Find Property Records in Garfield County
Garfield County property records are held by the county offices in Panguitch and, for older historical materials, by the Utah State Archives in Salt Lake City. The Recorder, Assessor, and Treasurer each manage a distinct part of the property records system. Whether you are tracing land ownership, checking assessed value, reviewing tax status, or researching historical documents, this page points you to the right office and explains what each one holds in Garfield County.
Garfield County Quick Facts
Garfield County Recorder's Office
The Garfield County Recorder in Panguitch is responsible for recording and indexing all instruments that affect title to real property in Garfield County. This includes warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, trust deeds, mortgages, mechanic's liens, subdivision plats, easements, and other recorded instruments. The recorder's index is the primary tool for tracing ownership of any parcel in Garfield County.
Recording a document with the Garfield County Recorder creates constructive notice under Utah Code § 57-3-101. This notice tells the world that the recorded instrument exists and affects that piece of land. Title companies, attorneys, and private researchers all rely on the recorder's index when searching Garfield County property. The office is located at P.O. Box 77, Panguitch, UT 84759. Call (435) 676-8826 to confirm hours and what you need to bring.
| Office |
Garfield County Recorder P.O. Box 77 Panguitch, UT 84759 Phone: (435) 676-8826 |
|---|---|
| County Website | garfield.utah.gov |
| Assessor | garfield.utah.gov/assessor |
Garfield County Assessor and Property Values
The Garfield County Assessor determines the assessed value of all taxable property in the county each year. Assessed values set the base for your annual property tax. The assessor's records are public. You can look up the assessed value of any parcel in Garfield County by contacting the assessor's office in Panguitch or checking the state tool online.
The assessor's website at garfield.utah.gov/assessor is the county-level entry point for this information. For a broader view, propertyvalues.utah.gov aggregates assessment data from all Utah counties including Garfield. The Utah State Tax Commission handles appeals if your dispute with the county assessor is not resolved at the county level. Property owners in Garfield County who believe their assessment is incorrect should first appeal to the county board of equalization.
Note: Garfield County has a significant amount of federal land, which affects the county's taxable base. The assessor only values privately owned and certain state-owned parcels, not federal land.
Tax Records in Garfield County
The Garfield County Treasurer collects property taxes and keeps records of payment, delinquency, and tax sales. These are public records. Anyone can check whether a Garfield County property has unpaid taxes or a tax lien attached to it. This is a standard step in any real estate due diligence process.
Unpaid taxes in Garfield County become a lien on the land. If that lien is formally recorded, it appears in the recorder's index and shows up in a title search. The treasurer can tell you the current tax status of any parcel before you proceed with a purchase or other transaction. Contact the Garfield County Treasurer's office in Panguitch for current records.
For historical research, the Utah Division of Archives holds materials that can supplement the county's records going back into the late 1800s. The archives are accessible in Salt Lake City and online for some collections.
Historical Property Records for Garfield County
The Utah State Archives holds significant historical materials related to Garfield County. These include certificates of citizenship from 1896 to 1923 and declarations of intention from 1896 to 1906. While these are primarily naturalization records, they often contain property and residence information that is useful for genealogists and historians tracing family land ownership in Garfield County during the territorial and early statehood period.
Early land patents for Garfield County can be found through the Bureau of Land Management's General Land Office historical records database, which is a federal resource separate from both the county recorder and the state archives. Together these sources can help researchers piece together a complete ownership history for older Garfield County parcels that predates the county recorder's digital or even paper index.
The Utah Division of Archives is at archives.utah.gov. Contacting them before visiting helps you confirm what is available for Garfield County and whether records can be accessed remotely.
Recording Documents in Garfield County
Documents submitted to the Garfield County Recorder must comply with Utah Code Title 57. This means the instrument must be legible, include a full legal description of the property, and properly identify both the grantor and the grantee. After the recorder accepts the document, it is stamped with the recording date and time. Under Utah Code § 57-3-102, that timestamp is when constructive notice begins.
Utah applies a race-notice standard under Utah Code § 57-3-103. The first party to record a deed who had no prior knowledge of a competing claim wins any priority dispute. This rule applies in Garfield County as in every Utah county. Recording promptly after closing protects your interest. Call the recorder at (435) 676-8826 to verify current recording fees and format requirements before you submit documents.
GIS and Parcel Mapping in Garfield County
The Utah Geographic Information Council at gis.utah.gov maintains statewide GIS data that includes Garfield County parcel boundaries and ownership layers. This mapping tool is free to use and gives you a visual overview of any parcel in the county. You can check boundary lines, view neighboring parcels, and see how a property relates to roads and public land.
GIS data is based on county submissions and gets updated periodically. It is a helpful research tool but should not be treated as a legal survey. For precise boundary descriptions or legal property descriptions, rely on the recorded plat maps and deeds at the Garfield County Recorder's office in Panguitch.
Public Access to Garfield County Records
Under Utah Code § 63G-2, GRAMA establishes your right to access government records in Garfield County. Property records including deeds, assessed values, and tax data are public. You do not need to be the owner or give a reason to see them.
You can make a formal GRAMA request in writing to any Garfield County office if you need records that are not available through routine access. The county has ten business days to respond. Most Garfield County property records are classified as public and are available without a formal request. Staff at the recorder's or assessor's office can usually direct you to what you need. For records held by the Utah State Archives, contact that agency directly since their procedures differ from county-level requests.
Panguitch City Records
Panguitch City, the county seat of Garfield County, keeps its own set of property-related records at City Hall. Building permits, zoning decisions, and local ordinance records for properties within Panguitch city limits are held by the city rather than the county. If you are researching a parcel inside Panguitch, you may need to contact both the Garfield County offices and Panguitch City Hall to get a complete picture of what is on file.
City permits and zoning records do not appear in the county recorder's index. They are separate from the chain of title but can still be important for understanding what has been built or approved on a property, especially if you are planning to buy or develop land inside Panguitch city limits.
Cities in Garfield County
Garfield County does not have any cities that meet the population threshold for individual city pages on this site. Panguitch serves as the county seat. All Garfield County property records are maintained at the county offices in Panguitch or, for historical materials, at the Utah State Archives in Salt Lake City.
Nearby Counties
Garfield County is in southern Utah and borders several other counties. Verify which county holds the records for any parcel near a county boundary before submitting a request.