Every deed, mortgage and lien on a Capital Region property is recorded with its County Clerk, and most of those records can now be searched online. That’s useful if you want to see who owns a property, check your own deed, or look into a home before you make an offer. It also matters for a less pleasant reason: deed theft is now showing up in local courtrooms. Here’s how to look up property records in each county we serve, how to sign up for the free alerts that warn you if someone records a document in your name, and what a free online search can’t tell you.
How to Look Up a Deed or Property Record in the Capital Region
Each County Clerk keeps the official land records: deeds, mortgages, satisfactions, liens and other recorded documents. All six counties below offer an online records search through the clerk’s office, most through a system called IQS. You can usually search by name and view records at no charge. Printing or downloading copies often carries a per-document fee, and fees vary by county.
Albany County
Use the Albany County Clerk online records search. For a full Albany County title search before a purchase or refinance, our team searches the same records and more.
Saratoga County
The Saratoga County Clerk’s land records are searchable on IQS for Saratoga County, and the county lists public records searching with no fee. See our Saratoga County title search page for what a professional search adds.
Schenectady County
Start from the Schenectady County Clerk land records page, which links to the online search. Schenectady’s records reach back to the Stockade District, so older properties can have long, complicated histories. Learn more on our Schenectady County title search page.
Rensselaer County
The Rensselaer County Clerk links to its online land records search. Troy’s 19th-century buildings often carry layered ownership chains. Our Rensselaer County title search traces them in full.
Warren County
The Warren County Clerk online records let you search and view records at no charge by logging in as a guest. Printed copies cost $5 per document for non-subscribers. Lake properties and family camps often need a closer look, which is where a Warren County title search helps.
Washington County
Start from the Washington County Clerk’s Office page for the online land records search. Rural and farm parcels often raise boundary and right-of-way questions, covered on our Washington County title search page.
For more links to county clerks and other public record sources, see our title resources page.
What Deed Theft Is, and Why It’s on the Rise Locally
Deed theft happens when someone records a forged or fraudulent deed to make it look like they own a property. Once that deed is on record, the thief may try to sell the home, borrow against it, or force the real owner into a long legal fight to get it back.
A Recent Albany County Case
In what was described as Albany County’s first deed-theft trial, a Guilderland man was convicted in December 2025 of grand larceny, offering a false instrument for filing, and possession of a forged instrument. He had been renting a home valued at about $755,000. After receiving a notice to vacate, he filed a forged deed with the Albany County Clerk’s Office using his stepfather’s personal information. In April 2026 he was sentenced to 6½ to 13 years in state prison.
Cases like this are a reminder that a recorded document isn’t automatically a valid one. For more on how title work catches fraud before closing, read why title diligence protects your investment.
Sign Up for Your County’s Free Property Fraud Alert
All six counties we serve offer a free alert that emails you when a document, such as a deed or mortgage, is recorded under your name. It takes a few minutes to sign up, and it’s one of the simplest ways to catch deed fraud early.
Where to Sign Up
- Albany County: Fraud Alert, through the Albany County Clerk
- Saratoga County: Property Fraud Alert
- Schenectady County: Record Alert (if you joined the county’s older alert system, you need to re-enroll)
- Rensselaer County: email alerts, through the Rensselaer County Clerk
- Warren County: Fraud Alert Program
- Washington County: Fraud Alert, through the Washington County Clerk
What the Alert Does and Doesn’t Do
An alert tells you that something was recorded. It doesn’t stop the recording, and it doesn’t fix the problem. If you get an alert you don’t recognize, contact the County Clerk’s office and a real estate attorney right away. Alerts are tied to the names you register, so register each owner’s name as it appears on the deed.
A statewide version may be coming. Senate Bill S9731, the proposed Homeowner Fraud Protection and Property Alert Act, would create a statewide system to notify owners when a document affecting their property is recorded in any New York county. As of this writing it is still in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
What a Free Online Search Won’t Tell You
Looking up a deed online is a good first step, but it isn’t a title search. Before you buy, refinance or lend against a property, these are the gaps that matter:
- Indexing errors: a document filed under a misspelled name or the wrong parcel won’t show up in a simple name search.
- Liens and judgments: unpaid taxes, contractor liens and court judgments may need separate searches.
- Municipal issues: open permits, certificate of occupancy problems and building violations aren’t in the deed records at all.
- A forged deed that looks valid: a recorded document can appear perfectly normal on screen.
- Missing heirs and estate claims: an earlier transfer may have skipped someone with a legal claim.
A professional title search covers the full chain of ownership, and title insurance protects you from defects that existed before you bought, including forged documents in the chain of title. You can see what each search costs on our title search and closing fee schedule.
Get a Title Search From Northway
Northway Title Agency has handled title searches across the Capital Region since 1985 and is ALTA Best Practices Certified. Order your title search online, or contact our Clifton Park office at (518) 371-9005 for a free estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I look up a property deed online for free in the Capital Region?
Yes. Albany, Saratoga, Schenectady, Rensselaer, Warren and Washington counties all offer an online land records search through the County Clerk. Searching is generally free. Printing or downloading copies often has a per-document fee, and fees vary by county.
How do I find out if someone filed a deed on my house?
Search your County Clerk’s online land records under your name, and sign up for your county’s free fraud alert. The alert emails you whenever a document, such as a deed or mortgage, is recorded under your name, so you hear about it right away.
Is a county records search the same as a title search?
No. A records search shows what is indexed under a name. A professional title search traces the full chain of ownership and checks for liens, judgments, tax issues, municipal violations and indexing errors. Learn more on our title search services page.
Does title insurance protect me from deed fraud?
An owner’s title insurance policy protects you against covered title defects that existed before you bought the property, including forged or fraudulent deeds in the chain of title. For documents recorded after you own the home, a county fraud alert is your early warning. See how title insurance works.
What should I do if I get a fraud alert I don't recognize?
Contact the County Clerk’s office right away to get a copy of the recorded document, and speak with a real estate attorney. Acting quickly gives you the best chance of correcting the record before the property is sold or borrowed against.