Senate Bill 94, referred to by county recorders statewide as the Recorder Modernization Bill, was recently signed by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and will go into effect Thursday.

This bill will require all 88 counties to digitize recorded documents dating back to 1980 and make them available to the public digitally, as well as provide an option for electronic recordings related to real estate transactions by June 30, 2026, according to a news release from Trumbull County Recorder Tod Latell.

“During the pandemic, many recorders’ offices had to shut down, some for days or even weeks,” Latell said. “If they (Recorders’ Offices) did not already have their records available to search and submit electronically, no real estate transactions could happen.”

It was then understood how important it is to have access to documents electronically. This bill is crucial so Ohioans can access their real estate transactions at any time, from any place.

“My team and I have worked hard to make sure businesses and residents can access and submit nearly every document we record on a 24 / 7 basis,” Latell said.

“We are ahead of the curve technologically in Trumbull County, as our documents have been available digitally to search and submit for years, and because of this, our office was able to function throughout the pandemic without missing a beat.”

SB 94 also includes language about a permissive fee, which will allow recorders to charge an additional $1 to $5 per recording to help with the maintenance cost and upkeep of the new digital records. This means recording fees may vary from county to county.

“Our office is functioning without concern of additional funding in our current budget. Therefore, I have chosen not to increase recording fees for the foreseeable future”, Latell said.