Clay County Deed Records Search

Clay County deed records are maintained at the Probate Court in Ashland. Online access is available through the Ingenuity portal.

Clay County Probate Court

The Probate Court records all deeds in Clay County. The office is on Court Square in Ashland. Staff handle document recording, maintain indexes, and help with public searches. This office serves all property owners in the county.

Clay County is in east-central Alabama. The county is rural with about 13,000 residents. Ashland is the county seat and largest town. The Probate Court provides modern online access despite being a small county. This makes searching records easy.

How to Search Clay County Deed Records Online

Clay County offers online deed records through the Ingenuity portal. You can search property documents from home. This is convenient for basic research and finding recent recordings. The system includes index records and document images.

The online portal is at ingprobate.com/clay_probate. You can search by name, date range, or document type. Create an account to access more features. Index searches may be free. Document images often have a small fee.

To search Clay County deed records online:

• Go to the Ingenuity portal
• Create an account if needed
• Enter the name you are searching
• Set date range if needed
• Review the search results
• Click to view full documents

For older records or complex research, visit the courthouse. Staff can help with documents that may not be online.

Clay County Deed Recording Fees

Recording a deed in Clay County costs ten dollars for the first page. Each additional page is three dollars. A typical two page deed costs thirteen dollars to record. These are average fees for Alabama counties.

Fee schedule for Clay County:

• First page: $10.00
• Each additional page: $3.00
• Certified copies: Additional charge
• Plain copies: Per page fee

The deed transfer tax also applies. Alabama charges fifty cents per five hundred dollars of property value. This tax goes to the state and county. Add it to your recording fees for the total cost.

Requirements for Recording Deeds

Clay County follows Alabama state requirements for deeds. Your document must include specific items to be recorded. The Probate Court checks each deed before accepting it.

Every deed recorded in Clay County must have:

• Original signatures of grantors
• Notarized acknowledgment
• Marital status of grantors
• Complete legal description
• Grantee mailing address
• Preparer name and address
• Derivation clause
• RT-1 form

Under Code of Alabama Section 35-4-51, deeds must be recorded in the Probate office. Recording gives public notice of ownership.

Property Research in Clay County

Complete property research uses multiple record types. Deeds show ownership changes over time. Mortgages show loans on the property. Releases show when loans were paid. The Probate Court keeps all these records.

For thorough Clay County property research:

• Search deed records for ownership chain
• Check mortgage and trust deed records
• Look for release records
• Review tax records at Revenue Commissioner
• Check court records for liens

The Revenue Commissioner has property tax information. They can tell you who pays taxes on a parcel. Tax records help confirm ownership when combined with deed searches.

Historical Deed Records

Clay County was formed in 1866. Property records go back to that time. The courthouse holds these historical documents. They document land ownership through generations.

Old deeds may look different from modern ones. Handwriting styles varied. Legal descriptions used landmarks that may not exist now. A surveyor can help interpret old boundary descriptions.

The Alabama Secretary of State has original land patents. These show who first owned land after federal surveys. Many Clay County parcels trace to these early grants. Search them free at sos.alabama.gov.

Cities in Clay County

Clay County has several small communities. All file deeds at the Probate Court in Ashland. One office serves the whole county.

Communities include Ashland, Lineville, and Delta. Ashland is the county seat. Lineville is the largest town by population. All property transfers in Clay County record at the courthouse on Court Square.

Nearby Counties

Clay County borders these Alabama counties. Randolph County is to the north. Talladega County is to the west. Cleburne County is to the east.