The Recording Department is vital to every property owner in Montgomery County, IL. The primary responsibility of this department is to record all documents transferring land in order to establish legal ownership and protect land rights. Land records have been recorded in Montgomery County, Illinois, since 1822.
In addition, we maintain documents vital to U.S. Veterans, mortgages, liens, as well as many other important documents.
Land records have been recorded in Montgomery County, Illinois since 1822.
Document Checklist & Requirements
The Montgomery County Recorder has a County Policy approved by County Board and State’s Attorney that requires:
1) All documents with legal descriptions to also list that property’s Physical Address and Tax Permanent Index Number (PIN) to be acceptable for recordation. Any questions on this Policy should be directed to our Recording Department (217-532-9535).
2) All transfer documents to include a completed Montgomery County Plat Act Affidavit. In addition, if the transfer document divides an existing parcel of land, written approval from our GIS Mapping representative must be given before the document will be accepted for recordation.
Effective January 1, 1995, any instrument filed for record and dated after January 1, 1995, that does not comply with the standardization requirements as set forth in Chapter 55 ILCS 5/3-5018 will be charged double the base recording fee. Fees include the State Rental Housing Surcharge of $18.00 when applicable.
In order for a document to be recorded, we require the following information:
Recording Fees
Cash, money order or checks accepted. Make checks payable to Montgomery County Clerk & Recorder. We accept credit/debit cards in person for a small additional fee..
NOTICE OF FORECLOSURE
Notice of Foreclosure copies required to be provided to the County of Montgomery under Public Act 96-856 pursuant to 735 ILCS 5/15-1503(b) may be sent to: Montgomery County Clerk, PO Box 595, Hillsboro, Illinois 62049.
Mailing Address:
Montgomery County Clerk & Recorder
P.O. Box 595
Hillsboro, IL 62049-0595
Physical Address:
Montgomery County Clerk & Recorder
#1 Courthouse Square
Hillsboro, IL 62049-0595
Phone: (217) 532-9530
Fax: (217) 532-9581
Email: recorder@montgomerycountyil.gov
- Plat Act Affidavit
- Military Discharge DD214 Request Form
- Archival Military Discharge Request Form (To be used for Military Discharges of a Veteran who separated from service at least 62 years ago from current date)
Incorrect Recording Fees
Please see our fee schedule for updated recording costs.
Incomplete Legal Description
A complete legal description includes a lot and block number, if any, and a subdivision name. If the property is a tract of land outside of a subdivision, the legal description must have section, township and range numbers. The legal description on a property tax bill or Beacon is not a complete legal description and will not be accepted.
Missing Physical Address For Property(s)
All documents containing a legal description must have the physical address in area near the legal description.
Missing Or Incomplete Permanent Parcel Number (PIN)
You can obtain your parcel number through the:
Office of Supervisor of Assessments: Kendra Niehaus
Phone: (217) 532-9595
FAX: (217) 532-9599
Hours: 8:00 AM-4:00 PM Monday –Friday.
Mailing address: #1 Courthouse Square
Hillsboro, IL 62049-0595
Email: assessor@montgomerycountyil.gov
Missing Plat Act Affidavit
Plat Act Affidavits are required on all deeds that are recorded in our county. You can find this form on the Recording Forms section. Please note that this form must have the appropriate number circled, be signed, and notarized.
Missing Prepared By, Return To or Future Taxes To Name and Address
All documents require a “prepared by” and “return to” name and address. Any document such as a deed that transfers property rights must include a “future taxes to” name and address.
Incorrect Margins
2 inch margin on the top right corner of the first page, and then a 1 inch margin from the top of all subsequent pages.
Land records have been recorded in Montgomery County, Illinois since 1822.
Record searches can be done on site at:
The Montgomery County Clerk & Recorder’s Office
Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00am – 4:00pm
(Closed on Holidays)
Physical Address:
Montgomery County Clerk & Recorder
#1 Courthouse Square, Room 102
Hillsboro, IL 62049
Our office is located on the
First floor of the Historic Courthouse
Map & Directions
Mailing address:
P.O. Box 595
Hillsboro, IL 62049-0595
Phone: (217) 532-9530
Email: recorder@montgomerycountyil.gov
You are more than welcome to come visit our office and make use of the free public terminals to search information. If this is not convenient you may want to explore the methods of on-line search below.
Land Record Access Via The Internet
You can now search records 24 HOURS A DAY from the convenience of your home or office.
You may use either our FREE web search or fee-based web search that allows for remote access to documents recorded in our office. Our office diligently works to ensure that we provide our customers with overall top-notch service. This implementation is another part of our on going effort to improve customer delivery and provide quality customer service.
There are three on-line methods that can be used to conduct searches as described below.
1. ) FREE Direct Search – Visit Website
This free search provides access to land record data only, so no images will be available for printing. However it is a great way to confirm that land record documents have been recorded in our office or to conduct a basic search.
Currently our indexes for recorded documents are available from 1971 to current.
Cost: FREE
* Image Search – Not Available
* Print Copies – Not Available
2. ) Tapestry – Visit Website
Is a charge per Land Records search. It is a good choice for those who only need to do an occasional search. With Tapestry by entering a credit card number you may generate searches for a small fee. This site allows you to view imaged documents and if desired print them from your computer. This is an excellent option if you only want to search occasionally.
Currently our indexes for recorded documents are available from 1971 to current.
For answers to additional Tapestry related questions, please select FAQ’s
Cost:
* Index / Image Search – $8.75 per search
* Print Copies – $1.00 per page
Flexible Payment Options:
* Pay-as-you-go with a credit card – Visa & MasterCard accepted
* Open Account Payment Plan – $25 minimum per month
3.) Laredo – Visit Website
Is an account based Land Records search. It is a good choice for those who need to do frequent searches. It is a monthly fee based internet program. If you believe that you will be using the system frequently throughout the month, simply contact us at (217) 532-9530 and we will set you up with a user name and password. You will then be able to download the software and search from any computer, 24-7. This program is based on a sliding scale dependent on the number of minutes you spend online per month and is billed monthly.
Currently our indexes for recorded documents are available from 1971 to current..
Minutes/month Cost/month
0-250 $75.00
251-500 $125.00
501-1000 $195.00
1001-2000 $295.00
Unlimited $400.00
To sign up:
Contact our office to become a Laredo Subscriber.
To search:
Once you have signed up and have been issued a username and password, Download the “Laredo” software.
The Montgomery County Clerk and Recorder is pleased to announce the availability of
E-Recording. Currently there are three vendors we have partnered with to provide the service.
If you are interested in becoming an E-recording provider for Montgomery County, please contact the County Clerk and Recording office by email at recorder@montgomerycountyil.gov or phone (217)532-9530.
The County Recorder’s office helps with maintaining the list of names for the Litchfield and Hillsboro Veterans Memorials. Below are links to the documents that maintain an ongoing list of these Veterans.
The County Clerk and Recorder’s office has compiled a list of Medals received by Veterans from Montgomery County who served prior to 1960. Below are links to each medal and a list of those Veterans who received the medal.These lists were compiled by local volunteers and can be made public per 55 ILCS 5/3-5015.
- Military Discharge Medal Qualifying Criteria
- Airmans Medal
- Air Medal
- Bronze Star
- Distinguished Service Cross
- Medal of Honor
- Navy Cross
- Navy/Marine Corps Medal
- Purple Heart
- Silver Star
- Soldiers Medal
- Other Medals
- World War II Newspaper Publications for Veterans of Montgomery County and the Surrounding Area
View GIS Maps Online
Property Fraud Alert
Preventing mortgage fraud and identity theft is a top priority of your Montgomery County Clerk/Recorder’s office. For your protection, consider subscribing to our “FREE” Property Fraud Alert website for real-time monitoring and notification of any potential fraudulent activity. Your security does matter!
Unfortunately, it’s all too easy for a criminal to record a fraudulent deed making it appear as if they now own your home.
Once they’ve done this, they can use your name as collateral on a mortgage or even attempt to sell your home to an unsuspecting buyer.
Don’t let this happen to you!
This service will notify you if a document is recorded with your name.
To sign up for this free service, go to: www.propertyfraudalert.com/ILMontgomery and click on “Continue” to register. Complete the registration form and submit. You will be given the option to be notified by either “Email” or by “Phone”. Or click on the link below to print the Property Fraud Alert Document Notification form. When completed please mail the form to the Montgomery County Clerk/Recorder’s Office, #1 Courthouse Square, PO Box 595, Hillsboro, IL 62049. If you have any questions regarding this or are having trouble signing up, please call 217-532-9535 or 217-532-9534 for assistance.
The following are suggestions should you feel possible fraudulent activity has taken place via this notification;
- Contact any other parties whose names may be on a document.
- Other parties may be aware of the document and the referenced property or may have mutual concern about the document’s potential impact.
- Contact your attorney.
- If you are not sure about the purpose of the referenced document, a private attorney may be able to determine impact and possible action in a timely fashion and minimize the damage and inconvenience of a fraudulent document.
- Contact your lending institution.
- If you believe possible fraudulent activity has taken place, contacting your bank, mortgage company, or lending institution in a timely fashion may help your cause.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Property Fraud Alert (PFA)?
Property Fraud Alert is a notification service that alerts subscribers (via email or phone contact) each time a document is recorded with their name on it in the participating County Land Records office. The subscriber must select one method of notification, either an email address or a phone number.
Is there a fee to subscribe to PFA?
The Montgomery County Recorder’s Office offers the PFA service at no charge. After selecting your respective county from the list of participating counties, you must agree to a Disclaimer before you are able to enter your name or business name. After clicking on the checkbox agreeing to the disclaimer, you can continue to the sign-up screen.
How many subscription names can I enter?
In the case where the county provides PFA at no charge, there is no fee to subscribe with several names (including personal and business names). If a county charges a subscription fee, each name entered will be charged the respective subscription fee amount.
How many names can I enter using the same notification email address or phone number?
You may enter up to a total of four personal and/or business names per one unique email address, or up to a total of three personal and/or business names per one unique phone number.
Can I enter more than one name at a time?
No. You must make separate subscription entries for each individual name (personal or business). For a married couple or for those persons who share the same last name, you must make individual subscription entries for each person.
My first name is often spelled many ways; how should I enter it?
It is highly recommended that you enter only the first letter of your first name in the first name field. For example, with a name such as Steve, Stephen, or Steven, you may wish to enter the letter “S” in the first name field. Or you may wish to enter the first few letters of your first name to limit the number of first name matches. For example, if the letters “St” are entered, a name match may result for the names Steven, Stan, Stacy, Sterling, etc.
My last name is spelled differently on occasion; how should I enter it?
To illustrate, let’s use the last name “Van Buren” as our example. This name may at times be spelled with a space in it (“Van Buren”) and at other times with no space (“VanBuren”). For cases like this, it is highly recommended that you make two separate subscription entries with both name variations. For the Property Fraud Alert system to work as intended, and for notification alerts to be sent, the last name spelling, or business name spelling of the subscription name must match exactly.
My last name is very common; will I receive notification alerts that could possibly belong to someone else?
It is very possible to receive an alert that may actually pertain to another individual with the same last name (and first name) as you. Again, make sure you enter the last name spelling exactly.
My name is John Smith Junior (Jr.), how would I enter that into the subscription form?
It is imperative that you DO NOT enter the suffix of your name (Jr.,Sr., etc.) while entering your name into the subscription form. Only enter your first name information into the first name field and your last name information into the last name field. The same logic applies with middle names; DO NOT enter a middle name (or middle initial) into the first or last name fields.
I own a business, how should I enter my business name?
Business names should be entered exactly as the business name is spelled; “ACME Printing Company”, “Smith & Smith”, “XYZ Business Corporation”. There may be times, however, that the county may possibly index these names differently. For example, “XYZ Business Corporation” could possibly be indexed as “XYZ Business Corp”. In this situation the name match would occur only if you entered “XYZ Business Corp”. Therefore, if your business name could contain variations similar to this, we highly recommend that you make an additional subscription entry with that variation.
What if my name, my email address, or my phone number changes? How do I update my subscription with this new information?
You can simply go to the PFA website and enter your new data information.
How long does my name remain on the PFA notification list?
If you have subscribed to a county that offers PFA at no charge, your name will remain on the notification list indefinitely. For those counties in which a one-year or three-year subscription is required, you will be reminded 60 days prior to the expiration of your current subscription to renew your subscription.
I own multiple homes and/or property in several different counties; will one subscription entry in one county cover me for all counties?
No. You must subscribe to each county individually. The Property Fraud Alert system is managed county by county. Visit the home page of Property Fraud Alert (www.propertyfraudalert.com) to see the full list of participating counties.
What information is provided on a PFA alert notification?
The alert notification will contain the following information: County Location; Document Number, Document Type, Recorded Date, and the matched Party Name (personal or business name).
We would like to hear about your experience with PropertyFraudAlert.com and your suggestions on how we can make the service better and of greater value to you and others. feedback@propertyfraudalert.com