The Office and the Recorder
The Maricopa County Recorder’s Office processes and preserves public records including deeds, plats, and a variety of other essential documents for county residents. Annually, the Recorder’s Office records an estimated 1 million documents, with an average of 3,000 to 5,000 customers daily. Currently, there are more than 50 million online searchable documents, comprised of 185 million images, dating back to 1871.
In addition, the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office is responsible for maintaining voter files for more than 2.4 million active registered voters in Maricopa County. The Recorder’s Office partners with Maricopa County Elections to plan and hold jurisdictional, county, state, and federal-level elections for all eligible Maricopa County voters.
The Maricopa County Recorder's Office also maintains a close working relationship with the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, the Maricopa County Assessor's Office, and the Maricopa County Treasurer's Office. These offices, along with the Recorder's Office, utilize the same customer service center, also known as the STAR Call Center.
The Maricopa County Recorder’s Office is a consistent leader in innovation as we continue to provide our award-winning in-person and digital recording services. Above all, our top priority is to serve you.
Stephen Richer is the 30th Recorder of Maricopa County. He was elected in November 2020 and took office in January 2021.
His office of approximately 150 employees records hundreds of thousands of public documents every year, maintains a voter registration database of 2.4 million voters -- the second largest voting jurisdiction in the United States -- and administers the mail voting component of all elections in Maricopa County.
Prior to his time as Recorder, Stephen worked in various business sectors and, later, as an attorney at the law firms Steptoe & Johnson LLP and Lewis Roca LLP. He holds a J.D. and M.A. from The University of Chicago and a B.A. from Tulane University. He is completing his PhD at Arizona State University.
Awards and Recognitions
• "Arizonan of the Year." December 2021. The Arizona Republic.
• "Best Republican Politician." December 2021. The Phoenix New Times.
• "Public Law Attorney of the Year." November 2022. Maricopa County Bar Association.
• "Grant Woods Service to Law & Community Award." November 2022. State Bar of Arizona.
• "Leader of the Year, Government." September 2023. Arizona Capitol Times.
• "Best Republican Politician." June 2024. Arizona Capitol Times.
• "Best Political Twitter Account." June 2024. Arizona Capitol Times.
Some Office Accomplishments
• Redesigned and rebuilt the county’s voter registration database
• Administered largest-ever voter roll cleanup project
• Enhanced signature verification procedures on mail ballots
• Added chain of custody documentation on mail ballots
• Increased ballot tracking options through the voter’s individual voter dashboard at BeBallotReady.Vote.
• Reduced response time for phone calls and emails from county residents
• Designed and launched “Maricopa Title Alert” as a tool to detect potential deed fraud.
• Indexed over 2 million historic recordings to make them searchable
• Redesigned and deployed the elections and recording websites