Northern Essex Registry of Deeds
1 Union St. Suite #402
Lawrence, MA 01840
Hours: 8:00 a.m. til 4:30 p.m. Mon.- Fri.
Recording hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mon.- Fri.
Main Number: (978) 557-1900 | Spanish Line: (978) 557-1950
Main Fax: (978) 688-4679
Welcome to Essex County North Registry of Deeds Internet Access. The Northern Essex Registry of Deeds is a recording office of all land transactions in Northern Essex County including:
We are also a research library for recorded land transactions. Our records date back to 1869. We give the public full access to the same records available to anyone using the computer search screens at the Registry of Deeds building in Lawrence. We have made available to you the following:
*Land Court name index (incomplete, see the caveat at the bottom of the Land Court by Name search result page), Land Court Document images from 1942 to the present. Registered Land Condominium and Easement plans are now available on the internet. To access these plans: Go to the recorded land plan inquiry by Book and Page. For Registered Land Condominium Plans put the letter C in the Book field and the number in the Page field. For Easement Plans put the letter R in the Book field and the number in the Page field. Registered Land Certificate of Titles are now available from 1993 to present. Street indexes for recorded plans complete to the present. Please note that this site is under construction and more search options will be added in the near future.
* The Land Court information provided on this site may not reflect the actual status of a Land Court property title. Reference should be made to the physical certificate(s) registered in the Essex North Land Court to verify all activity for a particular title. These Land Court listings are not covered by MGL c. 185 s. 46.
The position of Register of Deeds is even older than the country itself and before there even was a United States “land ownership documents” were being recorded in Massachusetts. The Registries of Deeds were established in 1640 under the First Modern Recording Act. Until 1715 the Clerks of the County Courts maintained the public records. At that time a law was enacted calling for the election of Registers of Deeds to represent the people of their district. This was done to ensure that an elected representative of the people would independently maintain land records. Registers of Deeds are elected for a term of six years. The Northern Essex Registry district includes the towns of Andover, Lawrence, Methuen and North Andover. Registries operate independently of one another, but coordinate efforts and share best practices through the Massachusetts Registers Association. The Registry of Deeds Division is a subdivision of the Massachusetts Secretary of State and is a repository for land and real estate related documents including deeds, mortgages, mortgage discharges, mortgage assignments and other related land documents. The documents in this office establish an accurate official record of real property ownership. These records are essential to the individual property owner who wants to establish a “clear title” to his holdings.
