Hamilton County Recorder Mechanics Lien Filing

You can file your mechanic liens in person at the Hamilton County Recorder’s Office located at:

138 East Court Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202

Phone: (513) 946-4570
Fax: (513) 946-4577

Hours of operation: 7:30 am-4:30 pm Mon-Fri
Recording Desk open for recording 8:00 am to 4:15 pm
Copy Department and Information Desk 7:30 am to 4:30 pm

(Limited Extended Hour Access available for research until 5:00 pm, Monday thru Friday, for approved pass holders only.)

Documents can also now be submitted to the Hamilton County Recorder’s Office electronically instead of the conventional method of paper documents.

The Hamilton County Recorder now has the ability to receive your documents electronically (e-filing or e-recording) through its Submitter Service Provider, Simplifile.

An account must be set up with Simplifile. To become an e-filer, you can contact Simplifile at 1-800-460-5657 or www.Simplifile.com. This web site will provide the information you need to become an e-filer.

Recording fees and transaction fees are paid through ACH (Automated Clearing House) payments set up through Simplifile.

The transmitted documents are checked by office staff and either recorded or rejected. Once the document is fully recorded (entered, verified and indexed), it is available to the public for viewing. The originator will receive confirmation when the document has been successfully recorded. Recording information will be electronically affixed permanently to the image. You can now print, fax, or email the recorded document.

All documents must meet the Hamilton County Recorder’s Office rules and regulations and the state of Ohio requirements. Simplifile retains a copy of the standards and policies for e-recording. If a document cannot be recorded, an immediate rejection notice is sent. The documents will be returned to the originator to be corrected and resubmitted.

Documents presented for e-recording to the Hamilton County Recorder’s Office will be processed between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday, Documents received after 3:30 p.m. will be processed the following business day. Documents transmitted when the office is closed will be processed the next business day.

If you have questions about how e-recording works or would like more information, you ca contact Simplifile at 1-800-460-5657 or www.Simplifile.com.

The Hamilton County Recorder’s Office does not publicly disclose information on recording backlog. However, note that the county’s document turnaround time is typically 2 to 3 working days.

If your construction project is located in Hamilton County, then yes, you should file your lien here.

The Hamilton County Recorder’s recording requirements are as follows:

1. Documents under in filing fees are returned unrecorded.
2. Documents over in filing fees are recorded and the overage amount is refunded.
3. A self-addressed, stamped envelope is required for the return of all documents.

The Hamilton County Recorder’s document standardization guidelines are as follows:

* Computer font size of at least ten point
* Minimum paper size 8 1/2 x 11 inches,
* Maximum paper size 8 1/2 x 14 inches;
* Black or Blue ink only
* No use of highlighting;
* Margins of 1 inch on each side of the page and on bottom;
* 3 inch margin on the top of the first page, reserved for recorder, auditor & engineer;
* 1 1/2 inch margin on the top of each of the remaining pages.

If a document does not conform to these guidelines, an additional recording fee of $20.00 will be collected (ARF).

The Hamilton County Recorder accepts check payments. Make checks payable to Norbert A. Nadel Hamilton County Recorder.

The Hamilton County Recorder’s recording fees are as follows:

Recording Fees

Basic Recording Fees: $28.00 for the first two pages and $8.00 for each additional page

Effective Thursday, October 17, 2019, recording fees for most documents will increase by $6.00 due to the passage of HB 166 by the Ohio Legislature.

The new recording fee will be $34.00 for the 1st two pages and $8.00 for each additional page. Half of these recording fees collected are required to be submitted to the state to the credit of the Ohio Housing Trust Fund.

Non-Standard Documents: $20.00 per document

Lien Fees

Mechanic’s Lien: $34.00 for the first two pages and $8.00 for each additional page
Partial Release of Federal Tax Lien: $3.00 each

Copy Fees

Certified Copies: $2.00 per page plus $1.00 for Certification Seal

You can obtain a recorded copy of your lien in person at the Hamilton County Recorder’s Office located at:

138 East Court Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202

Phone: (513) 946-4570
Fax: (513) 946-4577

Certified copies can be obtained at the Recorder’s office during normal hours of operation, Monday thru Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. The price is $2.00 per page for the copy charge and $1.00 per document for the certification.

You can also search for Hamilton County Recorder’s documents and images online free of charge at: https://recordersoffice.hamilton-co.org/hcro-pdi/

Note that records contained online are the same records available on computer in the Recorder’s Office.

You can get the property’s legal description from the Hamilton County Recorder’s Office in person.

You can also search for Hamilton County Recorder’s documents and images online at: https://recordersoffice.hamilton-co.org/hcro-pdi/

You can also search for property legal descriptions online with the Hamilton County Auditor at: https://wedge3.hcauditor.org/