Access Kings County Property Records
Kings County property records cover the borough of Brooklyn, New York City's most populous borough. Unlike upstate counties where a County Clerk handles land recordings, Kings County property records are maintained by the NYC Department of Finance through the Automated City Register Information System (ACRIS). The Kings County Clerk's Office handles Supreme Court civil records and judgment liens separately. Brooklyn property records from 1966 to the present are searchable online through ACRIS at no charge. The Brooklyn City Register Office at 210 Joralemon Street provides in-person services for document recording and certified copies.
Kings County Overview
Search Kings County Property Records Through ACRIS
The Automated City Register Information System (ACRIS) is the main tool for searching property records in Kings County. The system covers Brooklyn from 1966 to the present. No registration is needed for basic searches. You can look up records by address, owner name, or Borough-Block-Lot (BBL) number. Brooklyn uses borough code 3 for BBL searches.
ACRIS shows deeds, mortgages, liens, and other recorded instruments. Electronic copies of documents can be downloaded and printed from a personal computer at no charge. The system runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also create cover pages, generate tax forms, and calculate transfer taxes through ACRIS. The NYC Property Information Portal adds an interactive GIS map layer showing lot lines, block and lot numbers, and parcel dimensions for Brooklyn properties.
Certified copies of recorded documents cost $4 per page when ordered through the City Register office. In-person research and printing at City Register offices costs $1 per page for uncertified copies. Documents dated before 1966 must be accessed in person at the Brooklyn City Register Office or through historical archives.
Note: The Notice of Recorded Document Program lets Brooklyn property owners sign up for email, text, or mail alerts when documents are recorded against their property. Registration is free and helps prevent real estate fraud.
Kings County Clerk Property Records and Court Records
The Kings County Clerk's Office is at 360 Adams Street, Room 159, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Call (718) 643-7527 for questions. This office does not handle deed or mortgage recordings. Instead, it maintains Supreme Court civil records, judgment liens, and other court filings for the 2nd Judicial District.
All search requests at the Kings County Clerk must be in writing. The copying fee is 65 cents per page with a $1.50 minimum. Exemplification costs $25 plus certification and copying fees. Allow 48 to 72 hours for the exemplification process. Fees are payable by money order, certified check, or attorney's check only. No cash or personal checks are accepted.
For foreclosure and lien information, contact the County Clerk's Docket Department. Judgment liens recorded in Kings County affect title to real property in Brooklyn. Under Real Property Law Section 292, unrecorded conveyances are void against later good faith purchasers who record first. The eCourts system provides online access to Supreme Court case information including foreclosure proceedings.
| Office | Kings County Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | 360 Adams Street, Room 159, Brooklyn, NY 11201 |
| Phone | (718) 643-7527 |
| Payment | Money order, certified check, or attorney's check |
Brooklyn City Register and Recording Fees
The Brooklyn City Register Office is at 210 Joralemon Street, 2nd Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM. An appointment is needed for most services. The office accepts checks payable to "NYC Department of Finance" and credit or debit cards with a 2% processing fee.
Recording a one-page deed in Kings County costs $50, with $5 for each additional page. The TP-584 form carries a $5 filing fee. The RP-5217 costs $125 for residential or farm property and $250 for other types. New York City adds its own transfer tax on top of the state rate. The city RPTT ranges from 1% to 2.625% based on property type and sale price. The "Mansion Tax" applies to residential sales of $1 million or more at 1%, paid by the buyer.
Mortgage recording tax in Kings County includes the basic state rate of $0.50 per $100 plus New York City's additional rates. For one- to three-family homes and individual condos with mortgages under $500,000, the city adds 1.0%. All other properties pay 1.125%. Kings County is within the MCTD, so the special additional tax also applies. Documents must be properly acknowledged under Real Property Law Section 294 before they can be recorded.
Property Records and Assessment in Kings County
The NYC Department of Finance assesses all property in Kings County. Brooklyn properties are classified into four tax classes. Class 1 covers one- to three-family homes, assessed at 6% of market value. Class 2 includes apartments, co-ops, and condos with four or more units. Class 3 is utility property. Class 4 covers commercial and industrial buildings. Classes 2 and 4 are assessed at 45% of market value.
The STAR program helps Brooklyn homeowners with school taxes. Basic STAR applies to primary residences. Enhanced STAR serves qualifying seniors. Property tax exemptions for veterans, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities are administered by the DOF. The Office of Real Property Tax Services provides oversight of assessment practices across the state, including the city.
Property owners who disagree with their assessment can appeal to the NYC Tax Commission. The deadline for Class 1 properties is March 15. Classes 2, 3, and 4 must file by March 1. There is no fee to appeal. If the Tax Commission result is not satisfactory, property owners can pursue court review. Under Real Property Tax Law Article 7, Supreme Court has jurisdiction over assessment challenges.
Legal Resources and Public Access
Property records in Kings County are public. The Freedom of Information Law guarantees access to government records including land documents and assessment data. ACRIS provides the easiest way to access Brooklyn property records online. The Unified Court System website provides guidance on getting court records for foreclosure and property cases.
The Department of State maintains UCC filings. In New York City, UCC financing statements for cooperative apartments are filed through ACRIS rather than with the Department of State. This is different from the rest of the state. UCC search certificates cost $25 for a specific debtor search at the state level. The NYC 311 service offers detailed guidance on property records, deed copies, and recording procedures for Brooklyn residents. The NYS Historic Newspapers archive contains Brooklyn deed notices and estate proceedings from historical papers. The Statewide Parcel Map Program provides parcel centroid data for Kings County properties.
Cities in Kings County
Kings County is part of New York City. For city-level property record details:
Nearby Counties
Other boroughs and neighboring counties: