Nassau County Property Records

Nassau County property records are maintained by the County Clerk and the Department of Assessment, both located in Mineola on Long Island. Nassau County is one of the most densely populated counties in the United States, with a high volume of real estate transactions each year. The County Clerk records deeds, mortgages, liens, and other instruments affecting real property, with historical records dating to 1899. The Department of Assessment maintains property valuations, assessment rolls, and grievance procedures for all properties in the county. Online access to land records and assessment data is available through multiple county search tools.

Nassau County Clerk and Property Records

The Nassau County Clerk's Office is the official recorder of land documents. Located at 240 Old Country Road, Mineola, NY 11501, the office records all deeds, mortgages, and liens affecting property in the county. Call (516) 493-4111 for questions. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

Recording fees start at $45 for the first page, with $5 for each additional page. Transfer tax is calculated at $4.00 per $1,000 of consideration. The TP-584 form carries a $5.00 filing fee. The RP-5217 costs $125 for residential or farm property and $250 for commercial or other types. eRecording is available through multiple authorized vendors, which allows electronic submission around the clock.

Copy fees are $1.00 per page for regular copies. Certified copies cost an additional $5.00 per document. Public access computers in the office allow visitors to search land records in person. The Clerk maintains grantor and grantee indexes going back to 1899 as required by Real Property Law Section 291. Historical records cover more than a century of property transactions on Long Island.

Search Nassau County Property Records Online

The Nassau County Land Records Online system provides free access to recorded documents. You can search by name, document type, or date range. Records from the 1980s to the present are available. The system shows document details and images. It runs 24 hours a day and is free to use. The grantor/grantee index covers all recorded instruments within the date range of the system.

The Nassau County Department of Assessment is at 240 Old Country Road, Mineola, NY 11501. Call (516) 571-1500 for questions. The department maintains the assessment roll for all properties in Nassau County. The tentative roll is published on January 2 each year. The final roll comes out on June 1. Online assessment search tools show property photos, assessed values, exemptions, and comparable sales data.

The Nassau County Assessment Review system allows property owners to search assessment details, view comparable sales, and file grievances online. Assessment history and property photos are available at no cost. The Statewide Parcel Map Program provides GIS data for Nassau County with property boundaries and identification numbers.

Property Records Filing Requirements

Filing a deed in Nassau County requires the TP-584 Combined Real Estate Transfer Tax Return and the RP-5217 Real Property Transfer Report. The state real estate transfer tax is $2 per $500 of consideration for conveyances over $500. The Mansion Tax applies to residential sales of $1 million or more at 1%, paid by the buyer.

Mortgage recording tax is due when a mortgage is recorded. The basic state rate is $0.50 per $100 of mortgage debt. Nassau County is in the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District, so the special additional MCTD tax also applies. This adds to the cost of recording a mortgage compared to counties outside the MCTD. Form MT-15 must accompany the mortgage to show the tax calculation.

All documents must be properly acknowledged before a notary public under Real Property Law Section 294. The County Clerk endorses each instrument with the date and time received, the liber and page number, and cross-references under Section 319. Under Section 292, unrecorded conveyances are void against later good faith purchasers who file first. This makes the recording system the foundation of property title in the county.

Property Tax Assessment and Exemptions

Nassau County uses a county-wide assessment system through the Department of Assessment. This is different from most New York counties where each town has its own assessor. The county assessor determines values for all properties. The Board of Assessment Review meets in June to hear grievances. Under Real Property Tax Law Article 5, property owners who disagree with their assessed value can file a grievance. If not satisfied, they can pursue Article 7 proceedings in Supreme Court.

The STAR program provides school tax relief for Nassau County homeowners. Basic STAR applies to primary residences. Enhanced STAR gives a larger benefit to qualifying seniors age 65 and older. New homeowners register with the Tax Department. The Office of Real Property Tax Services publishes equalization rates for the county.

Other exemptions under Real Property Tax Law Article 4 include programs for veterans, persons with disabilities, and religious or charitable organizations. Nassau County has some of the highest property values in the state, which makes exemptions particularly important for qualifying residents. Most applications must be filed by January 2 with the Department of Assessment, which is earlier than the March 1 deadline in most other New York counties.

Property Records and Legal Resources

Supreme Court in Nassau County handles property cases including foreclosures, partition actions, and quiet title suits. The eCourts system provides online access to case information. Judgment liens recorded with the County Clerk affect title to real property and appear in searches.

Property records are public under the Freedom of Information Law. FOIL requests must be answered within five business days. Copy fees under FOIL cannot exceed 25 cents per page for photocopies. The Unified Court System website provides details on court records. Surrogate's Court handles probate matters involving real property transfers through wills and estates. The Department of State maintains UCC filings for personal property liens. A specific debtor search costs $25. The NYS Historic Newspapers archive has deed notices and estate proceedings from Long Island newspapers. The NYC 311 property page explains recording procedures, and many Nassau County residents deal with both county and city recording requirements for properties near the Queens border.

Cities in Nassau County

Major towns in Nassau County with property record information:

Nearby Counties

Counties neighboring Nassau County on Long Island: