IDENTITY THEFT PROTECTION ACT
Effective 12/01/2005, any person preparing or filing a document for recordation or filing in the official records may not include a social security, employer taxpayer identification, drivers license, state identification, passport, checking account, savings account, credit card, or debit card number, or personal identification (PIN) code or passwords in the document, unless expressly required by law or redacted so that no more than four digits of the identification number is included.
Any person has a right to request a register of deeds to remove, from an image or copy of an official record placed on a register of deeds’ Internet Web site or available to the general public or an Internet Web site available to the general public used by a register of deeds to display public records, any social security, employer taxpayer identification, drivers license, state identification, passport, checking account, savings account, credit card, or debit card number, or personal identification (PIN) code or passwords contained in an official record.
The request must be made in writing and delivered by mail, facsimile, or electronic transmission, or delivered in person, to the register of deeds.
The request must specify the personal information to be redacted, information that identifies the document that contains the personal information and unique information that identifies the location within the document that contains the social security, employer taxpayer identification, drivers license, state identification, passport, checking account, savings account, credit card, or debit card number, or personal identification (PIN) code or passwords to be redacted.
No fee will be charged for the redaction pursuant to such a request. Any person who requests a redaction without proper authority to do so shall be guilty of an infraction, punishable by a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00) for each violation.
As your Register of Deeds, this office is pro-actively redacting these identification numbers for you as we find them. The problem is that since 1936, when Social Security numbers were first issued, there have been more than 1.1 million images recorded in this office.
I have included a Redaction Form on this web site so we can assist you better. Please fill out this form and return to us.
If you need assistance please do not hesitate to contact this office.
Thank you.