Full Search
A Full Search is an exhaustive title examination that identifies and reviews every recorded conveyance, instrument, and encumbrance from an established root of title (historically 30 to 60+ years, depending on statutory requirements or ALTA standards) forward to the present day.
Common Transaction Uses
- Residential and commercial real property purchase transactions
- Issuance of primary ALTA Owner's and Lender's Title Insurance Policies
- Commercial real estate financing, development, and land acquisition
- Real property boundary, easement, and quiet title litigation
Public Records & Filings Examined
- Full chronological chain of deeds from root deed to present record owner
- All recorded easements, rights-of-way, agreements, and party-wall covenants
- Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs)
- Subdivision plats, tract maps, and recorded dedication surveys
- All open and historical mortgages, deeds of trust, and releases
- Judgments, tax liens, municipal assessments, and lis pendens
- Probate, estate administration, divorce, and bankruptcy filings where applicable
- Complete ad valorem real property tax and special assessment history
Information Required to Request
- Complete property street address and legal description (lot/block/subdivision)
- County name and state jurisdiction
- Assessor's Parcel Number (APN / PIN)
- Target search period (e.g., 30-year, 40-year, 50-year, or 60-year statutory root)
Examination Considerations
Full searches require thorough index examination through grantor-grantee indexes, tract books, and computerized recorder archives across decades of land records to establish unclouded marketability of title.
Frequently Asked Questions about Full Search
What constitutes a 'root of title' in a full search?
A root of title is a conveyance or other title transaction in the chain of record ownership, typically at least 30 to 60 years old, that purports to create or transfer the estate being evaluated.
What documents are delivered in a full search package?
A full search report includes a complete chain of title summary, copies of all relevant vesting instruments, active encumbrances, easements, tax assessment sheets, and judgment search certificates.
Related Title Research Services
Order a Full Search
Submit your order identifiers through our contact form. Our intake team confirms receipt and initiates registry examination promptly.