Missouri recording fees to rise $2 under new state law
Published 7:58 pm Wednesday, August 5, 2026
JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri Recorders of Deeds offices will implement a flat $2 statutory fee increase statewide beginning Aug. 28, following the passage of Senate Bill 938, according to the Recorders Association of Missouri.
The increase applies to the recording of documents such as deeds and mortgages, marriage licenses, and land surveys and plats. Under the legislation, the standard user fee charged by county recorders to record an instrument rises from $4 to $6. Of that fee, $3, up from $2 previously, is retained by the local recorder’s office and deposited into the county’s Recorder’s Fund, while $2, up from $1, is directed to the state’s Missouri Land Survey Fund, which supports the work of licensed land surveyors.
The bill was signed into law by Gov. Mike Kehoe. Supporters of the increase have said the land survey fund, which has relied on a $1 fee since it was established in 1969, has struggled to keep pace with rising costs as the number of recorded real estate documents has declined in recent years amid a slower housing market.
Recorders of Deeds across the state are updating their office fee schedules to comply with the change, according to the association. County recorders and the Recorders Association of Missouri said they remain committed to implementing the statutory requirement promptly and consistently once the law takes effect.
Because the increase is a flat statutory fee rather than a percentage adjustment, actual per-page recording costs will vary by county depending on each office’s existing fee schedule. Residents with questions about specific pricing, including page-by-page rates, are encouraged to contact their local Recorder of Deeds office directly.
