Ohio Revised Code 317.114 creates standardized guidelines for documents that are recorded in this office. Effective July 1st, 2009, document guidelines are as follows:
- Legible print size not smaller than font size of ten
- Minimum paper size of eight and one-half inches by eleven inches
- Maximum paper size of eight and one-half inches by fourteen inches
- Margins of one-inch width on each side of each page and across the bottom of each page
- A three-inch margin of blank space across the top of the first page
- A one and one-half inch of blank space margin across the top of each of the remaining pages
- Black or blue ink only
- No use of highlighting
The county recorder shall accept for recording any document that does not conform to the requirements, however, shall not charge and collect the additional fees for page numbers, hand-written, typed, or printed initials, bar codes, copyright information, trailing portions of signatures, plat description of any oil and gas well location or drilling unit or lease, or any other incidental information that is not essential to the recording process or to the legal validity of the instrument or document and that may appear in either of the side margins or in the bottom margin. In addition, notary stamps and seals and any signatures and initials that may appear within the instrument or document need not satisfy the font size requirement and no additional fees may be charged or collected.
If a document does not conform to these guidelines, an additional recording fee of $20.00 will be collected.
ORC 317.114 does not apply to:
- Any document from any court or taxing authority;
- Plats;
- DD214's;
- Any state or federal document;
- Any document executed before the effective date of this law.