Search Property Records in Emery County
Emery County property records are maintained by the county offices in Castle Dale and by the Utah State Archives in Salt Lake City for older historical materials. The Recorder, Assessor, and Treasurer each hold different parts of the property record system. If you need a deed, an assessed value, a tax payment record, or a historical document tied to land in Emery County, this page explains where to look and how to get it.
Emery County Quick Facts
Emery County Recorder's Office
The Emery County Recorder in Castle Dale is the official keeper of real estate documents for Emery County. All deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, subdivision plats, and other instruments that affect ownership of land in Emery County are filed here. The office is reachable by phone at (435) 381-3520. You can also write to P.O. Box 698, Castle Dale, UT 84513 for mail requests.
When you record a document with the Emery County Recorder, that recording creates constructive notice to the public under Utah Code § 57-3-101. This is the legal foundation of the property records system. Anyone searching title to Emery County land can rely on the recorder's index to find every instrument on file for a given parcel. The index lists documents by grantor name, grantee name, and parcel number.
| Office |
Emery County Recorder P.O. Box 698 Castle Dale, UT 84513 Phone: (435) 381-3520 |
|---|---|
| County Website | emerycounty.com |
Note: The Emery County Recorder's website has had technical issues at times. Call the office directly at (435) 381-3520 to confirm current access and hours before making a trip to Castle Dale.
Emery County Assessor and Property Values
The Emery County Assessor sets the assessed value for all taxable property in the county. This value determines how much property tax you owe. Assessed values are recalculated each year and are public records. You can contact the Emery County Assessor at the Castle Dale county offices to look up a parcel's assessed value or check exemption status.
Utah Code gives the county assessor broad duties under Title 17 regarding how property is valued and what records must be kept. The assessor's data is also available through the state's property values portal at propertyvalues.utah.gov, which can save you a trip to Castle Dale for basic value lookups. If you disagree with an assessed value in Emery County, you can appeal through the county board of equalization. If that does not resolve the issue, the next step is the Utah State Tax Commission.
The Emery County Assessor website is at emerycounty.com/Assessor.html. Confirm current contact details by visiting the county site or calling the recorder's office for a referral.
Tax Records in Emery County
Property tax collection in Emery County is handled by the Treasurer's office in Castle Dale. The treasurer keeps records of annual tax bills, payments received, and any delinquencies. These records are public and can be checked by anyone. Unpaid property taxes in Emery County become a lien on the land, and if they remain unpaid long enough, the county can initiate a tax sale.
Tax lien records, when they reach the point of formal recording, appear in the Emery County Recorder's index alongside deeds and mortgages. That means a proper title search in Emery County should include both the recorder's records and the treasurer's delinquency records. Contact the Emery County Treasurer's office in Castle Dale to check on the tax status of any parcel.
The Utah Division of Archives in Salt Lake City is an additional resource for Emery County property matters. The archives hold state-level materials that supplement what the county recorder has on file, especially for older research.
Historical Property Records for Emery County
Emery County has a notable collection of historical records held by the Utah State Archives. For researchers tracing land ownership back into the late 1800s or early 1900s, the archives hold materials that go well beyond what most county offices keep on hand. Declarations of intention from 1907 to 1941, naturalization records from 1896 to 1942, and probate case files from 1888 to 1932 are all available through the Utah Division of Archives. These records sometimes contain property-related information, particularly probate files that record the transfer of real estate to heirs.
The Utah State Archives are located in Salt Lake City. You can contact them at archives.utah.gov to search their holdings before making a visit. Some records are available digitally; others require an in-person review. For early Emery County land patents and original government survey plats, the Bureau of Land Management's General Land Office records are also a useful federal-level resource.
Note: Probate files from 1888 to 1932 at the state archives may document land transfers in Emery County that did not go through the county recorder, making them an important supplement for historical title research.
Recording Documents in Emery County
All documents recorded with the Emery County Recorder must comply with Utah Code Title 57. This means clear legibility, a complete legal description of the property, and proper identification of the grantor and grantee. Once accepted, the recorder stamps the document with the date and time of recording. Under Utah Code § 57-3-102, that timestamp is when notice to the public begins.
Utah is a race-notice state under Utah Code § 57-3-103. A party who records first and did not have prior knowledge of a competing claim takes legal priority. In practical terms, this means the sooner you record after any property transaction in Emery County, the stronger your protection. Call the recorder at (435) 381-3520 to confirm current recording fees and any formatting requirements before you submit documents.
GIS and Parcel Data for Emery County
Parcel boundary data for Emery County is part of the statewide GIS dataset maintained by the Utah Geographic Information Council at gis.utah.gov. This free resource shows parcel lines, ownership layers, and geographic context for land in Emery County. It is useful for visually checking a parcel's boundaries against neighboring land or roads before doing more detailed title research.
The GIS data is based on county-level information submitted to the state. It gets updated regularly but may not reflect very recent changes. For legal boundary information or recent deed transfers, always confirm with the Emery County Recorder's recorded documents rather than relying solely on the GIS layer.
Public Access to Emery County Property Records
Emery County property records are open to the public under Utah Code § 63G-2, the Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA). You do not need to own property or give a reason to view recorded deeds, assessment records, or tax information. These are classified as public records and the county must make them available.
If you need records that are not accessible through normal channels, you can submit a formal written GRAMA request to the applicable Emery County office. The county has ten business days to respond. Most Emery County property records are public and do not require a formal request. For older records held by the Utah State Archives, contact that office separately since they operate under their own access procedures.
Castle Dale City Records
Castle Dale, the Emery County seat, maintains its own set of local property-related records. Building permits, zoning decisions, and city development records are kept at Castle Dale City Hall rather than at the county offices. If you are researching a property inside Castle Dale city limits, checking with the city can provide information about permitted work, land use approvals, and any code violations on record that would not appear in the county recorder's index.
For properties outside Castle Dale but within Emery County, the county recorder and assessor are your primary sources. Smaller towns in Emery County may also have their own local records depending on their size and organizational structure.
Cities in Emery County
Emery County does not have any cities that meet the population threshold for individual city pages on this site. Castle Dale serves as the county seat. All Emery County property records are maintained at the county offices in Castle Dale or, for historical materials, at the Utah State Archives in Salt Lake City.
Nearby Counties
Emery County is located in central Utah and shares borders with several other counties. If you are not sure which county holds records for a property near a boundary, verify the parcel's legal county before making a records request.