Whenever a county clerk renders a service other than in his capacity as clerk of the supreme or a county court, or other than in an action pending in a court of which he is clerk, he is entitled to the fees specified in this section, payable in advance.
§ 8021.County clerks other than as clerks of court.
Article 80. Fees · Last amended 2019 · Last verified July 21, 2026
In one sentenceCPLR 8021 sets the fees a county clerk charges outside the clerk's role in pending court actions, for recording and indexing real property instruments, filing corporate and lien documents, UCC filings, certifications, searches, and producing subpoenaed records.
Full Text of CPLR 8021
(a) Services in connection with papers or instruments relating to real property and not filed under the uniform commercial code.
1. For filing any paper, document or other instrument of any nature or description which is required or permitted by law to be filed in his office, five dollars, except as otherwise expressly provided in this article and in article twelve of the real property law.
2. For filing and indexing any map, ten dollars.
3. For affixing and indexing a notice of foreclosure of a mortgage, as prescribed in section fourteen hundred four of the real property actions and proceedings law, ten dollars. 4.
a.
(1) For recording, entering, indexing and endorsing a certificate on any instrument, five dollars, and, in addition thereto, three dollars for each page or portion of a page, and fifty cents for each additional town, city, block or other indices in which such instrument is to be indexed as directed by the endorsement thereon. On the assignment of a mortgage which assigns more than one mortgage or on a release of lease which releases more than one lease, then there shall be an additional fee of three dollars for every mortgage assigned or lease released in excess of one.
(2) Notwithstanding clause one of this subparagraph, any county may opt by county law to increase the fee for recording, entering, indexing and endorsing a certificate on any instrument from five dollars to twenty dollars and, in addition thereto, increase from three dollars to five dollars for each page or portion of a page. Such increase shall take effect thirty days after the county enacts such fees. For the purpose of determining the appropriate recording fee, the fee for any cover page shall be deemed an additional page of the instrument. A cover page shall not include any social security account number or date of birth. To the extent a county clerk has placed an image of such cover page online, such county clerk shall make a good faith effort to redact such information.
b. For recording, entering, indexing and endorsing a certificate on any instrument, an additional fee of five dollars to be paid monthly by county clerks to the commissioner of education, after deducting twenty-five cents, for deposit into the New York state local government records management improvement fund and an additional fifteen dollars, after deducting seventy-five cents, for deposit to the cultural education account.
5. For re-indexing a recorded instrument, two dollars for each town, city, block or other indices so re-indexed upon presentation of the instrument with such additional endorsement thereon or, if the original instrument is not obtainable, by request in writing sworn to by an interested party, setting forth the facts.
6. For copying and mailing any map, such fees as may be fixed by the county clerk subject to review by the supreme court.
7. For entering a cross reference of the record of any instrument on the margin of the record of any other instrument referred to therein by liber and page, fifty cents for each cross reference.
8. For examining the record of each assignment of mortgage or other instrument recited in a certificate of discharge of mortgage, fifty cents.
9. For searching for any filed or recorded instrument, upon a written request specifying the kind of instrument, the location by town, city or block if a real property instrument, and the names and period to be searched, such fee as may be fixed by the county clerk subject to review by the supreme court.
10. For filing or recording a notice of pendency of action or a notice of attachment against real property, or an amended notice of pendancy of action or an amended notice of action against real property, in counties within the city of New York, thirty-five dollars, and in all other counties, fifteen dollars, but no fee shall be charged for filing or recording a notice or order continuing or cancelling same.
11. For filing federal tax liens payment shall be made in the manner provided by section two hundred forty-three of the lien law.
(b) Filing, other than in connection with papers or instruments relating to real property or filed under the uniform commercial code.
1. For filing any paper, document or other instrument of any nature or description which is required or permitted by law to be filed in his office, five dollars, except as otherwise expressly provided in this article, and except that no fee shall be charged for filing a commission of appointment to public office or an oath of office of a public officer or employee, other than a notary public or commissioner of deeds.
2. For filing any certificate, instrument or document in relation to a corporation, or any certificate pursuant to section forty-nine-a of the personal property law, or any certificate, instrument or document in relation to a joint stock association, limited partnership, continued use of firm name or registration of hotel name, in counties within the city of New York, one hundred dollars, and in all other counties, twenty-five dollars. For filing any certificate pursuant to section one hundred thirty of the general business law, in counties within the city of New York, one hundred dollars, and in all other counties, twenty-five dollars. No fee shall be charged for filing proof of publication or a cancellation, discontinuance or dissolution certificate.
3. For filing an assignment of or order for the payment of salary or wages, in counties within the city of New York, ten dollars, and in all other counties, five dollars. No fee shall be charged for filing of a satisfaction, assignment, cancellation or vacation thereof.
4. For filing a notice of mechanics lien, or a notice of lending, in counties within the city of New York, thirty dollars, and in all other counties, fifteen dollars. No fee shall be charged for filing a notice or order continuing, amending or cancelling same, but when a mechanics lien is discharged by deposit with a clerk of the court, there shall be a fee of three dollars in all counties other than those within the city of New York.
5. For filing, examining and entering an absolute bill of sale of chattels, or any instrument affecting chattels, or a copy of the foregoing or an assignment of any such instrument, or a satisfaction of a chattel mortgage or conditional bill of sale, in all counties except those within the city of New York, one dollar and fifty cents. For filing, examining and entering an assignment of a notice of lien on merchandise, one dollar and fifty cents. Every instrument affecting chattels must be endorsed on the outside thereof with the character of the instrument, the names of all the parties thereto and the location of the property affected thereby, which must be distinguished from the address of the parties by the words “property located at,” or similar words.
6. For filing a notice of hospital lien, five dollars. No fee shall be charged for filing a satisfaction, partial satisfaction, modification, assignment, cancellation, discharge of amendment thereof.
7. For filing a transcript of judgment, in counties within the city of New York, twenty-five dollars, and in all other counties, ten dollars. No fee shall be charged for filing a certificate or order of satisfaction, partial satisfaction, modification, assignment, reversal, cancellation or amendment, of judgment or lien.
8. For filing and indexing a certificate of appointment or official character of a notary public, or for filing and indexing a certificate of appointment as commissioner of deeds, ten dollars.
9. For filing an assignment of money due on a contract, or an order on owner, twenty-five dollars. No fee shall be charged for filing a notice or order continuing, amending or cancelling same.
10. For filing a building loan contract, in counties within the city of New York, fifty dollars, and in all other counties, twenty-five dollars.
11.
a. For recording any instrument required by statute to be recorded, in counties within the city of New York, ten dollars, and in all other counties, five dollars, and, in addition thereto, three dollars for each page or portion of a page recorded, except that the charge for instruments of surrender and orders of commitment required to be filed and recorded pursuant to section three hundred eighty-four of the social services law shall be ten dollars per instrument or order in counties within the city of New York, and in all other counties, five dollars per instrument or order.
b. For recording any instrument required by statute to be recorded, an additional fee of five dollars to be paid monthly by county clerks to the commissioner of education, after deducting twenty-five cents, for deposit into the New York state local government records management improvement fund and an additional fifteen dollars, after deducting seventy-five cents, for deposit to the cultural education account.
(c) Certification, issuing certificates, other papers and copies of papers, records, and related services, other than in connection with papers or instruments relating to real property or filed under the uniform commercial code.
1. For issuing any certificate, except as otherwise expressly provided for in this article, in counties within the city of New York, ten dollars, and in all other counties, five dollars.
2. For an execution of a judgment, five dollars.
3. For issuing a transcript of the docket of a judgment or other lien, in counties within the city of New York, fifteen dollars, and in all other counties, five dollars.
4. For issuing a certificate of appointment of a notary public, five dollars.
5. For issuing a certificate authenticating an official act by a notary public, commissioner of deeds or other public officer, three dollars, except that no fee shall be charged for a certificate on a paper required by the United States veterans’ administration.
6. For issuing an official receipt for any instrument affecting personal property, two dollars.
7. For a certificate of exemplification, exclusive of certification, ten dollars.
8. For preparing and certifying a copy of a marriage record, five dollars.
9. No fee shall be charged to any county officer, employee or institution required to file or record any instrument in connection with the official duties thereof, or to any public official in connection with the filing of his undertaking.
(d) Searches of records not filed under the uniform commercial code. For certifying to a search of any records, other than those in an action or relating to real property, for a consecutive two year period or fraction thereof, for each name so searched, five dollars; except that in the counties within the city of New York, when the records so searched are the census records of the state of New York, the charge shall be one dollar for a consecutive two-year period or fraction thereof.
(e) Production of records. The production in any action of any filed or recorded paper, document, map or other instrument which is part of the public records and papers of a county clerk’s office, except the papers in an action which have been filed with the county clerk in his capacity as clerk of the court, is hereby prohibited in the interest of the safety and preservation thereof, unless the county clerk consents to such production, or the judge presiding in the court in which such production is sought so orders. Instead of the original, a certified copy of such filed or recorded paper, document, map or other instrument shall be produced in evidence as provided in section 4540 without an order. In the event that the original is to be produced on order of such judge, there shall be a fee for each day or part thereof in attendance pursuant to a subpoena duces tecum of twenty dollars and, in addition thereto, mileage fees of twelve cents per mile each way and the necessary expenses of the messenger, except that if the subpoena duces tecum be served within the city of New York and the place of attendance is within the city of New York, then actual transportation cost shall be charged instead of the mileage fees. In the event that a certified photo copy of the records subpoenaed is produced, there shall be the same fee as if the original was produced on the order of a judge.
(f) Services rendered pursuant to part four of article nine of the uniform commercial code.
1. For filing, indexing and furnishing filing data for a financing statement or a continuation statement on a form conforming to standards prescribed by the secretary of state, three dollars, or if the statement otherwise conforms to the requirements of part four of such article, four dollars and fifty cents, plus, in either case,
(a) if the statement covers collateral which is crops or goods which are or are to become fixtures, fifty cents and, in addition,
(b) if the real estate is in the city of New York or the counties of Suffolk or Nassau, any block fees allowed by the administrative code of the city of New York or the Nassau county administrative code or any tax map number verification fees on instruments presented for recording or filing allowed by the Suffolk county administrative code;
(c) for each additional person, firm or organization, beyond the first, named as a debtor in the statement, seventy-five cents.
2. For filing and indexing an assignment or statement of assignment on a form conforming to standards prescribed by the secretary of state, of a security interest included in or accompanying a termination statement, three dollars, or if the assignment or statement of assignment otherwise conforms to the requirements of part four of such article, four dollars and fifty cents, plus, in either case, for each additional person, firm or organization, beyond the first, named as a debtor in the assignment or statement, seventy-five cents.
3. For filing and indexing a termination statement, including sending or delivering the financing statement and any continuation statement, statement of assignment or statement of release pertaining thereto, or an acknowledgment of the filing of the termination statement, one dollar and fifty cents and, otherwise, shall be three dollars, plus, in each case an additional fee of seventy-five cents for each name more than one against which the termination statement is required to be indexed.
4. For filing, indexing and furnishing filing data for a financing statement indicating an assignment of a security interest in the collateral on a form conforming to standards prescribed by the secretary of state, three dollars, or if the financing statement otherwise conforms to the requirements of part four of such article, four dollars and fifty cents, and seventy-five cents for each additional person, firm or organization, beyond the first, named as a debtor in the statement.
5. For filing, indexing and furnishing filing data about a statement of assignment on a form conforming to standards prescribed by the secretary of state, separate from a financing statement, three dollars, or if the statement of assignment otherwise conforms to the requirements of part four of such article, four dollars and fifty cents plus, in either case, for each additional person, firm or organization, beyond the first, named as a debtor in the statement, seventy-five cents.
6. For filing and noting a statement of release of collateral on a form conforming to standards prescribed by the secretary of state, three dollars, or if the statement of release otherwise conforms to the requirements of part four of such article, four dollars and fifty cents plus, in either case, for each additional person, firm or organization, beyond the first, named as a debtor in the statement, seventy-five cents.
7. For noting the file number and date and hour of the filing of the original upon a copy thereof furnished by the person filing any financing statement, termination statement, statement of assignment, or statement of release, and delivering or sending the copy to such person, when the filed statement contains more than one page or the statement and copy are not on forms conforming to standards prescribed by the secretary of state, an amount equal to the product of one dollar and fifty cents multiplied by the number of pages the filed statement contains.
8. For issuing a certificate showing whether there is on file a presently effective financing statement naming a particular debtor and any statement of assignment thereof or statement of release of collateral pertaining thereto, and if there is, giving the date and hour of filing of each such statement and the names and addresses of each secured party therein, four dollars and fifty cents if the request for the certificate is on a form conforming to standards prescribed by the secretary of state or, otherwise, seven dollars and fifty cents.
9. For furnishing a copy of any filed financing statement, continuation statement, termination statement, statement of assignment or statement of release, one dollar and fifty cents per page; provided, however, that the county clerk may furnish duplicate copies of microfilm records of all financing statements, continuation statements, termination statements, statements of assignment and statements of release filed during any month to any person requesting the same at a fee, to be determined by the county clerk, of less than one dollar and fifty cents per page.
(g) Services rendered in relation to federal tax liens filed pursuant to the lien law.
1. For filing and indexing a notice of lien for taxes payable to the United States of America and certificates and notices affecting such liens, four dollars and fifty cents.
2. For issuing a certificate showing whether there is on file on the date and hour stated therein, any notice of federal tax lien or certificate or notice affecting such lien, filed on or after July third, nineteen hundred sixty-six, and if there is, giving the date and hour of filing each such notice or certificate, four dollars and fifty cents.
Plain-English Summary
CPLR 8021 covers a county clerk's fees for services rendered other than as clerk of the supreme or county court, or for services unconnected to a pending action, functions like recording real property instruments, filing corporate certificates, and administering the Uniform Commercial Code filing system. Subdivision (a) sets fees for real-property-related filings not covered by the UCC: five dollars to file a paper or instrument, ten dollars to file and index a map, ten dollars to index a mortgage foreclosure notice, and a base recording fee of five dollars plus three dollars per page (which counties may raise to twenty dollars and five dollars per page by local law) for recording, indexing, and endorsing a certificate on an instrument, along with per-index add-ons, an education-fund surcharge, re-indexing charges, search fees, and a fee for filing a notice of pendency or attachment against real property.
Subdivision (b) sets fees for filings unrelated to real property or the UCC, corporate certificates, wage assignment filings, mechanic's liens, chattel instruments, hospital liens, judgment transcripts, notary and commissioner of deeds appointments, assignments of money due on a contract, and building loan contracts, generally charging more in the counties within New York City than elsewhere, with several categories such as proof of publication and satisfactions drawing no fee at all. Subdivision (c) sets fees for certifications, exemplifications, executions of judgment, transcripts of liens, notary certificates, and certified marriage records, waiving fees for county officers and employees filing in their official capacity. Subdivision (d) sets a five-dollar search fee, one dollar for New York State census records in the counties within the city, for non-litigation, non-real-property records.
Subdivision (e) restricts producing original filed records in evidence, generally requiring a certified copy unless the clerk consents or a judge orders production, and sets a twenty-dollar daily attendance fee plus mileage or actual transportation cost when a judge orders the original produced under subpoena. Subdivisions (f) and (g) set the fees for UCC financing statement, continuation, termination, and assignment filings, certificate searches, and copies, and for federal tax lien filings and lien searches under the Lien Law.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a county clerk charge to record a deed or mortgage?
Under subdivision (a), the base fee for recording, entering, indexing, and endorsing a certificate on an instrument is five dollars plus three dollars per page, though a county may raise this by local law to twenty dollars plus five dollars per page.
Are county clerk recording fees the same in every county?
No. Several fees under CPLR 8021 differ between the counties within New York City and other counties, and subdivision (a) lets any county opt by local law to raise its recording fee.
What is charged to file a UCC financing statement?
Subdivision (f) sets a base fee of three dollars, or four dollars fifty cents if the form does not conform to the secretary of state's prescribed standard, plus additional charges for fixture filings and extra named debtors.
Can I get the original of a recorded document produced in court?
Only in limited circumstances. Subdivision (e) generally prohibits producing an original filed or recorded record, requiring a certified copy instead, unless the county clerk consents or the presiding judge orders the original produced.
What does it cost to file a mechanic's lien with the county clerk?
Thirty dollars in the counties within New York City and fifteen dollars elsewhere, under subdivision (b), with no fee for filing a notice or order that continues, amends, or cancels the lien.
Does a county employee pay a fee to file something in an official capacity?
No. Subdivision (c) waives fees for any county officer, employee, or institution required to file or record an instrument in connection with official duties.
Amendment History
Add, L 1963, ch 532, § 57; amd, L 1963, ch 727, §§ 1, 2; L 1964, ch 476, §§ 24-26, eff Sept 27, 1964; L 1965, ch 128, § 1; L 1965, ch 773, § 17; L 1967, ch 338, § 2, eff April 18, 1967; L 1967, ch 680, § 16; L 1967, ch 689, § 4, eff April 27, 1967; L 1968, ch 133, § 1; L 1968, ch 721, § 1; L 1969, ch 680, § 1, eff May 21, 1969; L 1971, ch 404, § 3; L 1972, ch 324, § 1; L 1972, ch 734, § 7, eff July 1, 1972; L 1972, ch 735, §§ 4, 5, eff July 1, 1972; L 1977, ch 688, § 4, eff Sept 1, 1977; L 1982, ch 692, §§ 8, 9, eff Aug 21, 1982; L 1983, ch 784, § 2, eff Aug 29, 1983; L 1988, ch 192, §§ 5-7, eff July 31, 1988; L 1989, ch 78, §§ 8, 9, eff July 30, 1989; L 1992, ch 55, §§ 406-408, eff April 15, 1992; L 2002, ch 83, §§ 2, 3 (Part B), eff July 1, 2002; L 2008, ch 288, § 1, eff July 7, 2008; L 2019, ch 55, § 2 (Part SS), effective April 12, 2019.
Source & verification. Provision text, History, and Advisory
Committee Notes are reproduced verbatim from the Consolidated Laws of New York.
Last verified July 21, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: county clerk recording feescounty clerk fee scheduleUCC filing fee New Yorkmechanics lien filing feeCPLR 8021 real property recording