Carter County Land Records and Property Search
Carter County property records are filed with the County Clerk at the courthouse in Ardmore. The office holds all recorded land instruments for the county, including deeds, mortgages, oil and gas leases, mineral deeds, tax liens, releases, and plat maps. Carter County land records are searchable online through OKCountyRecords.com, which offers both indexed data from November 1998 and scanned images going back to January 1908, making Carter County one of the deepest digital archives available in Oklahoma. If you need to find a deed, trace ownership history, or verify a lien, the online portal and the clerk's office in Ardmore are both good places to start.
Carter County Overview
Carter County Clerk and Property Records Office
The Carter County Clerk is the official custodian of all land records in the county. This office records instruments affecting real property and maintains them in a permanent public index. The current County Clerk is Kelly Brawley. The office is at 20 "B" Street Southwest, Suite 102 in Ardmore. A separate mailing address is used for postal submissions, so confirm the correct address before sending documents. The best email for land records questions is landrecords@cartercountyclerk.com.
The clerk's office handles all standard recorded instruments, from warranty deeds and quitclaim deeds to oil and gas lease assignments and mineral deed transfers. Staff can search by name or legal description and make copies while you wait. Certified copies carry the county seal and are needed for title and legal work. Uncertified copies are cheaper and work for research purposes. The office also maintains a book list covering older documents that predate the online index, along with plat maps for the county.
| County Clerk | Kelly Brawley |
|---|---|
| Address | 20 "B" Street Southwest, Suite 102, Ardmore, OK 73402 (Mailing: P.O. Box 1236, Ardmore, OK 73402) |
| Phone | (580) 223-8162 | (580) 223-5253 |
| landrecords@cartercountyclerk.com | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
Note: Carter County was named for Captain Ben W. Carter, a Cherokee who lived among the Chickasaw; the county seat of Ardmore is part of the Ardmore Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Search Carter County Property Records Online
Carter County land records are available through OKCountyRecords.com. The platform gives you access to indexed data from November 1998 and scanned document images going back to January 1908. That depth of digital imaging is rare among Oklahoma counties and makes Carter County one of the best resources for historical land research online. New documents are added in real-time as they are recorded at the courthouse.
Search options on the portal include party name in "Last, First" format, business name, party type (grantor or grantee), instrument type, recorded date range, and legal description fields including quarter, section, township, range, addition, block, and lot. The book list and plat maps for Carter County are also accessible through the same system.
The index is free to search. You can look through the results before deciding to print or download anything. All revenue from printing copies through the platform goes directly to support Carter County operations. Visit the Carter County search page on OKCountyRecords.com to get started.
The OKCountyRecords search interface for Carter County allows searches by name, legal description, and instrument type, with scanned images available from as far back as January 1908.
Types of Property Records in Carter County
Warranty deeds are the most common instrument recorded in Carter County. They transfer property from seller to buyer and carry the seller's guarantee of clear title. Quitclaim deeds pass along whatever interest the grantor holds, with no warranty. Both types are recorded when ownership changes. Mortgages and deeds of trust create liens on property to secure loans, and releases clear those liens once debts are paid.
Oil and gas leases make up a large part of the Carter County record index. Southern Oklahoma has a deep history of petroleum development, and Carter County has been part of that activity for over a century. Mineral deeds transfer subsurface rights separately from surface ownership, which is a common arrangement in Oklahoma and makes mineral deed searches essential for complete title work. Tax liens and judgment liens also appear in the index and can affect a property's marketability if not cleared.
Because Carter County's scanned images go back to January 1908, researchers and title professionals can access documents from the earliest years of Oklahoma statehood. This is a significant advantage for historical title chains or genealogical research tied to land ownership. The Court Clerk maintains separate records for marriage, divorce, and probate matters, which are distinct from the land records at the County Clerk's office.
Note: Carter County indexed data starts in November 1998 online, but scanned images go all the way back to January 1908, giving you document images for a 90-year period that predates the electronic index.
Recording Fees for Carter County Property Records
Oklahoma recording fees are set by state law. Under Title 28 Section 32, updated effective November 1, 2024, the fee for the first page of any recorded instrument is $8.00. Each additional page of the same document costs $2.00. A records management and preservation fee of $10.00 applies per instrument. Documents that fail to meet formatting requirements are charged as non-conforming at $25.00 for the first page and $10.00 for each additional page.
Senate Bill 57, effective November 1, 2024, requires all documents submitted for recording to have a 2-inch top margin and 1-inch margins on all other sides. Documents outside those margins are still recorded, but at the non-conforming rate. Oklahoma also collects a documentary stamp tax of $0.75 per $500 of consideration under Title 68 Section 3201. On a $200,000 transaction, that comes to $300 in documentary stamps due at recording. Photographic copies of recorded documents cost $1.00 per page. Certified copies add another $1.00 per page on top of the copy fee.
Carter County Assessor and Property Valuation
The Carter County Assessor's office is at 25 A Street NW, Suite 103 in Ardmore. The assessor maintains separate records from the County Clerk, covering property valuations, ownership data, and parcel descriptions used for tax purposes. These records are useful when you know a property's location but need the legal description, or when you want to check the assessed value alongside deed records. The assessor's data ties directly to the county's tax rolls.
The County Treasurer handles tax collection and maintains payment history for property taxes. Tax liens for unpaid property taxes are recorded with the County Clerk and appear in the land index. For a broader look at property tax data across Oklahoma, OKTaxRolls.com provides statewide access. The assessor and treasurer offices are each separate from the County Clerk, so a thorough property search may require stopping at multiple offices or using multiple online systems.
Electronic Filing in Carter County
Carter County accepts electronic recording through three providers: Simplifile, CSC eRecording, and ePN. Title companies, lenders, and law firms can use these platforms to submit documents to the County Clerk directly without sending paper by mail. The clerk reviews each submission, records it, and returns the stamped document digitally. Electronic filing reduces turnaround time significantly, which benefits title closings and loan recordings that depend on quick recording confirmation.
Cities in Carter County
Ardmore is the county seat and by far the largest city in Carter County. Property records for Ardmore and all other communities in the county are filed with the Carter County Clerk in Ardmore. Other communities in the county include Lone Grove, Wilson, Healdton, and Dickson. Only Ardmore meets the population threshold for a dedicated property records page on this site.
Nearby Counties
These counties share a border with Carter County. Each has its own County Clerk and land records system. If a property's county is unclear, check the legal description or parcel map.