Washington County, OH Property Records: Search Deeds, Owners, Tax Records, and Maps

Washington County maintains property records for more than 38,000 parcels across southeastern Ohio. These records are available through the offices of the Auditor, the Recorder, and the Treasurer. All three offices are located in Marietta, with records dating back to 1788.

In Washington County, a typical listing closes in 60 to 90 days on average, broadly in line with Ohio’s statewide pace. The housing inventory is dominated by single-family detached homes in Marietta, Belpre, and Beverly. Historic riverfront properties are also popular in downtown Marietta.

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How to Look Up Washington County Property Records

Washington County offers free online access to property records through several databases.

For more information on property tax, contact the Treasurer's Office at (740) 373-6623.

Who Keeps Washington County Property Records

In Washington County, three separate offices maintain property records, and here's how they share the responsibility:

• The County Auditor maintains all official property valuation records, exemptions and owner-occupancy reductions, and tax information used by the Treasurer to issue bills.

• The County Recorder maintains the public chain of title for Washington County, including every deed, mortgage, lien, and recorded easement.

• The County Treasurer issues and collects property taxes and maintains delinquent tax records.

How to Search Washington County Property Records Online

Before searching Washington County property records online, keep in mind that the county's property records are maintained by three different offices, and each offers online access to records. This means that you would be navigating multiple property records databases to obtain a complete record. Follow the steps below to conduct a thorough property records search in Washington County:

1. Go to the Auditor's portal. This portal allows searches by address, the owner's last name, or parcel number. Search results will include details such as the property's ownership history, market value, taxable value, sales history, and any homestead exemption on the property.

2. Next, confirm the property's tax bill and payment history through the Treasurer's website. Property owners who fail to pay their taxes may lose their property through foreclosure by the County Treasurer.

3. Use the Washington County Recorder's portal to review a property's chain of title. You can do so by entering the grantor/grantee name, document type, or document number as search criteria. Most record searches are free. However, you may be required to subscribe to a paid account for high-volume research.

4. Look at the chain of title from the most recent recorded deed. If the names on the documents do not correspond, then you've found a gap that needs research by a title professional

5. Use the GIS portal for mapping and boundary work. The map shows parcels, zoning, and flood zones using aerial imagery.

Auditor: Ownership, Values, and Parcel Data

The Washington County Auditor is the county's chief fiscal officer and the office to consult for property valuation, ownership records, and tax-roll preparation.

Recorder: Deeds, Mortgages, and Liens

The Recorder is the public registry for title documents in Washington County. The office records, indexes, and makes available every deed, mortgage, lien, and any related documents affecting real estate property.

Treasurer: Tax Bills and Payments

The Treasurer's Office is responsible for the issuance of tax bills, payment processing, delinquency tracking, tax lien certificate sales, and tax foreclosure for parcels that remain delinquent.

Property Tax in Washington County: Rates, Exemptions, and Appeals

Washington County's property tax is governed by the Ohio tax code. Property tax is 35% of a property's market value minus exemptions and reductions.

Reductions and exemptions

Several reductions can lower a Washington County property tax bill:

• Homestead Exemption. The county offers up to $26,200 of market value reduction for owner-occupants age 65 or older. This reduction also applies to homeowners who are permanently and totally disabled.

• Owner-Occupancy Reduction. Homeowners may also get up to a 2.5% reduction off the calculated tax. You can apply once your property is identified as owner-occupied by the Auditor's Office.

• Disabled Veterans Homestead. The county also offers up to $50,000 of market value reduction for veterans with 100% service-connected disability.

• Current Agricultural Use Valuation (CAUV). Reduces taxable value on qualifying farmland to reflect agricultural use rather than market value.

Appealing a property valuation

Ohio’s two-step appeal process applies in Washington County. The Board of Revision hears the first round of appeals between January and March. The Ohio Board of Tax Appeals hears appeals from BOR decisions.

GIS Maps and Parcel Viewer

The county GIS shows parcel boundaries, zoning, floodplains, and school districts using aerial imagery.

• County GIS portal. Washington County's web GIS layers parcels, zoning, school districts, voting precincts, and floodplains over recent aerial imagery.

• Ohio statewide GIS. The Ohio Geographically Referenced Information Program (OGRIP) coordinates statewide datasets, including LOCATION, the state's basemap and statewide imagery program.

Foreclosure and Tax-Lien Sales

Ohio separates mortgage foreclosure from tax delinquency foreclosure. Mortgage cases go through the Washington County Court of Common Pleas. On the other hand, tax foreclosure cases are handled by the Treasurer's Office.

Tax-lien certificate sales

Ohio's tax lien process under ORC 5721 allows the Treasurer to sell certificates on delinquent parcels. Lien-holders earn interest until owners redeem the lien. Unredeemed certificates can lead to foreclosure through the Court of Common Pleas.

Right of redemption

Owners retain a redemption right until a final court decree of foreclosure. To redeem, pay the original taxes plus penalty (typically 10%), accrued interest, and any costs the lien-holder or Treasurer has incurred. The Treasurer's office calculates the redemption amount.

County land banks

Some Ohio counties operate land banks that take the titles to long-delinquent or abandoned parcels through tax foreclosure, clear the title, and either rehabilitate or return the property to productive use. Land banks can streamline the foreclosure process for the properties in the worst condition.

Costs to Access Property Records

Property-records access in Washington County is free for online searches. Paper copies and certified copies carry per-page fees set by the Recorder.

In Ohio, the recording fee is fixed at $39 for the first two pages plus $8 per additional page. Documents that are not properly formatted carry additional surcharges. You can find the current recording fee schedule on the County Recorder's website.

The state's conveyance fee includes the state portion and the county portion. The state portion is $1.00 per $1,000 of consideration, and the county portion runs up to $3.00 per $1,000.

How to Record a Document

Document recording in Washington County follows four steps. The path applies whether you're filing a deed, mortgage release, lien, or any other instrument affecting title:

1. Check formatting first. Ohio requires legible signatures, notary acknowledgment, the prepared-by line, the complete legal description, and the parcel number on every deed. Recorders reject improperly formatted documents at the counter.

2. Take the document to the County Auditor first for transfer review. The Auditor reviews the legal description, applies the conveyance fee (state $1 per $1,000 plus county permissive fee, typically $3 per $1,000), and stamps the deed before recording. Without the Auditor's stamp, the Recorder will not accept the document.

3. Complete the DTE 100 conveyance fee statement and submit it with the deed at the Auditor's office. This form captures the parties, parcel, consideration, and any conveyance-fee exemption that applies. It must be filed at the same time as the deed.

4. Take the stamped deed to the County Recorder. Recording fees follow ORC 317.32 (typically $39 for the first 2 pages, $8 for each additional page). Walk-in, mail, and e-recording vendors (Simplifile, CSC) are all accepted.

The recording number becomes the permanent locator for the document. Note it down as any future title search or document copy request uses this number as the primary lookup key.

FAQs

Quick Reference: Your Washington County Property Records Checklist

Match your specific task to the row below for the fastest path through Washington County's three-office system.

Key Contacts and Official Portals