County recorder's office began preparations for new law in the summer

The Churchill County Recorder's Office began in August alerting those who do business with the office, such as title companies, that beginning Jan. 1, Social Security numbers would not be allowed on public documents.

"Some said no because the law did not go into effect until 2007," said Vicky Tripp, county recorder.

She requires an affirmation statement from anyone who files documents that must be recorded. The statement declares that there are no Social Security numbers on the paperwork presented for recordation.

The new Nevada law allows Social Security numbers on death certificates of a joint tenant, a debtor affidavit and child support liens, she said.

Documents that require the personal identification number are scanned twice in the recorder's office - once with the number shown and a copy where the number is obliterated.

Anyone who comes to the office to view a public record is given the copy where the Social Security number has been removed, Tripp said. Permanent records are recorded on microfilm for office use, but Tripp is in the process of transferring all records onto compact discs.

The law also applies to online records. Documents such as IRS liens that contain Social Security numbers will be removed from the county's Web site. Anyone who wishes to view those records must now come into the office so the numbers can be removed before the document is viewed by the public.

Software purchased by the county for $43,000 is able to highlight numbers that resemble Social Security numbers or driver's license numbers so older records can be reviewed, said Tripp. The time to review all recorded documents will be extensive, she said, and she will likely contract with a company that is working with the state to handle documents with Social Security numbers.

"We're talking about big bucks here," she said about the expected cost to examine all the recorded files.

Tripp said the 2007 Nevada Legislature will address confusion in the law so those responsible for public documents will know what is expected of them.

She said since the law went into effect, her clerks have returned many documents that did not include the affirmation statement.

"We have sent documents left and right. We have to send them back unrecorded because they do not have the affirmation statement on there stating there are no Social Security numbers," said Tripp.

She said 90 to 95 percent of the documents handled in the recorder's office do not include Social Security numbers.

"Once in a while something bizarre comes in that has a Social Security number, but we eyeball every page," Tripp said.