Mercer County Land and Property Records

Mercer County property records are kept by the County Clerk in Trenton, New Jersey. If you need to look up a deed, mortgage, or lien in Mercer County, the clerk has both online and in-person search tools. The county has tracked land transfers since it was formed in 1838. Today you can search many of these property records from home. This guide walks through how to find what you need in Mercer County.

Mercer County Clerk Property Records Office

The Mercer County Clerk is the official keeper of all land records in the county. Paula Sollami Covello serves as County Clerk. Her office records deeds, mortgages, liens, and other land documents for every town in Mercer County. The office is in Trenton, the county seat, which also serves as the state capital.

When you record a deed in Mercer County, the clerk stamps and indexes the document. This creates a public record of the transfer. The same process applies to mortgages, mortgage discharges, and other property filings. The clerk also offers a free Property Alert Service. This tool sends you a notice if someone files a document against your name or property. It helps guard against deed fraud in Mercer County.

You can visit the clerk in person at the address below. Staff can help you look up records and get copies. Call ahead to check hours.

How to Search Mercer County Property Records Online

Mercer County gives you two main ways to search property records from your computer. The county runs its own records search portal, and the state runs the NJ Recording system. Both are free to search. You do not need an account for basic lookups.

The Mercer County records search site at records.mercercounty.org lets you look up documents by name, book and page, or date range. You can find deeds, mortgages, and other recorded documents here. Results show the type of document, the parties involved, and the recording date.

The screenshot below shows the Mercer County records search portal where you can look up property records by name or instrument type.

This tool is helpful for quick lookups of recent Mercer County property records.

The NJ Recording system covers deeds and mortgages from 1996 to the present for Mercer County. It also supports eRecording, which lets title companies and attorneys submit documents online. The state system is a good backup if the county portal is down.

For older property records in Mercer County, you may need to visit the clerk in person. Records before 1996 are not always in the online systems. The clerk has older deed books and index volumes on site in Trenton. Staff can help you search these by grantor, grantee, or property address.

Note: The NJ Recording portal also handles eRecording for Mercer County, so title agents can file documents without visiting the office.

Mercer County Property Records Fees

Mercer County follows the New Jersey standard fee schedule for recording land documents. These fees apply whether you file in person or through eRecording. The county clerk collects the fee at the time of recording.

The basic fees for recording property documents in Mercer County are:

• Deed recording: $40 for the first page, $10 for each added page
• Mortgage recording: $30 for the first page, $10 for each added page
• Certified copy: $10
• Homelessness Trust Fund surcharge: $5 per document

New Jersey law under N.J.S.A. 46:26A-1 sets the rules for recording land documents across all counties, including Mercer. The state sets base fees, and the county collects them. Some documents may have added costs depending on the number of pages or the type of filing. Realty transfer fees also apply to most deed transfers. These are separate from the recording fee and are based on the sale price.

Copies of Mercer County property records cost less if you make them yourself at the self-service machines in the clerk office. Certified copies cost $10 each. Most banks and title companies need certified copies for closings and refinances in Mercer County.

Tax and Assessment Records in Mercer County

Property tax records in Mercer County are handled at the municipal level. Each town has a tax assessor and tax collector. The assessor sets the value of your property. The collector sends bills and takes payments. These records are public under New Jersey law.

You can search property tax data for Mercer County towns through the state's tax records portal. This site shows assessed values, tax amounts, and owner names for properties across New Jersey. It pulls data from local assessment rolls. The tax assessor in each Mercer County town keeps more detailed records, including property cards with lot size, building details, and sales history.

The state also runs a property tax transparency site that shows how tax rates compare across Mercer County municipalities. Under N.J.S.A. 54:4-1, each town must assess all real property at its fair value. This means tax records show what the town thinks your land and home are worth.

The screenshot below shows the New Jersey property tax transparency tool, which can be used for Mercer County comparisons.

This state tool is useful for comparing tax rates across different Mercer County towns.

Note: Tax assessment records and deed records are kept in separate offices in Mercer County, so you may need to check both places for a full picture of a property.

Public Access to Mercer County Property Records

New Jersey's Open Public Records Act, or OPRA, gives you the right to request government records. This law is found at N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1. It applies to property records held by the Mercer County Clerk. It also applies to tax records held by local towns. You can file an OPRA request if you cannot find what you need through normal search tools.

To file an OPRA request in Mercer County, fill out the standard request form and submit it to the right office. The clerk must respond within seven business days. Most property records are easy to get because they are public by default. Deeds, mortgages, liens, and tax records are all open to the public. There is no limit on who can ask. You do not need to own the property or live in Mercer County.

The state archives also hold older Mercer County property records. If you need records from the 1800s or early 1900s, the New Jersey State Archives in Trenton may have what you need. Since Mercer County is home to the state capital, the archives are close by.

Types of Property Records in Mercer County

The Mercer County Clerk records many types of land documents. Each one serves a different purpose. Here is a brief look at the most common types of property records you will find.

Deeds are the most basic property record. A deed transfers ownership from one party to another. In Mercer County, most deeds are either bargain and sale deeds or warranty deeds. The deed shows the names of the buyer and seller, the property address, the sale price, and the legal description of the land. Once recorded with the Mercer County Clerk, the deed becomes part of the public record.

Mortgages are the second most common type. When you borrow money to buy property in Mercer County, the lender records a mortgage against the land. This document gives the lender a claim on the property until you pay off the loan. When you pay it off, the lender files a discharge of mortgage. Both the original mortgage and the discharge are Mercer County property records you can look up.

Liens show debts tied to a property. Tax liens, judgment liens, and mechanic's liens all show up in Mercer County property records. A lien stays on the record until the debt is paid and a release is filed. Title searches in Mercer County check for open liens before a sale can close.

Lis pendens notices tell the public that a lawsuit involves a specific property. If someone sues over land in Mercer County, they can file a lis pendens to put future buyers on notice. This filing appears in the property records index.

Note: A title search in Mercer County will check all of these record types to make sure the property can be sold free and clear.

Cities in Mercer County

Mercer County has several municipalities. All property records for these areas are filed with the Mercer County Clerk in Trenton. Below are city pages with more detail on local property records.

Other towns in Mercer County include Princeton, Ewing, Lawrence, West Windsor, East Windsor, Robbinsville, Hopewell, and Pennington. All of these file property records through the Mercer County Clerk.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Mercer County. If a property sits near a county line, confirm which county it falls in before searching. Each county clerk keeps its own set of property records.