Utah’s approach to real estate taxation stands in stark contrast to most other states covered in this series. While states like West Virginia impose a three-layer excise totaling up to $3.85 per $500, and Minnesota charges a 0.33% deed tax on net consideration, Utah charges nothing based on sale price. The only cost a seller or buyer incurs at recording is the county recorder’s flat fee — the same $45 (or $40 in Salt Lake and Utah Counties) whether the property sold for $100,000 or $10,000,000. Understanding which fee applies, whether the May 2026 rate increase is in effect, and how to handle plats or instruments with many legal descriptions is the entire scope of the Utah calculation.
1 Confirm There Is No Utah State Transfer Tax
Before calculating any fee, the first and most important step is confirming that Utah imposes no state-level real estate transfer tax.[1] Utah Code Title 59 covers income tax, sales and use tax, and other state revenue instruments — but it contains no deed tax, documentary transfer tax, or conveyance excise of any kind. The sale price of the property is entirely irrelevant to the amount owed at recording; a $500,000 home and a $50,000 commercial lot are treated identically for recording purposes.
This is not an oversight or a gap in the law — it is deliberate policy. Utah lawmakers have repeatedly resisted proposals to add a transfer tax, and in recent sessions have considered a constitutional amendment that would prohibit any future real estate transfer tax at the state or local level.[1] As of 2026, no such tax exists anywhere in Utah. The calculator’s sale price field is labeled “Informational Only” — it has no effect on the computed fee and is included solely to allow users to see the recording fee expressed as a percentage of the transaction value (purely for reference).
✅ No Utah State Transfer Tax — Utah Code does not impose any documentary transfer tax, deed tax, or conveyance excise. Only recording fees under §17-71-407 apply. Sale price does not affect the fee.
State Transfer Tax = $0.00 [Utah Code Title 59 — no deed or transfer tax] Only recording fees apply — Utah Code §17-71-407 Recording fee is a flat dollar amount; sale price has NO effect on the fee Compare: WV charges $1.10–$3.85/$500 · MN charges 0.33% · UT charges $0 on value
Example A — Warranty Deed, Davis County, Jul 1 2026, 12 Legal Descriptions
A buyer purchases a home in Davis County for $425,000. The seller’s attorney prepares a warranty deed with 12 separate legal descriptions (the parcel is made up of multiple described tracts).
State transfer tax: $0.00 — Utah has no transfer tax regardless of the $425,000 sale price.
Proceed to Step 2 to determine the recording fee.
Example B — Subdivision Plat, Washington County, Jun 10 2026, 1 Sheet, 3 Lots
A developer records a subdivision plat in Washington County (St. George area) covering 1 sheet with 3 residential lots.
State transfer tax: $0.00 — no state tax regardless of the land’s assessed value.
Proceed to Step 2 to determine the plat recording fee.
2 Identify Your County Group and Recording Date
Because the HB38 fee increase did not apply uniformly across all 29 counties, the first real calculation step is determining which fee schedule group applies. The two groups are:
- Reduced Group — Salt Lake County and Utah County (★): These two counties were explicitly exempted from the HB38 increase by the 2026 Legislature.[4][5] Both counties remain at the prior rate of $40 per instrument and $50 per plat sheet regardless of recording date. The calculator marks these counties with a ★ in the dropdown. There is no date threshold for these two counties — the fee was $40 before May 6, 2026 and it remains $40 after.
- Standard Group — All Other 27 Counties: The remaining 27 counties follow the HB38 rate increase. Instruments recorded before May 6, 2026 use the prior rate of $40 per instrument and $50 per plat sheet. Instruments recorded on or after May 6, 2026 use the increased rate of $45 per instrument and $55 per plat sheet.[3]
The recording date — not the date of the underlying transaction — determines which rate applies. A deed signed in January 2026 but presented for recording on June 1, 2026 pays the post-HB38 rate (if in a non-exempt county). The calculator’s recording date field drives this determination, and the auto-estimated fee display updates in real time to reflect the applicable schedule — labeling it “HB38 rate,” “pre-HB38 rate,” or “SL/Utah Co. rate” accordingly.
County Group Logic (§17-71-407 / HB38): IF county is Salt Lake OR Utah County: Base fee = $40 · Plat = $50/sheet (exempt from HB38 — no change) ELSE IF recording date >= May 6, 2026: Base fee = $45 · Plat = $55/sheet (HB38 rate) ELSE (other county, before May 6, 2026): Base fee = $40 · Plat = $50/sheet (pre-HB38 rate) All groups: +$2 per description over 10 · +$2 per lot on plat
Example A — Davis County, Jul 1 2026
Davis County is in the standard group (not Salt Lake or Utah County). The recording date of July 1, 2026 is after May 6, 2026.
Applicable schedule: Post-HB38 rate — base fee = $45 per instrument. HB38
Example B — Washington County, Jun 10 2026
Washington County (St. George area) is in the standard group. The recording date of June 10, 2026 is after May 6, 2026.
Applicable schedule: Post-HB38 rate — plat sheet fee = $55 per sheet. HB38
3 Compute the Base Recording Fee
With the county group and date established, the base fee is a single flat dollar amount. There is no percentage, no rounding of a taxable value, and no tiered rate structure. The base fee represents the county recorder’s charge for the mechanical act of recording — indexing, imaging, and preserving the instrument in the permanent land records.
Instruments (Deeds, Mortgages, Liens, and Other Documents)
A deed, deed of trust, quitclaim deed, mortgage, reconveyance, judgment lien, easement, or any other instrument filed for recording incurs the base instrument fee — $40 or $45 depending on county group and date, as determined in Step 2. All instrument types pay the same base rate under §17-71-407; the sub-type (warranty deed vs. quitclaim vs. lien) is informational only and does not change the fee.[2] A seller paying $40 or $45 to record a warranty deed pays the same flat fee as a bank paying to record a deed of trust.
Plats (Subdivision, Condominium, and Survey Maps)
A subdivision plat or condominium plat is not charged at the per-instrument rate. Instead, it is charged at a per-sheet rate — $55 per sheet for standard-group counties post-HB38, or $50 per sheet for Salt Lake and Utah Counties (or any county pre-HB38).[2][3] The total base fee for a plat is: plat sheet rate multiplied by the number of sheets in the plat. A two-sheet plat in Weber County filed in June 2026 costs 2 × $55 = $110 in base sheet fees before lot fees are added.
Base Fee Computation: Instrument (deed, lien, mortgage, etc.): Base Fee = $40 (Salt Lake/Utah Co., OR any county before 5/6/2026) Base Fee = $45 (all other counties on/after 5/6/2026 — HB38) Plat (subdivision, condo, survey map): Base Fee = $50/sheet × number of sheets (SL/Utah Co., OR pre-HB38) Base Fee = $55/sheet × number of sheets (other counties post-HB38 — HB38) Both: $2 per legal description over 10 and $2 per lot added in Step 4
Example A — Warranty Deed, Davis County, Post-HB38
Davis County, standard group, Jul 1 2026 (post-HB38 rate). Instrument type: Warranty Deed.
Base instrument fee: $45.00 HB38
This is the entire base fee — a $425,000 home and a $50,000 lot in Davis County pay the same $45.
Example B — Subdivision Plat, Washington County, 1 Sheet, Post-HB38
Washington County, standard group, Jun 10 2026 (post-HB38 rate). Plat type: subdivision. 1 plat sheet.
Plat sheet fee: 1 × $55 = $55.00 HB38
Proceed to Step 4 to add the per-lot fee.
4 Add Per-Description Fees (Instruments) or Per-Lot Fees (Plats)
The base fee covers the first ten legal descriptions within an instrument, and the per-sheet charge covers the plat map itself — but Utah Code §17-71-407 adds two supplemental charges that apply once certain thresholds are crossed.
Extra Legal Descriptions on Instruments — $2 Each Over Ten
Every instrument (deed, lien, easement, etc.) includes one or more legal descriptions identifying the parcels of land being conveyed or encumbered. The base fee includes up to ten descriptions at no extra charge. If an instrument contains more than ten legal descriptions, each additional description — the eleventh, twelfth, and so on — adds $2 to the total fee.[2] A deed conveying a portfolio of twelve adjacent lots described individually would pay the base fee plus $4 (two extra descriptions × $2). Most residential deeds contain a single legal description; this charge primarily affects commercial conveyances, multi-parcel acquisitions, or deeds that group many small parcels.
Per-Lot Fee on Plats — $2 per Lot or Unit
Every lot or dwelling unit depicted on a recorded plat adds $2 to the plat recording fee.[2] For a subdivision plat with 15 single-family lots, the lot fee is 15 × $2 = $30, added on top of the per-sheet base fee. For a condominium plat with 40 units on two sheets, the lot fee is 40 × $2 = $80. This charge applies uniformly across all 29 counties and all rate periods — it is the same $2/lot before and after HB38, and the same in Salt Lake County as in Iron County.
Extra Description Fee (instruments): Extra Descriptions = max(0, total descriptions − 10) Extra Description Fee = Extra Descriptions × $2 Example: 12 descriptions → 2 extra × $2 = $4.00 Per-Lot Fee (plats): Per-Lot Fee = number of lots × $2 Example: 3 lots → 3 × $2 = $6.00 Sub-total after Step 4 = Base Fee + Extra Description Fee + Per-Lot Fee
Example A — Warranty Deed, Davis County, 12 Legal Descriptions
The deed contains 12 separate legal descriptions (the seller is conveying a parcel assembled from 12 recorded lots).
Extra descriptions: 12 − 10 = 2 extra descriptions × $2 = $4.00
Sub-total so far: $45.00 (base) + $4.00 (extra descs) = $49.00
Example B — Subdivision Plat, Washington County, 3 Lots
The plat shows 3 residential lots on its single sheet.
Per-lot fee: 3 lots × $2 = $6.00
Sub-total so far: $55.00 (plat sheet) + $6.00 (lots) = $61.00
5 Add Optional Fees and Pay at the County Recorder’s Office
The final step is adding any applicable optional or ancillary fees and tendering payment at the County Recorder’s Office. Unlike the multi-party process in states with transfer taxes — where the grantor, a title company, and a state revenue agency may all be involved — Utah’s entire recording obligation is handled in a single transaction at the county recorder’s window.
Redaction Fee — $10 Post-HB38, $5 Before
If a recorded instrument contains private personal information — such as a Social Security number, financial account number, or similar identifier that the recording party wants removed from publicly searchable records — a redaction fee applies.[3] HB38 raised this fee from $5 to $10 per document effective May 6, 2026. For instruments recorded before that date, the $5 rate still applies. The redaction fee is per document, not per instance of personal information — a deed with three Social Security numbers still pays one $10 fee post-HB38. The calculator adds this fee when the “Redaction Requested” checkbox is checked, and automatically applies the correct rate based on the recording date entered.
Certified Copy Fee — $5 Base
If the recording party requests a certified copy of the instrument at the time of recording — bearing the county recorder’s seal and certification that it is a true and correct copy of the recorded document — a flat $5 certification fee applies.[6] Additional per-page copy fees may also apply and vary by county; the calculator adds the $5 base fee and notes that per-page copy rates should be confirmed with the specific county recorder.
Government Entity Exemption
Utah Code §17-71-407 states explicitly: “Only Municipalities and State Agencies may be exempt from these fees.”[2] This is the only recording fee exemption in Utah. There is no exemption for family transfers, charitable organizations, refinances, estate transfers, quitclaim deeds, or any other commonly exempt category seen in other states. If the grantor or grantee is the State of Utah, a county, a city, a town, or another recognized political subdivision, the county recorder may waive recording fees — but the exemption must be confirmed in advance with the specific recorder’s office, as not all offices process exemptions identically. The calculator shows $0 when the government flag is checked, but includes a prominent note to verify with the recorder before recording.
No Transfer Tax Form Required
Unlike West Virginia (which requires a Sales Listing Form STC-1/2 with every recorded deed), Minnesota (which requires an eCRV), or Ohio (which requires a conveyance fee statement), Utah requires no separate transfer tax return, declaration of value, or affidavit.[1] The deed itself is the only instrument; the recording fee is paid at the time of recording; and no filing with the Utah State Tax Commission or any other state agency is required in connection with a real estate transfer. The simplicity of this process is a direct consequence of having no transfer tax — there is nothing to report.
Optional Fee Computation: Redaction Fee = $10 (recording on/after 5/6/2026 — HB38) = $5 (recording before 5/6/2026) = $0 (no redaction requested) Certification = $5 flat + per-page copy fees (varies by county) Govt Exemption = $0 total fee (state agency / municipality — verify with recorder) No transfer tax form required — no STC return, no declaration of value Grand Total Fee = Base Fee + Extra Desc. Fee + Lot Fee + Redaction + Certification
Example A — Warranty Deed, Davis County, Full Calculation
Davis County (standard group) | Jul 1, 2026 (post-HB38) | Warranty deed, 12 legal descriptions | No redaction, no certification, no government exemption
Base instrument fee (HB38): $45.00
Extra descriptions (2 × $2): $4.00
Redaction fee: $0.00 (not requested)
Certification fee: $0.00 (not requested)
Grand Total Recording Fee: $49.00 — payable to Davis County Recorder
No state transfer tax | No transfer tax form required | $425,000 sale price has no effect on fee
Example B — Subdivision Plat, Washington County, Full Calculation
Washington County (standard group) | Jun 10, 2026 (post-HB38) | Subdivision plat, 1 sheet, 3 lots | No redaction, no certification
Plat sheet fee (1 × $55): $55.00
Per-lot fee (3 × $2): $6.00
Redaction fee: $0.00 (not requested)
Grand Total Recording Fee: $61.00 — payable to Washington County Recorder
No state transfer tax | Plat must be approved by county/city planning before recording
Special Cases Worth Knowing
The HB38 Rate Change — What Happened on May 6, 2026
HB38 was enacted during the 2026 Utah General Session and took effect on May 6, 2026.[3] It amended Utah Code §17-71-407 to raise the standard instrument recording fee from $40 to $45 and the plat sheet fee from $50 to $55 — a $5 increase in each case — effective for all recordings on or after the effective date. The redaction fee was simultaneously raised from $5 to $10. Salt Lake County and Utah County were included in the bill but specifically exempted from the fee increases, retaining their prior $40/$50 schedule. The legislative rationale cited rising costs of county recorder operations, document storage, and digitization infrastructure. The pre-HB38 rates of $40/$50 applied uniformly across all 29 counties from the prior legislative session until May 5, 2026 — the last day before the new rates took effect.
Salt Lake and Utah Counties — The Same $40 Rate Since the Prior Session
The exemption of Salt Lake and Utah Counties from HB38 was not a reduction — those counties always charged $40/$50 and simply were not subjected to the increase.[4][5] These two counties together account for the large majority of Utah’s real estate transactions (Salt Lake County contains Salt Lake City; Utah County contains Provo, Orem, and the Utah Valley). The exemption may reflect the high volume of recordings in these counties — a $5 per-document increase would generate substantially more revenue in Salt Lake County alone than in all 27 other counties combined, and the legislature may have determined that the cost burden was already higher in the state’s urban core. Regardless of the rationale, the practical effect is straightforward: if the property is in Salt Lake or Utah County, the fee is $40 for instruments and $50 for plat sheets, period.
Pre-HB38 Recordings in Standard Counties
For instruments recorded before May 6, 2026 in any of the 27 standard-group counties, the pre-HB38 rate of $40/$50 applies — identical to the Salt Lake and Utah County schedule. This means that before May 6, all 29 Utah counties charged the same fees. The split between “reduced” and “standard” counties only becomes meaningful for recordings dated May 6, 2026 or later.
Plats Require Planning Approval Before Recording
Unlike deeds, which can generally be presented directly to the county recorder, subdivision plats and condominium plats must receive planning department approval — either at the county level or from the applicable municipality — before they are eligible for recording.[7] The plat recording fee under §17-71-407 is separate from any subdivision application fee charged by the planning department. The calculator computes only the recording fee; the planning review fee varies by jurisdiction and must be confirmed with the relevant planning office.
No Exemption for Family Transfers, Refinances, or Nonprofits
Because Utah has no transfer tax, the concept of “exempting” a category of transfer is largely irrelevant — there is nothing to exempt from except a flat $40–$45 filing fee. The only formal exemption under §17-71-407 is for state agencies and municipalities.[2] A parent conveying property to a child, a divorce settlement deed, a deed from an LLC to its sole member, or a quitclaim deed correcting a cloud on title all pay the same $40 or $45 instrument fee as a full-price arm’s-length sale. There is no reduced fee for nominal-consideration deeds. There is no waiver for estate transfers. This simplicity is one of the key advantages of Utah’s no-transfer-tax model.
Rate Reference Tables
| County Group | Before May 6, 2026 | On / After May 6, 2026 | Extra Desc. Fee | Plat Sheet Fee | Per Lot on Plat | Redaction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Lake County ★ confirmed[4] | $40 / instrument | $40 / instrument NO CHANGE | $2 / desc over 10 | $50 / sheet | $2 / lot | $10 (post-HB38) |
| Utah County ★ confirmed[5] | $40 / instrument | $40 / instrument NO CHANGE | $2 / desc over 10 | $50 / sheet | $2 / lot | $10 (post-HB38) |
| All Other 27 Counties e.g. Davis, Weber, Cache, Washington, Iron, Box Elder… | $40 / instrument | $45 / instrument ↑$5 HB38 | $2 / desc over 10 | $55 / sheet ↑$5 | $2 / lot | $10 (post-HB38) / $5 before |
| Scenario | County | Date | Calculation | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warranty deed — 1 description | Weber (other) | Jun 10, 2026 | $45 base + $0 extra | $45 |
| Deed — 12 descriptions | Davis (other) | Jul 1, 2026 | $45 + (2 × $2) | $49 |
| Plat — 1 sheet, 3 lots | Washington (other) | Jun 10, 2026 | $55 + (3 × $2) | $61 |
| Warranty deed (Salt Lake Co.) | Salt Lake ★ | Jun 1, 2026 | $40 base (exempt from HB38) | $40 |
| Pre-HB38 deed (other county) | Juab (other) | Apr 15, 2026 | $40 base (pre-HB38 rate) | $40 |
| Plat — 2 sheets, 10 lots | Cache (other) | Jun 5, 2026 | (2 × $55) + (10 × $2) | $130 |
| Deed with redaction | Summit (other) | Jun 15, 2026 | $45 + $10 redaction | $55 |
| Deed — 15 descriptions | Washington (other) | Jul 1, 2026 | $45 + (5 × $2) | $55 |
| State agency transfer | Salt Lake ★ | Jun 1, 2026 | Govt. exemption — verify with recorder | $0* |
| All 29 counties before HB38 | Any | Before May 6, 2026 | $40 base | $40+ |
* Government exemption must be verified with County Recorder. §17-71-407: “Only Municipalities and State Agencies may be exempt from these fees.”
Filing Process
| Step | What Happens | Form / Action |
|---|---|---|
| Prepare the deed or instrument | Draft the deed (warranty, quitclaim, deed of trust, etc.) meeting Utah recording requirements: proper grantor/grantee identification, legal description of the property, notarization. No declaration of consideration or transfer tax statement is required. | Deed prepared by attorney or closing agent — no state form required |
| Plat approval (plats only) | Subdivision and condominium plats must be approved by the applicable county or municipal planning department before recording. Bring written planning approval to the recorder’s office. | County or city planning department — separate from recording fee |
| Present at County Recorder’s Office | File at the County Recorder’s Office for the county where the property is located. Pay the recording fee at the time of submission. No advance filing, no state tax agency involvement, and no transfer tax form of any kind. | County Recorder — utah.gov/government/counties |
| Deed recorded and returned | The recorder assigns a recording number, stamps the date and time, images the document into the permanent land records, and returns the original (or a certified copy if requested) to the presenting party. | Official land records under §17-71-407 |
| No state tax agency filing | No filing with the Utah State Tax Commission or any state agency is required in connection with a real estate transfer. The entire obligation is completed at recording. | N/A — Utah has no transfer tax return |
References
- No Utah State Real Estate Transfer Tax — Utah Code Title 59; Proposed Constitutional Amendment.
Utah Code Title 59 (Utah State Tax Code) covers income taxes, sales and use taxes, mineral production taxes, and other state revenue instruments. It contains no deed tax, documentary transfer tax, conveyance fee, or any other tax on the transfer of real property. This distinguishes Utah from the large majority of U.S. states, which impose at least a nominal statewide documentary transfer tax or excise. Utah lawmakers have repeatedly reinforced this policy: in recent legislative sessions, legislators have proposed a constitutional amendment that would permanently prohibit any state or local real estate transfer tax from being enacted. As of 2026, no such constitutional amendment has been ratified, but no transfer tax exists either. The absence of a transfer tax means that the sale price of a property has no legal effect on the cost of recording the deed — a $1 million sale and a $50,000 sale pay the identical recording fee. The calculator reflects this by treating the sale price field as “Informational Only” with no effect on the computed fee.
Utah State Legislature: le.utah.gov — Utah Code Title 59 (State Tax Commission) - Utah Code §17-71-407 — County Recorder Recording Fee Schedule; $2 per Extra Description; $2 per Lot; Government Exemption.
§17-71-407 is the primary statute governing recording fees for Utah county recorders. It establishes a uniform fee schedule applicable statewide (subject to the HB38 exception for Salt Lake and Utah Counties). The statute sets the per-instrument base fee, the per-plat-sheet fee, and the supplemental per-description and per-lot charges. Key provisions: (1) the base fee covers the first ten legal descriptions within an instrument — each additional description beyond ten adds $2; (2) for plats, each lot or unit on the plat adds $2 to the sheet fee; (3) the fee schedule applies to all recorded instruments including deeds, deeds of trust, liens, easements, mortgages, reconveyances, and other documents; (4) only municipalities and state agencies may be exempt from recording fees — no other exemptions are authorized by statute; (5) the statute was amended by HB38 (2026 General Session) to increase the base and plat fees by $5 for all counties except Salt Lake and Utah Counties.
Utah State Legislature: le.utah.gov — Utah Code §17-71-407 - HB38 (2026 Utah General Session) — $5 Recording Fee Increase; Effective May 6, 2026; Salt Lake and Utah Counties Exempted.
HB38 was enacted during the 2026 Utah General Legislative Session and took effect on May 6, 2026. The bill amended Utah Code §17-71-407 to increase the base recording fee per instrument from $40 to $45 and the per-plat-sheet fee from $50 to $55 for all Utah counties except Salt Lake County and Utah County, which were explicitly excluded from the increases and remain at the prior $40/$50 schedule. The bill also raised the fee for redacting personal information from a recorded document from $5 to $10 per document, effective the same date. The legislative history notes that the $5 increase was intended to help offset rising costs associated with county recorder operations, including document imaging, digital storage infrastructure, and indexing. HB38 is the most significant amendment to the Utah recording fee schedule in recent sessions.
Utah State Legislature: le.utah.gov — HB38, 2026 General Session · Utah Code §17-71-407 as amended - Salt Lake County Recorder — Confirmed $40/Instrument Fee; Exempt from HB38 Increase.
Salt Lake County Recorder’s Office publishes its official recording fee schedule confirming a base instrument recording fee of $40 per document and a plat sheet fee of $50 per sheet, plus $2 per lot on plats and $2 per legal description over ten. Salt Lake County was specifically exempted by the 2026 HB38 legislation from the $5 fee increase applicable to the other 27 counties, and its fees remain unchanged. Salt Lake County accounts for the largest share of Utah real estate transactions by volume, encompassing Salt Lake City and surrounding communities. The calculator marks Salt Lake County with ★ in the dropdown to indicate the reduced/unchanged rate group.
Salt Lake County Recorder’s Office: slco.org/recorder/ — official fee schedule - Utah County Recorder — Confirmed $40/Instrument Fee; Exempt from HB38 Increase.
Utah County Recorder’s Office (serving the Provo/Orem area) publishes its recording fee schedule confirming a base instrument fee of $40 per document and a plat sheet fee of $50 per sheet, with identical supplemental charges ($2 per extra description over 10; $2 per lot). Like Salt Lake County, Utah County was exempted from the HB38 $5 increase and remains at the $40/$50 schedule. Together, Salt Lake and Utah Counties are the only two of Utah’s 29 counties that were carved out of the HB38 fee increase. The calculator marks Utah County with ★ alongside Salt Lake County in the county dropdown.
Utah County Recorder’s Office: utahcounty.gov/dept/recorder/ — official fee schedule - County Recorder Certification and Copy Fees — $5 Certification Base; Per-Page Copy Rates Vary.
Utah county recorders charge a flat $5 certification fee when a certified copy of a recorded instrument is requested. A certified copy bears the recorder’s official seal and is a court-recognized authentication that the copy is a true and correct representation of the document as recorded. Beyond the $5 certification fee, per-page copy fees apply and vary by county — some counties charge $0.50 per page, others charge $1.00 per page or more. Because per-page copy fees are not uniformly set by §17-71-407, the calculator adds only the $5 base certification fee and directs users to confirm per-page rates directly with their county recorder. For most deeds (1–5 pages), the total certified copy cost ranges from $7.50 to $10.00 depending on the county’s per-page rate.
Utah county recorder offices — see utah.gov/government/counties for individual office contacts - Utah Subdivision Plat Recording Requirements — Planning Approval Required Before Recording.
Utah Code Title 17 and the Utah Subdivision and Development Act require that subdivision plats and condominium plats receive approval from the applicable planning authority before they may be presented for recording at the county recorder’s office. The planning authority is either the county planning commission (for unincorporated areas) or the municipal planning commission (for incorporated cities and towns). Planning approval involves review of the plat for compliance with subdivision ordinances, utility dedication requirements, access standards, and other land use regulations. Planning approval fees are set by the local jurisdiction and are entirely separate from the county recorder’s recording fee under §17-71-407. Developers must present evidence of planning approval — typically a signed approval stamp on the plat itself — to the recorder before recording will be accepted.
Utah Code Title 17 (Counties) and Utah Code Title 10-9a (Utah Municipal Code) — subdivision and plat approval requirements - Utah Code §17-71-407 — Government Entity Exemption: “Only Municipalities and State Agencies May Be Exempt.”
The statutory text of §17-71-407 contains an explicit and narrow exemption provision: “Only Municipalities and State Agencies may be exempt from these fees.” This language has been interpreted by county recorders to extend to the United States federal government (which has sovereign immunity from state fees) as well as to the State of Utah and its agencies, counties, cities, towns, and other recognized political subdivisions. The exemption does not extend to: nonprofit organizations, charitable entities, religious organizations, family members (even without consideration), refinances, correction deeds, or any other category commonly exempt under state transfer tax regimes. Because Utah has no transfer tax, these non-governmental parties do not benefit from the elaborate exemption frameworks found in states like West Virginia or Minnesota — but they also pay only $40–$45 in recording fees rather than hundreds or thousands of dollars in excise tax. Government entities seeking the fee exemption should bring documentation of their entity status (a letterhead, resolution, or government ID) to the recorder and confirm the waiver before recording, as individual recorder offices may have different internal procedures.
Utah Code §17-71-407 — exemption provision · individual county recorder offices for waiver procedures - Utah.gov / Utah Association of Counties — County Recorder Contact Directory.
The Utah state government maintains a directory of all 29 county governments at utah.gov/government/counties, including direct links to each county recorder’s office website and contact information. The Utah Association of Counties (UAC) at uacnet.org also maintains county government resources and contact listings. Recording fee schedules for each county are typically published on individual recorder websites and updated when legislative changes take effect. For the most current fees — particularly in any county that may have adopted local supplemental fees or made updates to its published schedule since the last legislative session — users should consult the specific county recorder’s office directly before recording. As of 2026, the Utah Code §17-71-407 schedule as amended by HB38 represents the legally operative fee for all 29 counties, subject only to the Salt Lake/Utah County exemption.
Utah.gov: utah.gov/government/counties · Utah Association of Counties: uacnet.org
Disclaimer: This guide is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Recording fees are governed by Utah Code §17-71-407 as amended by HB38 (effective May 6, 2026). Rates are as of 2026. Salt Lake County and Utah County are exempt from the HB38 fee increase. Always confirm current fees with your County Recorder’s Office before recording. County recorder contacts: utah.gov/government/counties.