Broward County Deed Search: What Most People Get Wrong

You're probably here because you need to track down a piece of paper. Maybe it’s a warranty deed for a house in Fort Lauderdale, or perhaps you're trying to figure out if that "Quitclaim" your uncle mentioned actually got recorded in the system. Honestly, the world of Florida property records is a bit of a maze, but it’s one you can navigate without paying some random website $29.95 for a "background check."

In Broward County, the process is a little different than in most other Florida counties. While you might be used to dealing with the Clerk of the Court for everything, Broward splits the chores. The Records, Taxes, and Treasury Division (RTT) is where the deeds actually live.

If you go to the Clerk of the Court looking for a deed, you're going to end up looking at court cases and traffic tickets. Not helpful. You need the Official Records.

Why a Broward County Deed Search is Usually Stressful

Searching for property records feels like high stakes because it usually is. You're either buying a home, selling one, or trying to prove you own what you think you own. Most people start at the Broward County Property Appraiser (BCPA) website. Marty Kiar’s office does a great job of showing you who pays the taxes and what the house is worth, but those pages aren't the legal title.

A "Property Record Card" is not a deed.

To find the actual legal instrument—the document with the signatures and the notary stamps—you have to jump over to the RTT portal. This is where the real history is hidden. You’ll find documents dating back to January 1, 1978, available online. If you’re looking for something from the 1950s, you’re going to have to get off the couch and head down to the governmental center in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

The "Name" Trap

Here is where everyone messes up. When you search by name in the Broward system, you have to be precise. It’s "Last Name, First Name." No spaces after the comma. If you type "Smith, John" you'll get results. If you type "John Smith," the system will basically shrug its shoulders at you.

Company names are even trickier. If you’re looking for a deed owned by "The Home Depot," you actually have to drop the "The" and just search "Home Depot." It’s a quirk of the indexing system that has frustrated more than a few paralegals over the years.

Navigating the Official Records Portal

Once you’re on the Official Records Search page, you’ve got options. You can search by:

• Name: The most common way.
• Book and Page: If you have an old title policy, this is the fastest route.
• Instrument Number: Every recorded document gets a unique ID.
• Parcel ID (Folio): This is the 12-digit number you find on your tax bill.

Kinda weirdly, the system also lets you search by "Consideration Amount." If you want to see every house that sold for exactly $500,000 in July of last year, you can actually do that. It’s a bit of a voyeuristic way to look at real estate, but hey, the data is public.

What You’ll Actually See

When you find the right entry, you’ll see a list of "Instrument Types."

• WD: Warranty Deed (The gold standard of ownership).
• QC: Quitclaim Deed (Transferring interest without guarantees).
• MTG: Mortgage (Proof that the bank has a stake).
• REL: Release (Usually means a mortgage was paid off).

If you see a Lien (LIEN) or a Lis Pendens (LP), that’s a red flag. A Lis Pendens means there is an active lawsuit involving the property—usually a foreclosure. If you're an investor, these are the documents you're hunting for. If you're a homeowner, seeing these next to your name is usually the start of a very bad day.

The Hidden Complexity of 2026 Records

It’s 2026, and while the digital archives are better than ever, they aren't perfect. One thing people ignore is the "Suffix" or "Legal Description" section. In Broward, a lot of properties are part of complex Homeowners Associations (HOAs).

Sometimes the deed search shows the property owner, but it doesn't show the Claim of Lien filed by the HOA until it’s too late. You have to check the "Document Type" filter to include everything, not just deeds. If you only search for "Deeds," you might miss the fact that there's a $15,000 roofing lien sitting on the title.

Certified vs. Uncertified

You can view and print most documents for free. They’ll have a "VOID" or "UNOFFICIAL" watermark splashed across them. For most things, like checking a boundary line or proving you’re the owner to a contractor, this is fine.

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But if you’re heading to court or closing a private loan, you need a Certified Copy.

1. Search Fee: $2.00 per year searched.
2. Copy Fee: $1.00 per page.
3. Certification Fee: $2.00 per document.

It’s cheap, but you usually have to order them through the mail or go in person to 115 S. Andrews Avenue.

Real-World Example: The "Ghost Owner" Problem

I once saw a situation in Hollywood where a buyer did a broward county deed search and saw the seller’s name clearly listed on a Warranty Deed from 2015. They thought they were good.

What they missed was a Death Certificate recorded in 2022 and a subsequent Summary Administration from probate court that wasn't properly cross-indexed. The seller was actually only a partial owner; the other half belonged to a cousin in France who had no idea the house was being sold.

This is why "human quality" searching matters. You aren't just looking for a name; you’re looking for a chain.

Each deed should lead to the next. If Smith sells to Jones, there should be a deed from Smith to Jones. If the next deed is from Miller to Davis, you have a "break in title." Something happened in between that didn't get recorded correctly. In Broward, breaks in title are common in older neighborhoods like Wilton Manors or Pompano Beach where houses stayed in families for decades without formal probate.

Actionable Steps for Your Search

Don't just click around and hope for the best. Follow this workflow to make sure you aren't missing something that could cost you thousands later.

• Start at the Appraiser’s Site: Get the Folio Number. It’s the most accurate way to ensure you're looking at the right dirt, regardless of who owns it.
• Toggle the Date Range: The default search often only goes back a few years. Set the start date to 1978 to see the full modern history of the lot.
• Search the "Grantee" and "Grantor": Search your name as the person receiving the property (Grantee) and the person giving it (Grantor). This helps find mistakes where the names might have been swapped.
• Look for "Satisfaction of Mortgage": If you think a house is "free and clear," verify it. Look for the document that proves the old bank loan was actually satisfied.
• Check for Plat Maps: If you're confused about property lines, look for a document type "PLT" or "PLAT." These maps show how the neighborhood was originally carved up.

If you find something that looks wrong—like a deed you never signed—don't panic, but don't wait. Broward County has a Property Fraud Alert service. You can sign up for free, and they’ll email you the second anything is recorded against your name or folio. It’s one of the few things the government provides that is actually proactive.

The reality is that a deed search is a detective job. You're looking for the story of a piece of land. In a place as fast-moving as Broward, that story usually has a few plot twists.

Next Steps:

1. Identify the Folio: Visit the BCPA website and type in the address to get the 12-digit Folio/Parcel ID.
2. Run the Chain: Use that Folio number on the Records, Taxes, and Treasury website to pull every document recorded against it since 1978.
3. Verify Satisfactions: Ensure every mortgage listed in the history has a corresponding "Satisfaction" or "Release" recorded.
4. Register for Alerts: Sign up for the Broward County Owner Alert program to stay informed of future filings.