Access Palmer Deed Records
Deed records for Palmer are filed through the Alaska DNR Palmer Recording District, administered by the Anchorage Recorder's Office. Palmer is the borough seat of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. Palmer is the location of the Anchorage Recorder's Office that handles Palmer Recording District submissions in person. Deed records here include warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, mortgages, liens, and easements. Search the Palmer Recording District online at dnr.alaska.gov/ssd/recoff, or visit the Anchorage Recorder's Office for in-person access. The Mat-Su Borough Assessor also tracks current ownership.
Palmer Overview
Palmer Deed Recording Office
Deed records for Palmer are processed by the Alaska DNR through the Palmer Recording District. The Anchorage DNR Office at 550 West 7th Ave., Suite 108 handles all submissions for this district. The Palmer Recording District also covers Wasilla, Butte, Farm Loop, Lazy Mountain, Sutton-Alpine, and the greater Mat-Su Valley communities of Knik-Fairview, Meadow Lakes, and Tanaina.
Deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, and other real property instruments affecting Palmer properties are indexed in the statewide grantor-grantee system under the Palmer Recording District. The online index goes back to 1970.
| Recording District | Palmer Recording District |
|---|---|
| Recording Office | Alaska DNR - Anchorage Recorder's Office |
| Address | 550 West 7th Ave., Suite 108 Anchorage, AK 99501 |
| Phone | (907) 269-8876 |
| Website | dnr.alaska.gov/ssd/recoff |
The Palmer City Clerk's Office at palmerak.org/city-clerks-office is the official record keeper for city government records. Deed recording is handled by the state DNR, not the city.
Mat-Su Borough Assessor
Property assessment records for Palmer are maintained by the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assessor's Office. Acting Assessor Krista King leads this office, which is at 350 East Dahlia Avenue, Palmer, AK 99645. The assessor can be reached at (907) 861-8642. The Mat-Su online property portal at myproperty.matsugov.us lets you search by owner name, address, or parcel ID.
The City of Palmer's website at palmerak.org provides city service information and public records request procedures. For deed records, the DNR Palmer Recording District is the correct source.
How to Search Palmer Deed Records
Use the Alaska DNR free online grantor-grantee index to search Palmer deed records. Visit dnr.alaska.gov/ssd/recoff and select the Palmer Recording District. Search by grantor or grantee name, document type, or date range. The database covers 1970 to present.
The Mat-Su Borough property search at myproperty.matsugov.us is a good complement for confirming ownership and parcel information. The Borough Assessor at (907) 861-8642 can also help identify legal descriptions. The Alaska Mapper GIS at mapper.dnr.alaska.gov provides parcel boundary maps for Palmer properties. For copies of recorded documents, call the Anchorage DNR at (907) 269-8876.
The City of Palmer's public records request page at palmerak.org covers city government documents. Deed records are a state function handled by the DNR, not city hall.
Recording Fees
Recording fees for the Palmer Recording District follow Alaska law under AS 40.17.030. The standard fee is $20 for the first page and $5 for each additional page. Non-standard documents add $50. Copies are $1.25 for the first page and $0.25 per additional page. Certified copies add $5. E-recording through Simplifile, CSC, and ePN is available. Documents must meet standard formatting requirements -- see dnr.alaska.gov/ssd/recoff/PreparingDocs.
Chain of Title Research in Palmer
Palmer has a unique property history among Alaska cities. It was settled in 1935 as part of the Matanuska Colony, a federal program that relocated farm families from the Midwest to the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. Original colony farm tracts were government-issued. Many downtown and residential parcels in Palmer trace back to those original colony-era land disposals. This history is reflected in the deed records of the Palmer Recording District.
To trace ownership for a Palmer property, start at the Mat-Su Borough Assessor portal at myproperty.matsugov.us to get the current owner and parcel ID. Then search the DNR Palmer Recording District grantor-grantee index under that name and work backward through each prior owner. The online index covers 1970 to present. For Palmer properties with histories going back to the colony era and before 1970, contact the Anchorage DNR at (907) 269-8876.
The Alaska Mapper GIS at mapper.dnr.alaska.gov shows parcel boundaries and confirms legal descriptions before you search. Palmer is a compact city with many lots, and name-based searches in this high-volume district can return results across the entire Mat-Su Valley. Using the parcel ID from the Mat-Su Borough assessor portal helps target your search to the specific property and avoids confusion with similarly named parties. Copy fees for the Palmer Recording District are $1.25 for the first page and $0.25 per additional page, with a $5 fee for certified copies. To order copies, call the Anchorage DNR at (907) 269-8876 or use the online ordering system at dnr.alaska.gov/ssd/recoff.
Matanuska-Susitna Borough Deed Records
Palmer is the seat of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. All deed recordings for Palmer and the broader Mat-Su Valley go through the Palmer Recording District. For full borough details, visit the Mat-Su Borough deed records page.
Nearby Cities
These Mat-Su Valley communities also file deed records through the Palmer Recording District.