Richard P. Howe Jr.
Register’s Record
Efficiency: Before Richard Howe became Register of Deeds, it took 4 weeks to process a document. Now it takes 4 minutes.
Digital Documents: Since Richard Howe became Register of Deeds, all records from 1629 to the present have been scanned and are freely available online at lowelldeeds.com.
Innovation: New technology will soon make real estate closings paperless. With an extensive record in implementing new technology, Richard Howe will ensure that this change will be seamless, secure and legal.
Homestead Protection: Massachusetts law allows homeowners to protect their homes from creditors by filing a Declaration of Homestead at the Registry of Deeds. Richard Howe implemented a one-stop process provides homeowners with the necessary forms, notary service and recording, all within minutes.
Your Deed: Need a copy? Download for free at lowelldeeds.com or call (978.322.9000) or email and we’ll send you a copy for free.
Legal Judgment: The Register of Deeds is a quasi-judicial official who must pass judgment on documents being recorded. As a lawyer with 30 years of real estate law experience, Richard Howe has the education and experience to ensure the legal integrity of our property records.
Cybersecurity: In 2020, digital records are a target. Richard Howe regularly attends expert-led cybersecurity seminars and, as a former U.S. Army intelligence officer, has real world experience in safeguarding important information.
Statewide Leadership – Richard Howe has twice served as president of the Massachusetts Registers of Deeds Association, is the chair of the Association’s Technology Subcommittee, and is the editor of the Massachusetts Deed Indexing Standards.
Register’s Bio
Richard P. Howe Jr. has served as Register of Deeds for the Northern Middlesex District since 1995. His tenure coincided with the information revolution that has transformed the world over the past 30 years, and he became a statewide leader in the use of technology in land records.
His major accomplishments include digitizing all 10 million documents recorded since 1629 and making them freely available on the registry website; being the first in Massachusetts to implement electronic recording, a highly efficient process that now accounts for 85 percent of all recordings; and serving as the primary author of the Massachusetts Deed Indexing Standards which have standardized the way data is entered in registry computer systems across the Commonwealth.
During the foreclosure crisis of 2008-2011, Richard worked closely with state and local officials and nongovernmental agencies to minimize the impact of foreclosures on the community. He also has lectured frequently on the declaration of homestead and the use of land records for genealogical and historic research.
In March 2020, Richard oversaw the move of the registry of deeds from its home of 165 years in the Middlesex Superior Courthouse to its new quarters in the Cornelius Kiernan Justice Center, and then maintained registry operations without interruption throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
Prior to becoming Register of Deeds, Richard practiced law in Lowell for eight years. He holds a BA from Providence College, an MA in History from Salem State, and a JD from Suffolk University Law School. In the early 1980s, Richard served as a U.S. Army intelligence officer in West Germany.
Richard is the author of several books about Lowell and frequently leads historic walking tours of the city.
In October 2023, Richard announced he would not seek reelection as Register of Deeds in 2024 but would retire at the end of this term. His successor will be chosen in the November 2024 election.