Notary Requirements: 

Documents with insufficient, incomplete, or improper notary certifications will not be accepted for recording. K.S.A. 58-2211 & 58-2221. Documents with notary certifications that fail to comply with the Uniform Law on Notarial Acts, K.S.A. 53-501 et seq., will be returned. Failure to comply with the following requirements will result in a document being returned:

• K.S.A. 58-211 "All conveyances and other instruments affecting real estate must be acknowledged before a person authorized by the uniform law on notarial acts to perform notarial acts."
• The entire date must be included in the notary certificate. This means the month, day, and year on which the notarial act was performed. K.S.A. 53-508.
• The expiration date (month, date, and year) of the notary's appointment must be included, and it cannot have expired. K.S.A. 53-508; 53-105; 53-106.
• The document must have been notarized prior to the expiration date of the notary's appointment. If two conflicting expiration dates appear on the certification and if either one expired prior to the date the document was notarized, then the document will be rejected.
• The name of the signatory set forth in the notary certification must be the same as the signatory's name on the document.
• The certificate must identify the jurisdiction (state and county) where the notarial act was performed. K.S.A. 53-508.
• The certificate must be fully completed. Certifications containing blanks that have not been completed will be rejected.
• The notary's seal must appear on the certificate. K.S.A. 53-105.
• If a document was notarized using a remote notarization a Remote Notary Certificate (Remote Notary Certificate), filled out and completed by the original notary, will be required. K.S.A. 53-5a21; AG Opinion 2025-16.

Margins & Paper Size: 

Pursuant to K.S.A. 28-115, the Register of Deeds has authority to establish requirements for margins. Therefore, for the purpose of providing sufficient space for recording information and to ensure that the document will be clear and legible when reproduced, page one must have a top margin of 3 inches and 1-inch margins on each of the three remaining sides. All subsequent pages must have a 1 inch margin on all four sides. We request letter-size paper.

If a document does not comply with such requirements, then K.S.A. 28-115 authorizes either the use of an additional sheet for the recording information or providing an exact copy of the document that is of sufficient legibility. The additional sheet or exact copy shall be counted and charged as additional pages. Further, K.S.A. 28-115 allows registers to reject documents that are not of sufficient legibility to produce a clear and legible copy.