Frequently Asked Questions

If you have sent in your notary renewal card and check, please be advised that it has been forwarded to the Secretary of State. Once your check has cleared, you may continue notarizing extending your expiration date (writing in the date) by four years once your current term expires. The Secretary of State will mail you your new notary card and update its website with the new information. This process can take the Secretary of State six to eight months. For more information, please contact the Secretary of State. 

You can obtain a certified copy of your deed by completing and mailing our form with the appropriate fee. Instructions are included on the form. You can download this form from the DOWNLOADS section on the home page of this website.

You can obtain a certified copy of your judgment of divorce by completing and mailing our form with the appropriate fee. Instructions are included on the form. You can download this form from the DOWNLOADS section on the home page of this website.

The New York Secretary of State issues an Apostille (the legalization of a document for international use), the Suffolk County Clerk will certify copies for an Apostille. 

If your document is a Birth, Death or Marriage Certificate and requires certification, send the document(s) to:

Suffolk County Clerk's Office

310 Center Drive 

Riverhead NY 11901 Attn: Court Actions  

*Include a check or money order in the amount of $5.00 per document, made payable to the Suffolk County Clerk, also include a self-addressed stamped envelope. 

For Authentication of a Notary Public's signature, send the document(s) to:

Suffolk County Clerk's Office

310 Center Drive 

Riverhead NY 11901 Attn: Notary Department

* Include a check or money order in the amount of $3.00 per document made payable to the Suffolk County Clerk, also include a self-addressed stamped envelope.  

Please read these instructions in full. Failure to provide completed documents and forms will cause your documents to be rejected.

You may obtain a deed form from your attorney, through the internet or from a stationery store that sells legal forms. A deed is a legal form and is not supplied by our office. This form must be completed with the names and addresses (P.O. Boxes are unacceptable) of all parties to the document. The grantor must sign the deed form and the signature must be properly acknowledged by the notary public. All signatures must be original; we cannot accept photocopies. A complete description of the property including the village, town, county and state where the property is located must also be included in the form.

It is the policy of the Clerk's Office to examine documents for recording and determine its legal sufficiency. Even if a correctable defect or deficiency is discovered, the staff cannot change, alter, add to or eliminate any content of documents presented. Nor can our office assist in filling out any legal forms. 

Your deed must be accompanied with the following completed forms:

(They are all available for download on the DOWNLOADS section on the home page of this website.)

• Suffolk County Recording and Endorsement page (cover sheet) print on legal size 8-1/2 x 14 inch paper. 
• RP-5217 NYS Real Property Transfer Report is required on all deeds dated November 1, 1980 and later. Must complete the fill-in PDF form online, must be printed on legal size paper (8-1/2 x 14) and signed. Please view the special instructions from the DOWNLOADS section on the home page of this website.

The fee for this form is as follows:

$125.00 - If one of the following boxes are checked, 7a, 7b, or both 7g and 8 OR if the property classification code (item 18) is 100-199 or 200-299 or 411-c, 411-d, 412-c, 412-d.

$250.00 - For all others.

• TP-584 Combined Real Estate Transfer Tax Return, Credit Line Mortgage Certificate, and Certification of Exemption from the Payment of Estimated Personal Income Tax. If referenced, a TP-584.1 New York State Real Estate Transfer Tax Return Supplemental Schedules must be attached. Both the TP-584 and TP-584.1 form require Social Security/ Federal ID numbers for ALL parties to the deed. 
• If required, IT-2663 Nonresident Real Property Estimated Income Tax Payment Form must be completed and attached. If any tax is due, it is payable to NYS INCOME TAX. This form is year specific. The form year at the top must be the same as the year the transaction took place. If signed by an attorney-in-fact you must attach a NYS Dept. of Taxation & Finance Power of Attorney (POA-1) to this form.
• Community Preservation Fund (CPF) Forms required for the 5 East End Towns only. These towns are East Hampton, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southampton, and Southold. These forms require Social Security/ Federal ID numbers for ALL parties to the deed. These must also be signed by both parties. CPF is a 2% tax based on the consideration amount after the exemption allowance, which are printed directly on the form.

The forms above must be signed and must be original signatures. If signed by an attorney-in-fact, you must attach a copy of the power of attorney to this form. Tax matters must be a granted power.

Transfer tax is due on all conveyances with consideration (selling price) greater than $500.00. The amount of tax is computed at $2.00 per $500.00, or any fraction thereof. (Example: $750.00 consideration = $4.00 tax.)

If the consideration is one million dollars or greater, an additional "Mansion Tax" of 1% of the consideration is due on residential property and is collected at the time of recording.

FEES ASSOCIATED WITH RECORDING YOUR DEED

$5.00       Per Slide (Include the front page only of the Suffolk County Clerk Recording and Endorsement Form in the fee calculation.)

$5.00       Commissioner of Education Fee

$5.00       Real Estate Transfer Tax Return TP-584

$5.00       EA 5217 (County)

$15.00     Cultural Education Fund (NYS Surcharge)

$20.00    Handling

$125.00   Real Property Transfer Report RP-5217 Filing Fee (Residential)

$200.00  Real Property Tax Service Agency Verification Fee of $200.00 per tax lot.

$250.00  Real Property Transfer Report RP-5217 Filing Fee (Commercial/ Vacant)

Certified copies of all instruments are $1.25 per page, minimum $5.00. If you provide a complete copy, fee is $.65 per page, minimum $5.20.

In general, all documents require the following basic information:

TERMS:

Grantor/ Transferor/ Seller are the same.

Grantee/ Transferee/ Buyer are the same.

Check List for Recording Documents and Avoiding REJECTIONS

[     ]   Please submit the original documents, dated and signed. NO PHOTOCOPIES.

[     ]   Page sizes are 8-1/2 x 11 or 8-1/2 x 14.

[     ]   Minimum size for type is 8 points.

[     ]   Documents must be legible for our Optical Imaging System. Use black ink on white paper, no contrast or color. Any portion of a document that is not legible will be cause for rejection. Absolutely no taping or white out tape over any written text.

[     ]   Do not enlarge or reduce the form size.

[     ]   Complete boxes 6 & 8 on Suffolk County Recording and Endorsement Page.

[     ]   Must contain name and street address (no P.O. Boxes) of ALL parties to the instrument.

[     ]   Legal property description including State, County, Township & Village that the property is located in.

[     ]   All signatures must be properly acknowledged by qualified notary according to NYS requirement under Real Property Law section 309, 309-a, 309-b.

[     ]   Signatures and acknowledgement must match. (i.e., if using an initial or AKA it must be used throughout the entire document and any accompanying paperwork).

[     ]   Any and all attachments, schedules, riders, or exhibits must be referenced as attached and marked as such.

[     ]   If you are recording documents in consecutive order simultaneously, number them record 1st, 2nd, etc., and make sure all documents are included.

[     ]   Recording fees may be paid by check, cash, or money order. Name, address and telephone number are requested on checks. Mortgage Tax and NYS Transfer Tax must be paid by certified check, cash, money order, title company checks with prior approval from an underwriter, Suffolk County attorney check up to $1,000.00, or NYS attorney's escrow or IOLA account up to $5,000.00.

[     ]   All checks are made payable to the SUFFOLK COUNTY CLERK.

DEED FEE SCHEDULE

The following forms must accompany your deed (please see How to Record a Deed Downloads on the home page of this website to access all required forms):

1.  New York State Department of Taxation and Finance Form TP-584 completed according to the TP-584 instructions.

2.  Real Property Transfer Report RP-5217. NOTE: Must be printed on legal size (8-1/2 x 14) paper.

3.  Peconic Bay Community Preservation Fund Form CPF required for the five eastern towns only. (Easthampton, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southampton and Southold)

4. Suffolk County Recording and Endorsement Form. NOTE: Must be printed on legal size (8-1/2 x 14) paper.

FEES

$5.00      Per Slide (Include the front page only of the Suffolk County Clerk Recording and Endorsement Form in the fee calculation.)

$5.00      Commissioner of Education Fee

$5.00      Real Estate Transfer Tax Return TP-584

$5.00      EA 5217 (County)

$15.00    Cultural Education Fund (NYS Surcharge)

$20.00    Handling

$125.00   Real Property Transfer Report RP-5217 Filing Fee (Residential)

$200.00  Real Property Tax Service Agency Verification Fee of $200.00 per tax lot.

$250.00  Real Property Transfer Report RP-5217 Filing Fee (Commercial/ Vacant)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*RP-5217 Filing Fees- Effective 6/1/2009

$125.00   If one of the following boxes on the RP-5217 is checked: 7A, 7B, 7E, or both 7G and 8

                OR

$125.00   If the property classification code (Item 18) is: 100 through 199; or 200 through 299; or 411-C, 411-D, 412-C, 412-D

$250.00  All other property types

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Transfer Tax is due on all conveyances with consideration greater than $500.00. The amount of tax is computed at $2.00 per $500.00, or any fraction thereof. (Example: $750.00; Consideration= $4.00 tax.)

Mansion Tax is due on all residential conveyances where the consideration is $1,000,000.00 or greater. Cash or certified check payable to the Suffolk County Clerk is required for payment. To obtain the Tax Map Identification Number contact the Town Assessor in which the property is located.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TOWN ASSESSORS

Town of Babylon Assessor's Office: (631) 957-3001

Town of Brookhaven Assessor's Office: (631) 451-6300

Town of East Hampton Assessor's Office: (631) 324-4187

Town of Huntington Assessor's Office: (631) 351-3226

Town of Islip Assessor's Office: (631) 224-5585

Town of Riverhead Assessor's Office: (631) 727-3200

Town of Shelter Island Assessor's Office: (631) 749-0291

Town of Smithtown Assessor's Office: (631) 360-7560

Town of Southampton Assessor's Office: (631) 283-6020

Town of Southold Assessor's Office: (631) 765-1937

Title searches are conducted by private companies. Please contact your attorney for specific information about the search.