Can you protect your home title for free?
Yes, you can watch your title for free, and that covers most of what paid monitoring does. Your deed is a public record kept by your county. Anyone can look it up, and many counties will tell you free when something new is filed in your name.
A deed is the document that moves a home from one owner to another. Your title is your legal ownership. Home title theft, or deed theft, is when a criminal forges a deed to take your home on paper, then sells it or borrows against it. It happens rarely, but it is hard and slow to undo. Our guide to deed theft explains the whole picture.
Most homeowners will never face it. But online real estate fraud is growing, so a few free habits are worth it.
people reported online real estate fraud to the FBI in 2025, losing more than $275 million (up from 9,359 people and $173 million in 2024)
Source: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, via NAR, April 13, 2026. Covers all online real estate fraud, not only deed theft.
Here are the six free steps. Tap one to jump to it.
- Step 1Sign up for your county's fraud alert
- Step 2Check your property record online
- Step 3Watch your mail and tax bills
- Step 4Freeze your credit
- Step 5Watch empty, rented and second homes
- Step 6Know who to call
How do you sign up for your county's free fraud alert?
Search "[your county] property fraud alert" and sign up on the county recorder's or clerk's own website. The alert emails or texts you when a deed or other document is recorded under your name. Sign-up usually takes a few minutes.
The county recorder (in some places the clerk or register of deeds) is the office that keeps land records. Its alert may be called Property Fraud Alert, Title Alert or recording notification. They all do the same job.
At least four states now require counties to warn owners about new filings
When each state's law took effect, or takes effect
- Florida, July 2024Every county clerk emails you within 24 hours
- Arizona, January 2025Every county recorder offers opt-in email or text notices
- Illinois, January 2026Every county must run a property fraud alert
- California, January 2027Every county must set up mailed notices, sent within 30 days
Sources: Florida Statutes s. 28.47; Arizona Laws 2023, Ch. 64 (SB 1110); 55 ILCS 5/3-5010.10; California SB 255. In other states, it's up to each county.
- Open your county's official page. Use the recorder's or clerk's own website, or a link from it. Never pay a private company for a county's free alert.
- Enter every version of your name. Alerts often match exact names, so add "Mary Smith" and "Mary E Smith." Add any trust or LLC that owns your home.
- Add your parcel number if the form allows it. It's on your tax bill. Some counties watch the parcel too, which catches misspelled names.
- Confirm by email, then repeat in every county where you own property. Each county watches only its own records.
Our Property Fraud Alert guide shows what the alert email looks like and what it misses.
How do you check your property record online?
Search your name or address on your county recorder's website and open the most recent deed. It should name you, or your trust or company, as the owner. New York's Attorney General tells New York City owners to "check your property records yearly."
The alert in Step 1 only watches new filings. This check confirms nothing was filed before you signed up. Look at two places:
- The recorder's records: the last deed on file should be the one from when you bought or inherited the home. Look for any deed, mortgage or lien you don't recognize. A lien is a legal claim against your home for a debt.
- The assessor's or tax office's record: the owner's name and the mailing address for tax bills should both be yours. A changed mailing address can be the first sign of trouble.
- Saving a copy: download or print your current deed and keep it with your papers. Viewing records online is usually free.
Why should you watch your mail and tax bills?
Missing mail can be the first sign that someone has changed your records. New York's Attorney General warns owners to act if they "stop receiving your property tax and water bills" or if utility bills suddenly go up.
Some places mail you a notice when a deed is recorded. New York City's Department of Finance mails owners a letter when a deed is recorded on their property, and its 2026 brochure tells owners to "open mail from the Department of Finance." Los Angeles County mails owners a copy of deeds recorded on their homes.
- Open every letter from your county. Don't toss it as junk. A notice about a deed you didn't sign needs a call the same week.
- Know when your tax bill should arrive. If it's late, call the tax office and ask what name and address they have.
- Keep your mailing address current with the assessor and tax office, especially for a rental or second home.
- Turn on USPS Informed Delivery. It's free and lets you "digitally preview" your incoming letter-size mail, so you notice if county mail stops (USPS).
Our guide to how home title theft works explains what criminals do once they change your records.
Does a credit freeze protect your home?
A credit freeze blocks one related scam: loans opened in your name. It doesn't stop a forged deed, which needs no credit check. But it costs nothing, so it belongs on the list.
The FTC says a freeze restricts access to your credit file, "making it harder for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name." Freezes have been free by federal law since September 21, 2018. A freeze "stays in place until you ask the credit bureau to temporarily lift it, or remove it altogether," and it "does not freeze your credit score" (FTC).
Also check your credit reports for free. The three bureaus now let you check your report "at each of the agencies once a week for free" at AnnualCreditReport.com (FTC). Look for a mortgage or home equity loan you didn't take out.
You must freeze your credit at each of the three bureaus. Each one takes a few minutes online or by phone.
| Credit bureau | Online | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Equifax | equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services | 800-685-1111 |
| Experian | experian.com/help | 888-397-3742 |
| TransUnion | transunion.com/credit-help | 888-909-8872 |
Source: FTC, "Free credit freezes are here". Lift the freeze for a few days when you apply for a loan or credit card yourself.
How do you protect an empty, rented, inherited or second home?
Check on it more often, because criminals pick properties where the owner won't notice. Vacant land, rentals, second homes, paid-off homes and homes whose owner recently died are targeted most.
of title companies rate vacant land as at least a somewhat common target for seller impersonation, followed by homes whose owners live elsewhere (72%)
Source: ALTA 2026 Critical Issues Study, via HousingWire, September 14, 2026
In seller impersonation, a criminal poses as the owner to sell your property, often without filing anything first. The FBI warned in June 2026 that criminals impersonate owners of vacant land using fake IDs, new email addresses and internet phone numbers (FBI IC3). A county alert may not fire until the sale closes, so add these habits:
- Search your address on big home-sale websites every few months. A listing you didn't post is a red flag.
- Ask a neighbor to call you if they see a "For sale" sign, a surveyor or a stranger.
- Keep your phone and email current with the county, so alerts and notices reach you.
- Settle a loved one's home quickly. New York's Attorney General warns that deed thieves often target homes whose owners died long ago without the title being transferred. Ask a probate lawyer or legal aid group how to put the home in the heirs' names, and sign up for the county alert under the late owner's name too.
- Read your owner's title insurance policy. The FBI suggests checking for "post-policy" protection, because some policies "may provide protection against forgery." You already paid for it.
Who should you call if something looks wrong?
Call your county recorder first, then the police, then a real estate attorney. Write these down now, so you don't have to search when you're worried.
- County recorder or clerk. Ask for a copy of the document you don't recognize. Many alerts are for paperwork you expected, or for someone with the same name.
- Local police or sheriff. File a report and keep the report number. Some district attorneys have a fraud unit too.
- A real estate attorney or free legal aid. Undoing a fake deed usually takes a court filing. Ask your state's legal aid group if cost is a worry.
- Your title insurance company. Call if your policy may cover forgery after you bought the home.
- The FBI, if money or the internet was involved. Report at ic3.gov with any emails, phone numbers and bank details used (FBI).
- Your state attorney general. In New York, the Attorney General's deed theft line is 1-800-771-7755 (NY AG).
Act within days, not weeks. The sooner a fake deed is reported, the less chance it has to be sold or borrowed against.
What does each free step catch, and what does it miss?
Each step catches a different kind of trouble, so do all six. None of them stops a fake deed from being recorded.
| Free step | What it catches | What it misses | How often |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. County fraud alert | New deeds and liens recorded in your name | Name variations you didn't enter; counties with no alert; listings before any filing | Once, then automatic |
| 2. Check your record | Anything filed before you signed up; a changed tax mailing address | Anything filed after your last check | Once a year |
| 3. Watch your mail | Missing tax or water bills; county notices | Problems the county doesn't mail you about | Ongoing |
| 4. Credit freeze | New loans or credit opened in your name | Forged deeds, which need no credit check | Once |
| 5. Watch empty homes | Fake listings and strangers at the property | Sales you don't spot in time | Every few months |
| 6. Know who to call | Lost time once you spot a problem | Nothing to catch: it's your plan | Once |
Your free home title checklist
- Signed up for the county fraud alert, with every version of my name
- Signed up in every county where I own property
- Looked up my current deed and saved a copy
- Checked the owner name and mailing address on my tax record
- Wrote down when my tax bill should arrive
- Froze my credit at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion
- Searched my rental, second home or land on home-sale sites
- Saved the numbers for my recorder, police and a local attorney
What can't free steps do?
Free steps warn you after a fake deed is filed. They can't stop one. County offices must record a deed that looks proper. Seminole County, Florida's clerk says it "has no legal authority to refuse a properly prepared document" (Seminole County Clerk). Paid monitoring has the same limit. The FTC says "title lock" services are "not a lock at all" (FTC).
"At the point of the notification, the fraud has already occurred."
Free steps also leave the cleanup to you. If a fake deed shows up, you work with the county, the police and a lawyer yourself, and pay for it. That is the gap paid services try to fill. Our deed theft prevention list adds the paid steps and which owners need them, and our guide to home title protection explains what each kind does and doesn't do.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free way to protect your home from title theft?
Sign up for your county's free fraud alert, then check your property record online to make sure the last deed is yours. Together they cover anything already filed and anything filed later. Add a credit freeze and keep an eye on your tax bills.
Does a credit freeze prevent home title theft?
No. A freeze makes it harder for someone to open new credit in your name, such as a home equity loan using your identity. It does nothing to stop a forged deed being recorded. It's still worth doing, because it's free and blocks a related scam.
How do you protect your home after it is paid off?
Do all six free steps, and do them sooner. With no mortgage, no lender is watching the home, and title companies say paid-off homes are a common target. Keep the county alert active and check your record at least once a year.
Can I monitor my home title for free?
Yes, in many places. Your county's free fraud alert tells you when a document is recorded in your name, and looking up your record online is usually free. Paid monitoring mostly sends the same kind of alert.
How much does a title lock cost?
Paid title monitoring often costs about $100 to $230 a year per home. Home Title Lock, the best-known service, charges $19.95 a month or $227.40 a year. The FTC says these services are "not a lock at all," so try the free steps first.
How often should I check my property record?
At least once a year. New York's Attorney General tells New York City owners to check their records yearly. Check more often for a home you don't live in, vacant land or a parent's home.
Do the free steps today
Start with your county's alert. It takes a few minutes. Then see whether a notice on your title makes sense for your home.
How to sign up for your county's alertSee what Still My Home addsSources
- Online real estate fraud climbed to $275M in 2025, FBI says, National Association of Realtors, April 13, 2026
- Section 28.47, Florida Statutes: Recording notification service, The Florida Senate, 2025
- Laws 2023, Chapter 64 (SB 1110): recorded documents; property; notification, Arizona Legislature, April 18, 2023
- 55 ILCS 5/3-5010.10: Property fraud alert system, Illinois General Assembly, in force January 1, 2026
- SB 255 (Seyarto), Chapter 351, Statutes of 2025, California Legislature, signed October 6, 2025
- St. Johns County Clerk of Courts warns against deceptive mailer charging for official records, St. Johns County Clerk of Courts, November 23, 2022
- Deed theft, New York State Office of the Attorney General, checked October 12, 2026
- Deed theft brochure, NYC Department of Finance, 2026
- Enhanced Homeowner Notification Program, Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs, updated November 19, 2024
- USPS launches new Informed Delivery app, U.S. Postal Service, October 2, 2025
- New credit law FAQs, Federal Trade Commission, October 4, 2018
- Free credit freezes are here, Federal Trade Commission, September 21, 2018
- You now have permanent access to free weekly credit reports, Federal Trade Commission, October 13, 2023
- Seller impersonation fraud more than doubled since 2024, HousingWire, September 14, 2026 (ALTA 2026 Critical Issues Study)
- Protect your property from illegal sales through parcel owner impersonation (PSA I-061626-PSA), FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, June 16, 2026
- Alleged home warranty deed forgery scheme exposes flaws in Harris County legal system, ABC13 Houston, November 16, 2023
- Property Fraud Alerts, Seminole County Clerk, undated
- Home title lock insurance? Not a lock at all, Federal Trade Commission, August 26, 2024
- Pricing, Home Title Lock, checked October 12, 2026
- Analysis of SB 255 (Seyarto), California Senate Judiciary Committee, hearing April 22, 2025