If you’re handling a deceased person’s Utah real estate without probate, you’ll likely need to file an affidavit of heirship. Knowing the Utah heirship affidavit filing charge information helps you plan ahead and avoid surprises at the county recorder’s office. These charges are separate from attorney fees or title work they’re the official, non-negotiable costs to record the document and make it part of the public land records.

What does “filing charge” mean for a Utah heirship affidavit?

The “filing charge” is the fee the county recorder collects when you submit your completed affidavit of heirship for recording. It’s not a court filing fee (since this isn’t filed in court), and it’s not a legal service fee it’s strictly the administrative cost to enter the document into the county’s official property records. In Utah, this charge varies slightly by county but falls within a predictable range. Most counties charge between $15 and $30 for the first page, plus $2–$5 for each additional page.

When do you pay this fee and where?

You pay the filing charge at the time you submit the affidavit to the county recorder’s office where the property is located not at a courthouse or law firm. For example, if the deceased owned land in Salt Lake County, you’d go to the Salt Lake County Recorder. You can usually pay by cash, check, or card (though some rural offices only accept checks or cash). The document must be properly notarized and meet Utah’s formatting requirements before the recorder will accept it.

How much should you expect to pay in 2024?

As of mid-2024, typical filing charges across Utah counties include:

  • Salt Lake County: $21 for the first page, $3 for each additional page
  • Utah County: $18 for the first page, $2 for each additional page
  • Davis County: $20 flat fee (regardless of pages)
  • Washington County: $22 for the first page, $2 for each extra page

These are base recording fees only. They don’t include notary fees (usually $5–$15), postage if mailing, or optional certified copy requests ($2–$5 per copy). You’ll find a full breakdown of these related costs in our legal expense breakdown.

What’s the difference between filing charge, court fee, and processing fee?

This trips up a lot of people. A Utah heirship affidavit does not go through probate court, so there’s no “court fee.” Some confuse it with a small estate affidavit, which is filed in court and carries different fees. The “processing fee” sometimes mentioned refers to what a title company or attorney may charge to prepare and submit the affidavit that’s separate from the county’s filing charge. You can see how those pieces fit together in our court fee details page, which clarifies when court involvement actually applies.

Common mistakes that cause delays or rejections

Even with the right filing charge, your affidavit can be rejected for technical reasons. The most frequent issues are: missing notary acknowledgment, incorrect margin sizes (Utah requires 1-inch margins on all sides), or using outdated forms. Some counties also require the affiant to list their relationship to the decedent and to each heir leaving that out triggers a return. If you want to avoid resubmitting and paying the fee twice, review our processing fee guide, which walks through formatting rules county-by-county.

Can you estimate the total cost before filing?

Yes and it’s worth doing. Add up: the county filing charge (check your specific county’s website), notary fee, possible postage or delivery fee, and any help you hire to draft or review the affidavit. For a simple case with one property and two heirs, most people spend $35–$75 total out-of-pocket. Our filing cost estimate tool helps walk through each line item based on your county and situation.

Next step: Before heading to the recorder’s office, download your county’s current fee schedule from their official website, double-check your affidavit’s notary block and margins, and bring exact change or a check many offices don’t accept cards.