Salt Lake County Public Records
Salt Lake County public records span a large set of offices serving over 1.2 million residents, the most of any county in Utah. Property deeds, court filings, criminal history checks, marriage licenses, and other government documents are all accessible here. The county seat is Salt Lake City, home to the county's main offices and the Third District Court. This guide covers every major source for Salt Lake County public records, including where to go, what to expect, and how to request documents under state law.
Salt Lake County Quick Facts
Salt Lake County Recorder
The Salt Lake County Recorder's Office is at 2001 South State Street, Suite N1-600, Salt Lake City, UT 84114. Call (385) 468-8145 to reach the office, which is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Recorder's website at saltlakecounty.gov/recorder/ provides access to the online search portal, e-recording information, and contact details. This is one of the busiest land records offices in the state, processing roughly 400,000 documents each year.
Records date back to 1852. The online portal at saltlakecounty.gov/recorder/records/ lets you search by property address, owner name, parcel ID, or document number. Index searches are free. Viewing full document images or running reports requires payment. Historical records from 1852 to 1989 are archived, while documents from 1990 onward are available online. The office also accepts e-recording through authorized vendor services, which speeds up the process for title companies and law firms that regularly record documents. Free public access terminals in the Government Center allow on-site searching at no cost.
Military discharge records (DD-214 forms) can be filed with the Recorder for safekeeping. Certified copies of those records are available to the veteran or authorized representatives. Recording fees follow the state schedule: $40 for the first page and $2 for each additional property description. Certified copies cost $5 plus $1 per page.
The Salt Lake County Recorder online portal allows searches by name, address, and parcel ID. The office processes hundreds of thousands of documents each year and maintains records going back to 1852.
| Office | Salt Lake County Recorder 2001 South State Street, Suite N1-600 Salt Lake City, UT 84114 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (385) 468-8145 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| Website | saltlakecounty.gov/recorder/ |
Salt Lake County Clerk
The Salt Lake County Clerk's Office is located at 2001 South State Street, Suite S1-100, Salt Lake City, UT 84190. Phone: (385) 468-7300. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Clerk's website is at saltlakecounty.gov/clerk/. This office runs county elections, manages voter registration, issues marriage licenses, and serves as clerk to the Salt Lake County Council.
Marriage licenses cost $50 and are valid for 30 days after issuance. Both parties must appear together to apply. The Clerk also handles GRAMA requests for records produced by the County Council and legislative offices. Voter registration is available online through vote.utah.gov in addition to in-person registration at the Clerk's Office. Election results, sample ballots, and candidate filings are all public records available through this office.
The Salt Lake County Clerk's website at saltlakecounty.gov/clerk/ provides access to election records, marriage license information, and voter registration resources for Salt Lake County residents.
| Office | Salt Lake County Clerk 2001 South State Street, Suite S1-100 Salt Lake City, UT 84190 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (385) 468-7300 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| Website | saltlakecounty.gov/clerk/ |
Salt Lake County Sheriff Records
The Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office is at 3365 South 900 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84119. Call (801) 743-7000 to reach the Records Division, which is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Sheriff's website is at slco.org/sheriff/. The Sheriff provides law enforcement for unincorporated county areas and operates the Salt Lake County Jail.
An online inmate search shows current inmates, their charges, booking dates, and bail amounts. This tool is free to use. For police reports and incident records, contact the Records Division. Body camera footage requests cost $33.00 per request. Some materials may require review and redaction before release, which can take additional time. If your request is for a large volume of records or involves an active case, expect the office to request more time under GRAMA.
Arrest records held locally by the Sheriff are separate from the statewide criminal history database. For a full background check covering all Utah criminal history, use the Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification at bci.utah.gov. BCI charges $15 for a name check and $33.25 for a fingerprint check. Call BCI at (801) 965-4445 for guidance on which type of check fits your needs.
The Salt Lake County Sheriff website at slco.org/sheriff/ provides an inmate search tool and information about the Records Division for law enforcement records in Salt Lake County.
Salt Lake County Court Records
The Third Judicial District Court serves Salt Lake County. The main courthouse, Scott M. Matheson Courthouse, is at 450 South State Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84111. Phone: (801) 238-7300. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The court's website is at utcourts.gov/en/district-courts/third-district/. This is Utah's busiest trial court. Additional departments operate in West Jordan and Taylorsville to serve the rest of the county.
The Third District handles felony criminal cases, family law matters, civil cases over $11,500, probate, and juvenile proceedings. Court records are searchable through the Utah Courts XChange system at utcourts.gov. XChange charges $0.35 per search or $40 per month for unlimited access. Public access terminals are available on-site at the courthouse for free in-person searching. Most court records are public under Utah law, though sealed matters and some juvenile records are not accessible.
Certified copies of court documents can be obtained from the Third District Court Clerk. Bring the case number or the names of the parties. Fees for copies are set by the court. For self-represented litigants, the court offers forms and guidance resources through the Utah Courts website.
| Court | Third Judicial District Court Scott M. Matheson Courthouse 450 South State Street Salt Lake City, UT 84111 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (801) 238-7300 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| Website | utcourts.gov |
Property Records and Assessor
The Salt Lake County Assessor is at 2001 South State Street, Suite N2-600, Salt Lake City, UT 84190. Call (385) 468-8000 for inquiries. The Assessor's website at saltlakecounty.gov/assessor/ includes the online Parcel Viewer tool. The Assessor determines values for over 350,000 taxable parcels in the county each year.
The Parcel Viewer lets you look up ownership, property characteristics, and assessed values by address or parcel number. It is free to use. Formal appeals of property valuations can be filed online or in person through the Assessor's Office. If you believe your property has been overvalued, you have a right to appeal the assessment, and the office can walk you through the process.
Property tax payments and delinquency records are managed by the Salt Lake County Treasurer. These are also public records. For a full picture of a property, you may use the Recorder for deed history, the Assessor for value, and the Treasurer for tax payment status. All three offices are located in the Government Center at 2001 South State Street.
Note: The Recorder's online portal and the Assessor's Parcel Viewer are separate systems, but both are searchable by address or owner name for Salt Lake County parcels.
GRAMA Requests in Salt Lake County
Utah's Government Records Access and Management Act governs public access to all government records in Salt Lake County. The law is at Utah Code Title 63G, Chapter 2. Most records created by Salt Lake County offices are public by default. GRAMA allows agencies to restrict access only when the law specifically permits it, such as for records involving pending investigations, personal medical information, or attorney-client communications.
To make a GRAMA request in Salt Lake County, submit a written request to the specific office that holds the records. Include a clear description of the records you want and your contact information. The county must respond within 10 business days. If your request is granted, standard copies cost $0.25 per page. Certified copies carry an added fee. Large or complex requests may take longer, and the agency must notify you in writing if it needs more time.
GRAMA requests for County Council records go to the Clerk's Office at (385) 468-7300. For Sheriff's records, contact (801) 743-7000. For Recorder records, call (385) 468-8145. If your request is denied, you can appeal under § 63G-2-401 to the county's chief administrative officer, and then to the State Records Committee under § 63G-2-802 if needed.
The Utah State Archives at archives.utah.gov holds older Salt Lake County records transferred to permanent state custody. Call (801) 531-3847 for help finding historical county documents. The Archives covers records going back to the territorial period, making it a useful resource for genealogy and historical research.
Salt Lake County is also home to federal offices and courts. Federal court records for cases filed in Utah are available through the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah. Those records are separate from county and state records and are accessed through the federal PACER system.
Cities in Salt Lake County
Salt Lake County includes Utah's largest urban area. The cities below all have individual public records pages with local office details and search resources.
Nearby Counties
Salt Lake County borders four other Utah counties. Records for events or properties in those areas are held by the respective county offices.