Search costs vary based on whether residential title insurance commitments are required.

Search Costs
(With Insurance)
The following is an estimate of charges for searches of Residential title insurance commitments:
Examination Fee $100.00  
County Search Fee $75-100 (on average)  
Municipal Search $40.00 per lot
Tideland Search $45.00 per lot
Flood Search $12.00 per lot
Upper Court Search $10.00 per name
STANDARD ALTA Endorsements $25.00 per end't
Closing Protection Letter $75.00  
Notice of Settlement $25.00/$50.00  
Metes and Bounds $50.00  
Photocopying $25.00-$75.00  
Title commitments can be issued within 1-2 days after receiving the title request. If needed, most commitments can be issued the same day.

 

Search Costs
(No Insurance)
The following is an estimate of charges for searches for Residential and Commercial non-insurance reports:
County $325.00  
Municipal Search $40.00 per lot
Upper Court Search $10.00 per name
Child Support Search $15.00 per name
State UCC Search $60.00 per name
Title reports can be issued within 1-2 days after receiving the title request. If needed, most reports can be issued the same day.

The standard underwriting rate for either owner's insurance, leasehold insurance, or mortgage insurance, shall be calculated according to the following rate schedule:

Policy Liability Rate per $1,000 or Fraction Thereof
$0 - $100,000 $5.25
$100,001 - $500,000 add $4.25
$500,001 - $2 million add $2.75
Over $2 million add $2.00

When a refinance, recast or substitution loan is made to the same borrower on the same property, the following rates shall apply to so much of the new policy as represents the face amount of the mortgage or mortgages other than construction loans being refinanced:

Policy Liability Rate per $1,000 or Fraction Thereof
$0 - $100,000 $2.75
$100,001 - $500,000 add $2.50
$500,001 - $2 million add $2.25
Over $2 million add $1.75

When a mortgage or leasehold modification or extension agreement is executed, the underwriting charge for an endorsement to the existing policy or a new policy insuring the modification or extension agreement shall be based upon the following rates up to the amount of the mortgage or lease being modified, provided that the loan being modified or extended is not a construction loan, and the property is identical to or included within the property previously insured.

Policy Liability Rate per $1,000 or Fraction Thereof
$0 - $100,000 $1.75
$100,001 - $500,000 add $1.50
$500,001 - $2 million add $1.25
Over $2 million add $1.00

The following is an estimate for searches, endorsements and settlement fees:

Searches/Endorsements $400.00
Settlement $450.00

Miscellaneous settlement charges may include the following:

Federal Express $25.00 per package
Notary Fees $25.00 per mortgage package
Copies $25.00 per closing package
Cancellation of Existing Mortgages $75.00 each
Wire Transfer Fees $15.00  
Record Mortgage $185.00 - $300.00*  

*Based on the number of pages of the document as charged by the county.

Documents such as deeds, assignments, releases, subordinations, discharges and warrants of satisfaction can be prepared at an additional nominal fee.

 

DEED
First page of document (front) $30.00
Each additional recorded page $10.00
Marginal Notation $10.00
   
REALTY TRANSFER FEE
$2.00 for the first $500 or part thereof up to $150,000; the fee then increases to $3.35 for each $500 or part thereof over $150,000; the fee then increases to $3.90 for each $500 or part thereof over $200,000.
   
MORTGAGE
First page of document (front) $30.00
Each additional recorded page $10.00
   
DISCHARGE, ASSIGNMENT, POSTPONEMENT, SUBORDINATION OR RELEASE OF MORTGAGE
First page of document (front) $30.00
Each additional recorded page $10.00
Marginal notation per mortgage $10.00
   
CANCELLATION OF MORTGAGE $20.00
Complete original mortgage (if any portion of the document is missing or is a copy of an original page, a discharge of mortgage must be recorded)
   
NOTICES OF SETTLEMENT
Mortgage Commitment $20.00
Contract of Sale $20.00
Double Filing of NOS $40.00
   
FEDERAL TAX LIEN
Filing of Lien $25.00
Release of Lien $25.00
   
CONSTRUCTION LIEN
Construction Lien filing $15.00
Notice of Unpaid Balance (NUB) $15.00
Amendment of Discharge $15.00
Marginal Notation $5.00
Bond $25.00
   
TRADE NAME (BUSINESS FIRMS)
Trade Name Registration $50.00
Trade Name Dissolution $25.00
   
TAX SALE CERTIFICATE
First page of document $30.00
Each additional recorded page $10.00
   
REDEMPTION OF TAX SALE
First page of document (front) $30.00
Each additional recorded page $10.00
Marginal notation per tax sale $10.00
   
FINANCING STATEMENT (UCC)
All filings and name searches $25.00
   
POWER OF ATTORNEY
First page of document (front) $30.00
Each additional recorded page $10.00
   
DEDICATION/VACATION
Per Document $30.00
   
LIS PENDENS
Filed Notice of Foreclosures $30.00
Marginal notation per document $10.00
Discharge of filed Lis Pendens $30.00
   
All recorded Lis Pendens  
First page of document (front) $30.00
Each additional recorded page $10.00
Discharge recorded Lis Pendens $30.00
   
MAPS
Recording per map $55.00
   
INHERITANCE TAX WAIVER
Inheritance Tax Waiver filing $15.00
   
HONORABLE DISCHARGE/DD214
No recording fee  
   
PHYSICIANS AND HOSPITAL LIENS & RELEASE OF LIEN $15.00
   

NOTICE
New Recording Surcharges Authorized to Subsidize the Homelessness Trust Fund

The State of New Jersey has enacted the "County Homelessness Trust Fund Act," P.L. 2009, c.123, codified at NJSA 52:27D-287a et seq. and amending NJSA 22A:4-17, which authorizes county governments to create county homelessness prevention trust funds and authorizes county-operated programs to meet the needs of homeless individuals and families.

The following counties charge a fee on every document delivered to its County Clerk's Office for recording:

Camden - $3 Bergen - $5
Essex - $3 Burlington - $5
Mercer - $3 Cape May - $5
Somerset - $3 Cumberland - $5
  Hudson - $5
  Middlesex - $5
  Passaic - $5
  Union - $5

You would be well advised to prepare for this recording surcharge when collecting instruments at closing and calculating the appropriate recording fees.

We will update this page with additional County activity as we hear of it.