General Recording Requirements

The following information outlines general recording requirements:


Documents must be signed and notarized

Signatures and Notaries must be original. Photocopies cannot be recorded unless they are certified copies from another recording office. Notary seals must be legible and must include the expiration date, if applicable. If a raised seal is used, the name must be typed or printed below the signature line. An additional $1.00 fee will be charged if the typed or printed name is missing. If the name or names of any signer or notary public are not plainly typed or printed under the signatures, the register of deeds shall charge and collect a fee of $1.00 in addition to all other fees provided in this schedule, K.S.A. 28-115(d)


Sufficient space

If sufficient space is not provided for the necessary recording information and certification on a document, such information shall be placed on an additional sheet and such sheet shall be counted as a page.


Legal Description of Real Property

Examples include: Lot, Block & Addition or Subdivision name. Boundaries by a metes and bounds description including the Section, Township and Range. You can search for a legal discription by name or address here: https://www.kansasgis.org/orka/intro.cfm?countyName=Graham


Documents must be legible

The document shall be of sufficient legibility so as to produce and clear and legible reproduction thereof. If a document is judged not to be of sufficient legibility so as to produce a clear and legible reproduction, such document shall be accompanied by an exact copy thereof and which shall be of sufficient legibility so as to produce a clear and legible reproduction thereof and which shall be recorded contemporaneously with the document and shall be counted as additional pages. The register of deeds may reject any document which is not of sufficient legibility so as to produce a clear and legible reproduction thereof.


Real estate documents are recorded and returned after processing

Real estate documents are returned, in Graham County, within 2 business days. Personal property documents are filed and kept until expired or terminated.


Fees to be paid at the time of filing

Fees are set by state statute. For the complete fee schedule see KSA 28-115. A shortened version of the fee schedule is available using one of the links on this site. No fee shall be charged or collected for any filing made by the secretary of health and environment or the secretary's designee pursuant to K.S.A. 28-115(c). If it is unclear that the person requesting filing is the secretary's designee, standard filing fees shall be collected.


Every deed must be filed with a Sales Validation Questionnaire (SVQ) or list an exemption

Generally, when recording a deed or an affidavit of equitable interest, a Sales Validation Questionnaire (SVQ) is required to accompany the filing. For your convenience, the one-part form can be downloaded here: https://www.grahamcountyks.com/sites/g/files/vyhlif6876/f/pages/sales-validation-questionnaire_1.pdf

In the case of certain transfers of title, an exemption statement typed on the deed may replace a SVQ. Transfers of title that do not require a SVQ are listed on the back of the SVQ form. The following statement (with the appropriate exemption number filled in) can be typed on the face of deeds that do not require a SVQ: Pursuant to K.S.A 79-1437 a Real Estate Sales Validation Questionnaire is not required due to Exemption No. _____ ."