Washington State Just Raised Recording Fees by $100 Per Document

June 7, 2021

Washington State’s Governor Inslee just signed a new bill that raised the cost of recording fees for the purpose of funding additional recourses for eviction prevention and housing stability services throughout the state.

Although the price varies depending on the type of document, the recording fee was typically $103.50 for the first page of a document and another $1 for every additional page.  Beginning July 25, 2021, an extra $100 will be tacked onto that fee for each recorded document throughout the state. This surcharge is estimated to generate about $146 million a year in revenue, which is earmarked to assist with combatting the growing homelessness problem across the state.

Once the counties collect those fees, they will be passed along to the State Treasurer for allocation into the following programs:

  • 4% to the Landlord Mitigation Program.
  • 20% to support the maintenance and operation of permanent supportive housing.
  • The remainder to the Home Security Fund, which will then be split 40/60 between rental assistance programs and project-based voucher projects, respectively.

Some examples of documents that will bear this increased fee include deeds, lot line adjustments, and liens, just to name a few. There are a few types of documents that are exempt from the $100 surcharge, such as those recording births, deaths, marriages, divorces, and wage, water, or sewer liens.

If you are seeking legal assistance with adoption, estate planning, probate, real estate transactions, business law, bankruptcy or debt settlement, please don't hesitate to reach out to the experienced team at Limitless Law PLLC. We're here to help.




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This blog post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. If you have questions about your own legal rights and options, please contact the knowledgeable team at Limitless Law PLLC to schedule a strategy session with our attorney. Call 360-685-0145 or click here to learn more.