Recorded Land Plans:
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Registered Land Plans:
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Plan Regulations
Amendments under the General Laws, Chapter 36, section 13A, the Registers of Deeds of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts with the approval of the Attorney General, hereby promulgate the following rules for Land Plans to be recorded at registries of deeds. Modifications to the prior version are shown in red print and shall take effect on September 1, 2023:
- Plan sizes shall be a minimum of eight and one-half inches by eleven inches (8 ½” x 11″) and a maximum of twenty-four inches by thirty-six inches (24″ x 36″).
- Plans being presented for recording shall be on linen or polyester film, single matte or double matte with a thickness of .003 mils or .004 mils, and must have an opacity so as to allow consistent diazo and microfilm reproduction.
- All plans shall be prepared using a compatible ink with excellent cohesiveness which will produce a permanent bond and result in a plan with long term durability. All signatures must be in black india ink or its equal.
- Linen or polyester reproductions shall be accepted for recording provided they contain original signatures and comply with the other requirements for the recording of plans.
- Each plan shall have three quarter inch (3/4″) borders.
- The minimum letter size on plans presented for recording shall be one-eighth inch (1/8″) if free-hand lettering is used and one-tenth inch (1/10”) if lettering guides are used.
- Each plan presented for recording shall include a graphic scale.
- Each plan shall have an area reserved to receive planning board recitation or contain a surveyor’s certification as per Chapter 380, Acts of 1966 (G.L. ch. 41, sec. 81x).
- Each plan shall have a three and one-half inch (3 1/2”) square reserved for Registry of Deeds use.
- Each plan must contain a certification clause signed by the preparer stating that he/she has conformed with the rules and regulations of the Registers of Deeds in preparing the plan.
MALSCE Indexing Standards (Plans)
20-1. Amended Plans – (6-7) No register of deeds shall accept for recording a notice of modification, amendment or rescission of approval of a plan of a subdivision unless such notice contains a statement by the planning board that such modification, amendment or rescission does not affect any lot or rights appurtenant thereto in such subdivision which lot was conveyed or mortgaged in good faith and for valuable consideration subsequent to the approval of the subdivision plan. (MGL c.41, s.81X)
20-2. Condominium Floor Plans – (NEW, but see 6-3) A master deed must include “a set of the floor plans of the building or buildings, showing the layout, location, unit numbers and dimensions of the units, stating the name of the building or that it has not a name, and bearing the verified statement of a registered architect, registered professional engineer, or registered land surveyor, certifying that the plans fully and accurately depict the layout, location, unit number and dimensions of the units as built.” However, for the required floor plans to be accurately and legibly reproduced on standard registry of deeds equipment, the floor plans should be presented for recording as plans printed on mylar material in accordance with the Plan Regulations contained herein, and not as a paper attachment to the master deed. (MGL c.183A, s.8)
20-3. Municipal Lien Certificates & Subdivision Plans – (6-2) No definitive subdivision plan (i.e. any subdivision plan which does not contain the phrase “Approval not required” over the signature of the applicable Planning Board) shall be accepted for recording unless it is accompanied by a municipal lien certificate indicating that all taxes, assessments, and charges then assessed against the land shown on the plan have been paid in full. (MGL c.60, s.23).
20-4. Plan Attached to Document – (6-4) A copy of a plan that is to be recorded as an attachment to another document must be on white paper that is no smaller than 8.5 inches by 11 inches and no larger than 8.5 inches by 14 inches. Plans recorded in accordance with this section are exempt from the registry’s plan regulations. A document with a plan attached shall not be considered to be a “multiple document” for the calculation of the recording fee for that document.
20-5. Plan Regulations – (Appendix B) No plan shall be recorded unless it complies with the following regulations: 1. Size of Plan. Plan sizes shall be a minimum of eight and one-half inches by eleven inches (8 1/2″ x 11″) and a maximum of twenty-four inches by thirty-six inches (24″ x 36″) 2. Plan Material. Plans being presented for recording shall be on linen or polyester film (“mylar”), single matte with a thickness of 3 mils (i.e., .003 inches), and must have an opacity so as to allow consistent computer scanning and Diazo and microfilm reproduction. 3. Type of Ink. All plans shall be prepared using a compatible ink with excellent cohesiveness which will produce a permanent bond and result in a plan with long term durability. All signatures must be in black India ink or its equal. 16 4. Plan Reproductions. Linen or polyester reproductions shall be accepted for recording provided they contain original signatures and comply with the other requirements for the recording of plans. 5. Borders. Each plan shall have three quarter inch (3/4″) borders. 6. Size of Letters. The minimum letter size on plans presented for recording shall be oneeighth (1/8″) if free-hand lettering is used and one-tenth inch (1/10″) if lettering guides are used. 7. Graphic Scale. Each plan presented for recording shall include a graphic scale. 8. Recitations or Certifications. Each plan shall have an area reserved to receive planning board recitation or contain a surveyors certification as per Chapter 380, Acts of 1966 (MGL c.41, s.81x). 9. “Registry Square.” Each sheet of each plan shall have a three and one-half (3 1/2″) square 10. Certification Clause. Each plan must contain a certification clause signed by the person preparing the plan stating that he has conformed with the rules and regulations of the Registers of Deeds in preparing the plan. 11. No Tape or Raised Print. No tape adhesion or the like shall be placed on any plan presented for recording or registration. Plans presented for recording shall not contain any raised print.
20-6. Requirements for Recording – (6-6) No plan shall be recorded unless it (1) complies with the plan regulations of the registry of deeds; and (2) is either (a) endorsed by the planning board that such plan has been approved; (b) endorsed by the planning board or its designee that approval of the plan is not required; (c) accompanied by a certificate of the clerk of the city or town that the plan is deemed approved by reason of the failure of the planning board to act; or (d) contains a statement by a registered land surveyor that the plan contains no new lines.
20-7. Subdivision Control File – (6-1) Each registry of deeds shall maintain a Subdivision Control File in which shall be entered all notices related to the Subdivision Control Act sent by the boards within a city or town responsible for the implementation and enforcement of said act, including copies of the rules and regulations of such boards, a list of all board members and a list of individuals who are authorized to sign Approval Not Required plans. It is the responsibility of the respective boards of each city or town to forward this information to the registry of deeds. (MGL c.41, s.81X)