Shelby County, TN Property Records: Search Deeds, Owners, Tax Records, and Maps

Property records in Shelby County are maintained by three main offices. The Register of Deeds provides official copies of deeds, deeds of trust, and plats. The Assessor of Property determines the value of every parcel of land and maintains each property's record card, while the County Trustee manages property tax records. All three offices are located in Memphis and provide up‑to‑date records to help property researchers make informed decisions.

Shelby County's property market is fairly competitive. Single‑family detached homes dominate the local housing market, and properties typically go under contract in 26 to 64 days. The county's active inventory has expanded to roughly 3,700 to 4,500 available homes, giving buyers more options to choose from.

Recent records reveal the underlying factors influencing the local real estate market, with a median home value of $179,100 and median rent of $1,095.5, alongside a median household income of $56,969.5 and a median real estate tax rate of 1.2 as a percentage of the property's assessed value.

How to Look Up Shelby County Property Records

Shelby County property records can be accessed through several online portals. See the table below for the different property records portals in the county.

Who Keeps Shelby County Property Records

Shelby County property records are maintained at the county level and are available for inspection and copying under the Tennessee Public Records Act. You can contact the following Shelby County offices for access to property records:

• The Shelby County Register of Deeds maintains deeds, deeds of trust, plats, liens, and releases. This is the office of legal record for the chain of title.

• The Shelby County Assessor of Property maintains property record cards for every parcel in the county. It also appraises every parcel, assigns the Map-Group-Parcel number, and sets the property class.

• The Shelby County Trustee maintains property tax records in the county. It is also responsible for collecting county property taxes and administering the state Tax Relief program.

While smaller towns like Arlington and Lakeland use the County Trustee as their collection agent, several major cities like Memphis, Bartlett, and Germantown manage their own primary property tax collections.

How to Search Shelby County Property Records Online

Shelby County does not have a single online database for all property records. In Shelby County, different offices maintain different types of property records, and each office maintains its own searchable database. As a result, a thorough property search requires checking two to three portals in the following order:

1. Start at the Assessor of Property search portal. This portal allows you to view a property's ownership record, official appraised data, physical characteristics, and assessment valuation. You can search by address or owner name to identify the parcel and copy its Map-Group-Parcel number.
2. After that, use the Register's property records portal to view deeds linked to the property owner's name. The Register indexes by grantor and grantee, so you can view records from both the seller and buyer side to build a full chain of titles.
3. Confirm the current owner on the most recent deed. Then work backward through earlier deeds, checking that each grantor matches the grantee on the deed before it.
4. Run the same index for deeds of trust, liens, and releases. The sworn value stated on a deed also tells you what the property last sold for.
5. Then, find and review the property's tax information using the Shelby County tax look-up tool. Finally, visit the Shelby County tax payment portal to check a property's current tax status.

Register of Deeds: Deeds, Deeds of Trust, and Plats

This office is responsible for recording and preserving all instruments that affect real estate ownership and transfer. These include deeds, deeds of trust, liens, and easements. Once recorded and scanned, these documents are available for public inspection on the Shelby County Register of Deeds’s property records portal. You can search by name, book and page, instrument number, subdivision and lot, or legal description.

Assessor of Property: Ownership, Values, and Parcel Data

The Shelby County Assessor's Office is responsible for appraising every parcel in the county. The office also assigns the Map‑Group‑Parcel number used to locate, appraise, and track each parcel. Under state law, the Assessor's Office must conduct reappraisals every four years. This process allows the office to adjust property values so that all parcels in Shelby County are appraised at market value.

County Trustee: Tax Bills and Payments

The Shelby County Trustee handles the billing and collection of property taxes in the county. Taxes are due on the first Monday in October and must be paid in full by the last day of February to avoid interest. After February, interest is added each month on any unpaid balance. The Trustee also manages the state’s Tax Relief program, which helps eligible homeowners pay part of their property tax bill.

Property Tax in Shelby County: Classification, Exemptions, and Appeals

There is no state property tax in Tennessee. Counties and cities are the only entities that collect property tax revenue.

How the bill is figured

Residential and farm property is taxed on 25% of its appraised value, while commercial and industrial property is taxed on 40%. The assessed value is found by multiplying the appraised value by that percentage. In Shelby County, property tax is calculated by multiplying the assessed value of your property by the tax rate and then dividing the result by 100.

Exemptions and relief

Appealing your value

If you are not satisfied with your property's valuation, you may request an informal review from the Assessor at any time. If the Assessor's response is unsatisfactory, you can file a formal appeal with the Shelby County Board of Equalization. Your appeal must be submitted to the Board before June 30th of the tax year in question. Property owners who do not file within the proper time frame may lose all rights of appeal.

GIS Maps and Parcel Viewer

Shelby County runs a GIS mapping system that links each parcel to its ownership and assessment record. If the data you seek extend beyond county boundaries, you may use the TNMap assessment portal. The Tennessee Comptroller's Division of Property Assessments also publishes statewide assessment data.

Foreclosure and Tax Sales

Tennessee allows two kinds of foreclosure sales, and understanding both is important for property research.

Deed-of-trust foreclosure

This process is initiated when a borrower defaults on a mortgage payment. Once the loan is in default, the trustee named in the deed of trust can sell the property at a public auction without going to court. This nonjudicial process is generally faster than a court foreclosure.

Delinquent-tax sale

If a property owner falls behind on taxes, the County Trustee can take the case to Chancery Court to get approval to foreclose. Once the court gives judgment, the Clerk & Master carries out a sale under T.C.A. 67-5-2501. Tennessee does not sell tax‑lien certificates to investors. After the sale, the former owner usually has one year to reclaim the property by paying the debt plus costs.

Costs to Access Property Records

Searching the online index is free. Fees apply when you need a copy or are recording a new document.

The recordation taxes are set by T.C.A. 67-4-409 and collected by the Register at recording. Confirm the current fee schedule with the Register of Deeds before filing.

How to Record a Document

Tennessee law governs the form of any instrument that conveys an interest in real property. There is a four-step process:

1. Confirm the document meets Tennessee format rules: original signatures, a notary acknowledgment, a proper legal description, a preparer statement, and the required margins for recording.
2. State the value under oath on the face of the deed, as Tennessee requires. The Register uses that sworn value to calculate the realty transfer tax.
3. Submit to the Register of Deeds in Memphis by mail or through an approved e-recording vendor. Pay the recording fee and the recordation taxes due.
4. Once recorded, the original is returned to the filer, and the document image posts to the online index within a short processing window.

FAQs

Quick Reference: Your Shelby County Property Records Checklist

Match each row to your task to find the fastest path through the system.

Key Contacts and Official Portals