PS Exam Preparation

Comprehensive preparation for the NCEES Principles and Practice of Surveying (PS) exam. 5 modules covering all 5 exam domains with 50 in-depth topics.

Progress0/50

Lesson 1

Public & Private Record Sources

Learning Objectives

After completing this topic, you should be able to:

Identify the primary public record sources used in boundary survey research
Explain the role of county recorder, assessor, and surveyor offices
Describe private record sources including title companies and utility providers
Understand local indexing systems and how records are organized
Determine what constitutes a thorough records search for a boundary survey
Distinguish between recorded and unrecorded documents relevant to surveys

Overview

Every professional survey begins with records research. Before a single measurement is taken in the field, the surveyor must develop a thorough understanding of the history, conveyances, and prior surveys affecting the property. The quality of the records search directly determines the quality of the boundary opinion.

Records research is not a passive activity. The surveyor must actively pursue all available sources, cross-reference findings, evaluate the reliability of each document, and identify gaps that may require additional investigation. An incomplete records search is a leading cause of professional liability claims.

Key Concepts

Figure PS.2.1 — Public and Private Record Sources

Public Record Sources

Figure PS.2.14 — Four public record offices for boundary research

County Recorder's Office

The county recorder maintains the official record of all instruments affecting real property within the county. These are the primary documents a surveyor seeks:

Document Type	Purpose in Survey
Deeds (grant, quitclaim, trust)	Establish chain of title and conveyance history
Subdivision maps	Show lot lines, dimensions, monuments, and dedications
Records of survey	Document prior survey work and monument evidence
Corner records	Describe monument conditions and references
Easement documents	Define encumbrances and rights affecting property
Liens and encumbrances	Identify restrictions or claims on property
Covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs)	Establish development and use restrictions

Indexing systems vary by county. Most use a grantor-grantee index, organized alphabetically by the names of parties. Some counties maintain a tract index that organizes records geographically by subdivision or section. The tract index is generally more useful for surveyors because it groups related documents by location rather than by party name.

County Assessor's Office

The assessor maintains property tax records, which provide:

Assessor parcel numbers (APNs) -- the standard reference for identifying parcels
Parcel maps showing assessed boundaries (note: these are tax maps, not survey documents)
Ownership records including current and historical owners
Property characteristics such as area, improvements, and use classification

Assessor maps should never be relied upon for boundary positions. They are administrative documents created for tax purposes, not survey-accurate representations of property lines.

County Surveyor's Office

The county surveyor (where this office exists) maintains:

Records of survey filed within the county
Corner records documenting public land survey corners and property corners
Road survey records for county roads and rights-of-way
Subdivision map checking notes and correspondence
Historical survey control data

In many jurisdictions, the county or state surveyor reviews and accepts records of survey and corner records before they are filed with the recorder. The county surveyor's files often contain information not available elsewhere, including informal notes, correspondence, and working documents from prior surveys.

Court Records

Court records become essential when boundary disputes, quiet title actions, or partition suits have affected the property. Relevant court documents include:

Quiet title judgments that may establish or modify boundaries
Partition decrees that divide property among co-owners
Condemnation proceedings where government takes property
Adverse possession rulings affecting boundary positions
Probate records transferring property through estates

Government Land Office (GLO) / Bureau of Land Management (BLM)

For properties with origins in the public domain, the surveyor must research:

Original GLO plats showing the Public Land Survey System layout
Field notes from original government surveys
Patent records showing initial transfer from government to private ownership
Mineral survey plats for mining claims
Dependent resurvey plats and supplemental plats

These records are available through the BLM General Land Office Records website and establish the foundational survey system for much of the western United States.

State and Federal Agencies

Additional public sources include:

Agency	Records Available
State highway department	Right-of-way plans, highway survey data
Army Corps of Engineers	Navigation and flood control surveys, mean high water data
USGS / NGS	Geodetic control points, benchmark data, topographic maps
FEMA	Flood insurance rate maps (FIRMs)
State lands commission	Tidelands, navigable waterway boundaries
Forest service	National forest boundaries and survey data

Private Record Sources

Figure PS.2.15 — Six private record sources

Title Companies

Title companies compile title reports and preliminary title reports that summarize the chain of title and identify encumbrances. For the surveyor, title reports provide:

A summary of recorded documents affecting the property
Identification of easements, liens, and restrictions
The legal description currently of record
Names of parties in the chain of title for further research
Exception items that may affect the survey

The surveyor should always request copies of the underlying documents referenced in the title report, not just the summary. Title companies may miss documents or summarize them inaccurately.

Common wrong path — treating the title report as the complete record. A title report summarizes the documents the title company's researcher found relevant to issuing insurance. It is not a complete record of all documents affecting the property, and it is not a substitute for independent records research. Title reports routinely miss: unrecorded easements (especially old utility easements), corner records, prior surveys that weren't tied to title exceptions, and documents indexed under predecessor parties' names. Students on the exam sometimes answer "review the title report" as the complete records-research step; that's insufficient. The correct research includes the title report plus independent searches at the county recorder, county surveyor, GLO/BLM records, utility company records, and prior surveyors' files. A surveyor who relies only on the title report will miss information that a competent colleague would find — and that gap is a liability exposure when the missed document surfaces later.

Quick retrieval check — try before reading on.

▶You receive a title report listing 12 exceptions affecting the subject property. You review all 12 documents. Is your records research complete? What additional sources should you check, and why?

No — the title report is a starting point, not a complete search. Additional sources to check:

County recorder (independently) — search the grantor-grantee index (or tract index) for documents the title researcher may have missed, including documents indexed under the wrong name, mis-indexed deeds, or documents that affect adjoining properties and therefore affect your subject property.
County surveyor's office — for corner records, records of survey, and checking notes that may not appear in the title report because they don't constitute "encumbrances" on the property in the insurance-law sense.
GLO/BLM — original survey plats and field notes for any property with PLSS origins.
Utility companies — directly contact major utility providers (electric, gas, water, sewer, telecom) for facility maps and easement locations that may be unrecorded or recorded elsewhere.
Adjoining owners' title chains — check the chains of adjacent properties to identify senior/junior rights and shared boundary history.
Prior surveyors — contact any surveyor who has worked on this property or in the area; their field notes and opinions may not be in any public record.
Court records — for any litigation affecting the property or its predecessors.

The title report is the starting point; the thorough search is the complete picture. Failing to go beyond the title report is a common cause of liability claims when undiscovered encumbrances surface post-delivery.

Utility Companies

Utility providers maintain records of their facilities that may constitute easements or affect property use:

Electric and gas utilities -- pole lines, underground conduits, pipeline easements
Telephone and cable companies -- overhead and underground facilities
Water and sewer districts -- mains, laterals, and easement locations
Irrigation districts -- canal rights-of-way and water rights documentation

Some utility easements are unrecorded, existing only in the utility company's internal files. The surveyor should contact relevant utility providers directly.

Private Survey Files

Prior surveyors who worked in the area may retain field notes, computations, and working documents not reflected in recorded instruments. Professional ethics require sharing survey data that may assist in boundary determination, though the form and extent of this sharing varies by jurisdiction and circumstance.

Conducting a Thorough Records Search

A professional records search follows a systematic process:

Define the search area -- include the subject property and all adjoining properties, and potentially properties in the surrounding area that share common origins
Obtain the title report and copies of all referenced documents
Research the county recorder for deeds, maps, records of survey, and corner records affecting the property and its neighbors
Check the county surveyor's files for corner records, survey checking notes, and filed records of survey
Research GLO/BLM records if the property traces to the public domain
Contact utility companies for easement and facility information
Check court records if disputes or litigation are indicated
Contact prior surveyors to obtain field notes and working documents
Review the chain of title back to a common source (government patent or original grant)
Compile and analyze all findings, noting discrepancies or gaps

Evaluating Record Quality

Not all records carry equal weight. The surveyor must evaluate each document for:

Date and context -- older records closer to the original survey may carry more weight
Author qualifications -- was the document prepared by a licensed professional?
Internal consistency -- do the measurements and descriptions close mathematically?
Consistency with other records -- does this document agree with or contradict other evidence?
Legal status -- is this a recorded instrument, an unrecorded document, or an informal record?
Completeness -- does the document contain sufficient information for its purpose?

Exam Tips

The exam frequently tests whether you know which office holds specific types of records (county recorder vs. county surveyor vs. assessor)
Assessor parcel maps are administrative documents and should never be used as survey-grade boundary evidence
A thorough records search extends beyond the subject property to include adjoining and nearby parcels
GLO/BLM records are essential for any property with origins in the Public Land Survey System
Title reports are a starting point, not a substitute for independent records research
Unrecorded easements (such as utility easements) may still affect property rights