A living trust is a legal entity that holds title of assets. There are two types of living trusts: a revocable living trust and an irrevocable living trust. A revocable trust can be altered once it is complete, whereas an irrevocable trust cannot. If a trust grantor—a person who sets up a living trust—wishes to record her trust agreement, she can do so at the local level. To find the trust, you'll need to go to the county clerk's or recorder's office.
Visit the county clerk's office in the trust grantor’s county of residence. States like Pennsylvania require a trust grantor to record the transfer of real estate property in the county clerk's or recorder's office. If the trust grantor holds title of real estate, visit the county clerk’s office in the county where the property is located.
Provide the county clerk with the trust grantor’s first and last name. Provide the name of the living trust, if you know it, to expedite the search process.
Request a certified copy of the trust deed. Be aware that sensitive personal or financial information may be redacted to protect a trust’s privacy.
Visit the county recorder’s office. If you do not find record of the trust in the county clerk’s office, perform a records search at the county recorder’s office. If a trust grantor records a trust agreement, he can do so only in one of these two offices.
