The purpose of recording instruments and notices applicable to real property transactions or encumbrances is to provide an inexpensive legal means to protect the interests of owners and encumbrancers by notifying all creditors, subsequent purchasers, and others with an economic interest in a parcel or real property about ownership of and encumbrances against that property.

The mission of a recording office with respect to real property transactions is to provide a trustworthy place where instruments and notices concerning ownership of and encumbrances against real property can be located by all creditors, subsequent purchasers, and others with an economic interest in the property.

The means by which land recording offices achieve their mission is not only be maintaining original copies of all real estate-related documents required to be recorded in secure, non-alterable form, but also by providing searchers with a means of accessing these documents through indexes to the documents recorded, sorted into an orderly listing.