deedplatState guides / Oregon / Polk County
Polk County property data
Where Polk County's property records live, how its tax and foreclosure sales work, and what Deedplat puts on one map, including Salem.
- 6Cities and towns
Where the records are
The county offices an investor deals with in Polk County, and what each one puts online.
Deeds and mortgages
Polk County Clerk's Office, Recording. Indexed deeds and records from 1984 on are in the Clerk's Digital Research Room; since September 1, 2026, documents cost money to buy online, or a subscription ($130 setup plus $125 a month or $1,500 a year) gives full access.
Owners and values
Polk County Assessor. Owner, value and property details can be looked up free in the Assessor's Property Search, and assessment and tax data can be downloaded from the county's data site.
Tax sales
Polk County Tax and Finance Office. The tax foreclosure process is explained online, and county-owned foreclosed properties are listed on the Foreclosed Properties for Sale page when any are available.
Foreclosure sales
Polk County Sheriff's Office, Civil Real Property Sales. Upcoming sheriff's sales are listed free by date with the address, case, starting bid and status, with the full notice, writ and judgment on the Oregon State Sheriffs' Association site.
Parcel maps
Polk County GIS (PolkMap). PolkMap is the county's free online parcel and property map, and GIS layers can be downloaded free from the Polk County GIS data hub.
How property is sold here
Polk County follows Oregon's rules, with its own calendar and offices. Read the Oregon guide for how the state works.
Tax sales
Oregon does not sell tax liens; the county forecloses on property once taxes are three years delinquent and takes the deed if it is not redeemed. Polk County publishes its foreclosure list in the Polk County Itemizer-Observer around August 16, the court then enters judgment, and the owner gets a two-year redemption period at 9% a year interest. Properties the county ends up owning are sold by the county and listed on the Tax and Finance Office's Foreclosed Properties for Sale page; as of October 2026 none were listed.
Foreclosure sales
Most Oregon home foreclosures are non-judicial trustee's sales run by private trustees. Court-ordered sheriff's sales in Polk County are held at the Sheriff's Office, 850 Main Street in Dallas, usually at 10 a.m., for U.S. currency or cashier's check paid in full at the sale, and are listed on the Sheriff's Real Property Sales page and the Oregon State Sheriffs' Association site at least 28 days before the sale.
Assessed values
The Polk County Assessor sets each property's real market value every year, and tax is charged on the lower of that value or its maximum assessed value, which can grow by no more than 3% a year under Measure 50.
Transfer tax
Oregon has no state real estate transfer tax and bars new local ones, so there is none in Salem, Dallas or anywhere else in Polk County; the Clerk charges $102 for the first page of a deed and $5 per added page to record it.
Worth knowing
Polk County covers West Salem, the part of Salem west of the Willamette River; most of Salem is in Marion County, so check which county a Salem address is in before searching records.
Worth knowing
Starting September 1, 2026, the Clerk began charging for online access to recorded documents that used to be free, citing deed fraud; owners can sign up for the free Property Recording Alert System to be told when something is recorded on their property.
Worth knowing
The Assessor keeps records on more than 36,000 property tax accounts, and Polk County's six cities are Dallas, Falls City, Independence, Monmouth, Salem (part) and Willamina (part).
Every town in Polk County
The cities, towns and townships inside the county line.
- Dallas city
- Falls City city
- Independence city
- Monmouth city
- Salem city
- Willamina city
Questions
Where are deeds recorded in Polk County?
Deeds are recorded by the Polk County Clerk at the courthouse, 850 Main Street in Dallas, in person, by mail or by eRecording. Recording costs $102 for the first page and $5 for each added page.
When is the Polk County tax sale?
Polk County does not hold a tax lien sale. It forecloses on property after three years of unpaid taxes, publishes the list around August 16, and sells property it takes title to after the two-year redemption period. Those properties are posted on the Foreclosed Properties for Sale page.
How do I find who owns a property in Polk County?
Use the Polk County Assessor's free Property Search or the PolkMap web map to look up owner, value and tax details by address, name or account number. Recorded deeds can be found in the Clerk's Digital Research Room.
Are Polk County property records online?
Yes. Assessor records, tax information, parcel maps and sheriff's sale lists are free online. Recorded deeds from 1984 on are searchable online, but since September 2026 copies cost money or need a paid subscription.
Sources for this guide
Office hours, fees and sale dates change. We checked these sources in October 2026; confirm with the county before you act.
- polkcountyor.gov/315/Recording
- polkcountyor.gov/602/Recording-Fees
- polkcountyor.gov/321/Land-Records-Search-Clerk-Digital-Resear
- polkcountyor.gov/317/Property-Recording-Alert-System-PRAS
- polkcountyor.gov/228/Assessor
- polkcountyor.gov/266/Property-Values
- polkcountyor.gov/258/Property-Information
- polkcountyor.gov/292/Search-Tools
- polkcountyor.gov/449/Tax-Foreclosures
- polkcountyor.gov/731/Foreclosed-Properties-for-Sale
- polkcountyor.gov/814/Real-Property-Sales
- polkcountyor.gov/419/Geographic-Information-Systems-GIS
Every parcel in Polk County, on one map
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