Land records · Parcel maps · October 4, 2026
What Is Chain of Title? Tracing Deeds to a Parcel
What is chain of title: the recorded string of deeds from past owners to today's. How to trace it in county indexes and check it against a parcel map.
What is chain of title? It is the ordered list of recorded documents that moved ownership of a parcel from one owner to the next, ending with whoever holds it today. Each link is usually a deed, but wills, probate orders, court judgments, and other recorded instruments can be links too. When every transfer lines up—the person who received the land in one document is the person who conveys it in the next—the chain is unbroken. When a name, a document, or a description goes missing, title professionals call it a gap or a break. This guide explains how the chain is built in county records and how to line it up with a parcel map. It is general land-records background, not legal advice.
How a chain of title is built
Every time land changes hands and the document is recorded, the county indexes it. Over decades, those entries stack into a history of the parcel. Reading the chain means walking that history in order and checking three things at each step:
- Names match. The grantee (buyer) in one deed should be the grantor (seller) in the next. Spelling changes, marriages, and business name changes are common reasons a link looks off.
- Land matches. The legal description should describe the same parcel, or a clear piece of it, from one deed to the next. Splits and combinations need their own documents.
- Dates make sense. Nobody should convey land before they received it, and recording dates can matter when two documents compete.
To learn what each part of a deed says, start with how to read a property deed. Recording references such as an instrument number or a reception number are how you pull each link from the recorder’s office.
Where to search the chain
- Start with the current deed. Find the most recent recorded deed for the parcel; how to get a copy of my deed walks through where it lives.
- Work backward in the grantor-grantee index. Most recorder and register of deeds offices index documents by party name. Look up the current owner as grantee, find the deed that gave them the land, then look up the seller as grantee, and keep going.
- Use a tract index if your county has one. Some counties also index by location, which lets you see every document tied to a parcel at once—see what is a tract index.
- Note the plat. If a deed describes a lot and block, the recorded plat is part of the paper trail for that land—see how to find a recorded plat.
How far back to go depends on why you are looking. A curious owner may stop after a few transfers; a formal title search follows the record much further and also checks liens, easements, and other recorded claims.
Line the chain up with a parcel map
A county GIS parcel viewer is a fast way to confirm you are tracing the right land. Find the parcel by address or parcel number from our county GIS map directory, then compare the owner name and parcel shape with the latest deed. If the viewer shows a different owner, the map may simply be behind the recorder’s office; assessors and GIS layers update on their own schedules. Viewer basics are in how to use a county GIS viewer, and common reasons the two sources split are in why the deed and the GIS map disagree.
Keep in mind that the GIS owner field is a tax and mapping record. It points you toward the chain; it is not the chain itself.
What a break in the chain looks like
- A missing transfer. Land shows up in a seller’s name with no recorded deed giving it to them, often after an unrecorded deed or an estate that was never probated.
- Name problems. A different spelling, a missing middle initial, or an owner who married or died between documents.
- Description problems. Neighboring deeds that leave a sliver unclaimed or claim the same strip twice—see what is a gap between deeds and what is an overlap between deeds.
- Weak links. A deed that transfers only whatever interest the grantor had, such as a quitclaim, records a transfer but makes no promise about what came before—see what is a quitclaim deed.
Fixing a break usually means recording a new document, such as a corrective deed, an affidavit, or a court order. That work belongs with a title company or a real estate attorney in your state.
What is chain of title FAQ
What is chain of title in simple terms?
It is the recorded history of a parcel's ownership, link by link, from earlier owners to the current one. Each link is usually a deed, but probate orders, court judgments, and other recorded documents can count too.
How do I look up the chain of title for my property?
Start with your current recorded deed, then work backward in the county's grantor-grantee index, finding the deed that gave each owner the land. Some counties also offer a tract index by location.
What is a break in the chain of title?
A gap where the record does not connect, such as an owner who conveys land with no recorded deed showing how they got it, a name mismatch, or a description that does not match the prior deed.
Does the GIS parcel map show the chain of title?
No. A parcel viewer usually shows the current owner of record for tax purposes and may lag behind recordings. Use it to confirm you have the right parcel, then follow the recorded documents.