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DictionaryThe buying process

Recording fees: what it means

Recording fees are what state and local government agencies charge to officially record your deed, your mortgage and other loan documents. They are based on the type of document or its features, such as the number of pages, not on the home price or the loan amount; that is what sets them apart from transfer taxes.

In Spanish it is

Cargos de registro

Also written as: government recording charges · recording charges · recording fees and other taxes

The full explanation

Either the buyer or the seller may pay them. They appear in section E on page 2 of your Loan Estimate and your Closing Disclosure, on the “Recording Fees and Other Taxes” line.

An example

In section E of his Closing Disclosure, Felipe sees the charge for recording the deed and the mortgage with the county. He compares it with his Loan Estimate and sees it barely changed.

You will see it in…

  • The Loan Estimate, section E (“Recording Fees and Other Taxes”)
  • The Closing Disclosure, section E
  • The county records office where your documents are recorded
A grandmother smiles, seated at home.

Still confused by a paper?

A HUD-approved housing counselor can walk you through it. Agencies usually charge little or nothing, many work in Spanish, and they do not sell you anything.

Official sources

We sum up what these official sources say, in plain words. We add no rules they do not state; when a rule changes, the definition and its date change.

  1. 1. CFPB · What are government recording charges for a mortgage? (external site) · in English · Verified on October 17, 2026
  2. 2. CFPB (Regulation Z) · 12 CFR 1026.37(g)(1) and official interpretation (Regulation Z): recording fees and transfer taxes (external site) · in English · Verified on October 17, 2026