Wayne County Public Records

Wayne County public records are kept by the County Recorder, Clerk/Auditor, and state agencies that serve this rural south-central Utah county. The county seat is Loa, where both the Recorder and Clerk share an address at 18 South Main Street. Because Wayne County is one of Utah's smallest counties by population, local staff handle a modest but steady volume of records requests each year. You can search property records through the county website, request court documents through the Utah Courts system, and submit GRAMA requests to the relevant county office.

Wayne County Recorder

The Wayne County Recorder holds all real property records for this rural county. Deeds, mortgages, plats, easements, and liens are recorded and indexed at the Recorder's office at 18 South Main Street in Loa. Because Wayne County covers a large land area with significant public land holdings and private agricultural parcels, the Recorder's records can cover a wide variety of property types. Recording fees follow the standard Utah schedule: $40 for the first page and $2 for each additional legal description. Certified copies cost $5 plus $1 per page.

You can search Wayne County property records online through the county website or visit the Recorder's office in Loa. Staff are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Call (435) 836-1302 before visiting to confirm what you need to bring. For older records or complex title searches, it may be worth calling ahead to get an idea of what is available in digital form versus what requires in-person access. Visit waynecountyutah.org/recorder for online access.

Wayne County Clerk and Auditor

The Wayne County Clerk/Auditor handles county government records, marriage licenses, elections, and GRAMA requests. The office is at 18 South Main Street in Loa and can be reached at (435) 836-1301. As a small rural county, Wayne County processes a lower volume of records than larger counties, but the same state rules apply for access and fees.

Written GRAMA requests sent to the Clerk should describe the records clearly and include your contact information. The Clerk must respond within 10 business days. Due to the small staff size, more complex or large-volume requests may take closer to the full 10 days. Standard copy fees are $0.25 per page. Most routine county records are public under Utah Code Title 63G, Chapter 2. Check the county website at waynecountyutah.org/clerk-auditor for more details.

The Clerk also issues marriage licenses for Wayne County. If you need to obtain or verify a marriage license from this county, contact the Clerk's office directly during business hours.

Criminal Records in Wayne County

Criminal history records for Wayne County residents are primarily accessed through the Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification. The BCI is the statewide repository for criminal history information and handles background check requests for all Utah counties. Name-based checks cost $15 and fingerprint-based checks cost $33.25. Visit bci.utah.gov or call (801) 965-4445 to submit a request.

For incident-level records from Wayne County, contact the Wayne County Sheriff's office directly. The Sheriff handles law enforcement for unincorporated areas of the county. Incident reports, arrest records, and jail information can be requested through the Sheriff's Records Division. Because Wayne County is rural with low crime volume, records requests are typically handled quickly. Requests for copies of incident reports are subject to GRAMA rules and may carry a $0.25 per page copy fee.

For court-level criminal records in Wayne County, use the Utah Courts XChange system at utcourts.gov. XChange lets you search by name or case number for cases filed in Wayne County. The cost is $0.35 per search or $40 per month. Free terminals are available inside Utah courthouses.

Wayne County Court Records

Wayne County is part of the Sixth Judicial District of Utah. The Sixth District Court handles criminal, civil, family, and probate matters for Wayne County. Court records are maintained by the District Court Clerk and are available through the Utah Courts online system. For most searches, the XChange portal at utcourts.gov is the fastest way to find case information without traveling to the courthouse.

You can search Wayne County court records by party name or case number using XChange. Searches cost $0.35 each or $40 per month for unlimited access. For certified copies of court documents, contact the Sixth District Court Clerk. Older case files may be stored off-site or with the Utah State Archives depending on age and case type.

Wayne County's small population means the local court docket is relatively short. Most residents dealing with civil or family matters in Wayne County will find XChange sufficient for basic research. For complex title or legal matters, in-person courthouse visits may still be needed. Note: Call the Sixth District Court Clerk before visiting to confirm current hours, location, and what you need to bring.

Property Records and GRAMA in Wayne County

Property records in Wayne County are held by the Recorder and the Assessor. The Recorder holds title documents, and the Assessor sets taxable values for all parcels in the county. Wayne County contains a mix of private residential and agricultural land along with large amounts of state and federal public land. This means the pool of privately recorded property documents is smaller than in more developed counties, but the records that do exist are maintained at the Loa courthouse.

For historical property and government records related to Wayne County, the Utah State Archives is a valuable resource. The Archives at archives.utah.gov holds older county and state agency records that may not be accessible through the county website. Staff can be reached at (801) 531-3847. The Archives screenshot below shows the Utah State Archives search tool, which covers older records from all Utah counties including Wayne County.

The Utah State Archives can help you locate older deed books, court records, and county commission files that predate digital indexing in Wayne County.

Most public records in Wayne County are accessible under GRAMA. To request records, write to the relevant county office with a clear description of what you need. The 10-day response rule applies here just as it does in larger counties. Standard copy fees are $0.25 per page. If a request is denied, you can appeal under GRAMA section 63G-2-401 and then to the Utah State Records Committee under section 63G-2-802.

The GRAMA statute screenshot below shows Utah's official public records access law page. The Utah Legislature's GRAMA page is the authoritative source for the rules that govern records access in Wayne County and all of Utah.

GRAMA applies equally to small rural counties like Wayne County and large urban counties alike.

Cities in Wayne County

Wayne County includes Loa as the county seat along with a few small communities. No cities in Wayne County currently meet the population threshold for individual city pages. All court filings and most county public records for Wayne County residents are handled through the county offices in Loa.

Nearby Counties

Wayne County is surrounded by other rural Utah counties. Use the links below to find records offices in neighboring counties if your research crosses county lines.

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