The website does not contain all of the Suffolk Registry's records - most public searches for documents recorded in Recorded Land and/or Registered Land in the last 50-years can be performed on the website. Historical and genealogical research is best performed in-person at the Registry.

Recorded Land recordings dating back to 1973 (Book 8595) are indexed and imaged and available for search under the name of the Grantor or Grantee. Currently the Registry is in the process of verifying and re-indexing 1970 to 1972 - any available information from 1970 to the end of 1972 is unverified.

Search as follows: under Office - select Recorded Land, under Search Type - select Name Search, then enter the Last Name and then the First Name - for businesses, condominiums and trusts enter the name only in the Last Name field and leave the First Name field blank. Condominiums and other documents which begin with a numeric number(s) are searched with the number placed at the end (ex. 105 Main Street Condominium - is searched Main Street Condominium 105).

Books from 1973 to the present can be searched as follows: under Office - select Recorded Land, under Search Type - select Book Search, then enter the Book or the Book/Page.

Images of older Books dating back to 1800 (Book 194) are available as follows: under Office - select Recorded Land, under Search Type - select Unindexed Property Search, then enter the Book or the Book/Page.

Many documents do not contain addresses, including many older deeds and mortgages - an address search will be a useful tool for more recent searches, however, the further you go back in your research the less complete your search will be. Search by address as follows: under Office - select Recorded Land, under Search Type - select Property Search, then enter the Street Number and then the Street Name.

Addresses are not always identified accurately on documents. In the Street Number field search the complete number -- ex. 47-49 Main St - if there are no results for a search of 47-49, then search 47 and 49 in separate searches. In the Street Name field - if you are unfamiliar with how the second part of a name is abbreviated simply enter the first part of the street's name and omit the street (ST)/road (RD)/avenue (AVE)/boulevard (BLVD), etc.- ex. Main Street - search Main .

The majority of Registered Land Certificates of Title and related document recordings are indexed and imaged. There are gaps, however, of older unindexed Certificates of Title and related documents. If you encounter one in your research, please call the Registered Land Counter at (617) 788-6251 and report the unindexed certificate of title or document - the staff will index and link the image and make it available on masslandrecords.com/Suffolk.

Most Recorded Land plans are available as follows: under Office - select Plans, under Search Type - select Book Search, then enter the Book or the Book/Page. It is better to simply enter the Book and search the results by page of the plans in the book searched. Plans recorded from 2004 to the present can also be searched by Name and Address.

Plans recorded in Registered Land fall into one of two categories - first, plans recorded with the Certificate of Title (the Land Court Plan) and second, plans recorded with a specific document (the Document Plan).

The Land Court Plan can be located as follows: under Office - select Registered Land (Land Court), under Search Type - select Certificate Search, then enter the Certificate Number where the plan you are seeking was filed referenced in the legal description on each Certificate.

• Ex. "Said land is determined by the Court to be located as shown on a plan filed in the Land Registration Office as Plan No. 123-A, a copy of a portion of which is filed with Certificate of Title No. 4567." - to find Plan No. 123-A, search for Certificate of Title 4567 .

The Document Plan can be located as follows: under Office - select Registered Land Plans, under Search Type - select Document Search, then in the From Document Number field enter the document number of the document the plan was recorded with. Plans recorded from 2004 to the present can also be searched by Name and Address.