Land Recordation

STANDARDS FOR RECORDED INSTRUMENTS

§ 1.  STATEMENT OF APPLICABILITY:
These standards shall apply to all writings required by law to be recorded and retained permanently in the clerk's office of the circuit courts of the Commonwealth. As noted in the section on exclusions, wills are exempt from these standards.

§ 2.   RECORDING MEDIUM:
Instruments shall be recorded on paper that is uniformly white, opaque, smooth in finish, unglazed, and free of visible watermarks and background logos. The size of the paper shall be no less than 8 1/2 x 11 or larger than 8 1/2 x 14 inches. A minimum paper weight of 20 lb. is required. Positive (black on white background) copies may be substituted provided the copies meet the paper and quality inscription standards noted herein and are capable being microfilmed and of producing a legible image from microfilm. Negative (white on black background) and carbon copies are not acceptable.

§ 3.   INSCRIPTION STANDARDS:
All inscriptions shall be black and shall be solid, uniform, dense, sharp, and unglazed. Inscriptions are solid when the lines forming each letter do not have blank or light spots, and they are uniform when the entire letter is the same darkness. To be dense, each letter must be dark, and to be sharp, the demarcation between each letter and the background must be abrupt. Inscriptions are unglazed if they are non-reflective. Signatures shall be in dark blue or black ink.

§ 4.  INSCRIPTION SIZE:
Printing shall be nine point or larger. Typing shall be elite (12 character per inch) or pica (10 characters per inch) or larger.

§ 5.   FORMAT:
A minimum one inch margin shall be provided on the left, top, and bottom margins and one-half inch on the right margin.

§ 6.   RECORDING STANDARDS:
Recordation inscriptions shall be by clerk's printed certificate, stamping, typing or handwriting and shall conform to the quality inscription standards noted above.

§ 7.   EXCLUSION:
These standards do not apply to wills, non-permanent disposable forms, such as Uniform Commercial Code forms, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court and General District Court judgments and warrants. Original documents executed prior to adoption of these standards shall be admitted to record. Where a plat is submitted as part of an instrument, the standards for plats shall apply.

§ 8.   EFFECTIVE DATE:
These standards became effective July 1, 1986.

STANDARDS FOR PLATS

§ 1.   STATEMENT OF APPLICABILITY:
These standards shall apply to all plats and maps submitted for recordation in the circuit courts for the City of Winchester and the County of Frederick in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

§ 2.   RECORDING MEDIUM:
Document size shall be between 8 1/2 x 11 and 8 1/2 x 14 inches, and the scale shall be appropriate to the size of the paper. Any plats larger than that stated herein, will be cut down to appropriate size. Original plats shall be inscribed on either translucent or opaque paper, polyester or linen. The background quality for opaque paper shall be uniformly white, smooth in finish, unglazed, and free of visible watermarks or background logos. Only the original or a first generation unreduced black or blue line copy of the original plat drawing, which meets the quality inscription standards noted below and has the stamp and original signature of the preparer, shall be submitted for recordation.

§ 3.   QUALITY INSCRIPTION STANDARDS:
Color of original inscription shall be black and be solid, uniform, dense, sharp, and unglazed. Signatures shall be in dark blue or black ink. Lettering shall be no less than 1/10 inch or 2.54 mm. in height. Lettering and line weight shall be no less than .013 inches or .3302 mm. Letter and line spacing for control pencil drawings shall be no less the .050 inches and for ink drawings no less than .040 inches. Drawing substance must be either wet ink or control pencil but not a combination thereof. Good drafting practices shall be followed when eliminating ghost lines and when doing erasures, and all shading and screening shall be eliminated over written data. Inscriptions shall meet standards established herein, and Line Conventions and Lettering (ANSI Y14.2M-1979), Drawing Sheet Size and Format (ANSI Y14.1-1975), and Modern Drafting Techniques for Quality Microreproduction (NMA Reference Series No. 3) shall be consulted as guidelines.

§ 4.   FORMAT FOR COPIES:
Margins shall be at least 1/4 inch on all sides, and inscriptions are to be made on only one side of the paper. All drawings shall have centering marks on each side. Match lines or grid tics delineating 8 1/2 x 11 inch sections shall be inscribed on all plats larger than 8 1/2 x 11 inches. Continuation sheets of multi-sheet drawings shall be the same size as the first sheet.

§ 5.   RECORDING STANDARDS:
Recordation inscriptions shall be by clerk's printed certificate, stamping, typing or handwriting and shall conform to the quality inscription standards noted above.

§ 6.   EXCLUSION:
A first generation copy of an original plat drawing dated prior to the adoption of these standards shall be admitted to record.

§ 7.   NOTE:
Where a plat is submitted as part of an instrument, theses plat standards shall apply to such plat.

§ 8.   EFFECTIVE DATE:
These standards became effective January 1, 1986.