DC Property Records & Real Property Search (Free Official Sources)
Washington, DC publishes more property data than almost any jurisdiction in the region — assessments, ownership, sales, permits, and one thing most places don't publish at all: an official list of vacant and blighted buildings. Everything below is free and comes straight from the District.
Official free sources for Washington, DC property records
| What you need | Where to get it (official) |
|---|---|
| Real property search (assessments, owners, tax status) | MyTax DC — Office of Tax and Revenue |
| Parcel maps, zoning, permits, sales history | Property Quest (DC GIS) |
| Deeds and recorded documents | OTR Recorder of Deeds |
| Vacant & blighted building list | DC Department of Buildings |
| Annual tax sale (delinquent properties) | OTR Tax Sale information |
Finding distressed properties in Washington, DC
DC is the strongest distress market in the region on paper: the District classifies vacant buildings (taxed at a higher Class 3 rate) and blighted buildings (Class 4) and publishes the list, and OTR's annual tax sale lists thousands of delinquent properties each summer. The catch is that these lists live in separate systems, in separate formats, and go stale between updates.
Every distress signal in DC, on one map
DMVDealFlow tracks tax-delinquency, vacancy, vacant-lot, blight, REO and foreclosure signals across 2 million parcels in Maryland, DC & Northern Virginia — compiled from the same public sources on this page, mapped to the parcel, refreshed as lists publish.
See the live map →Frequently asked questions
How do I find out who owns a property in DC?
Search the address free at MyTax DC (the Office of Tax and Revenue's real property search). The record shows the owner of record, mailing address, assessment, and tax status. For the full chain of title, search the Recorder of Deeds.
Are DC property records free?
Yes. Assessments, ownership, sales, and the vacant/blighted list are all free through MyTax DC, Property Quest, and the Department of Buildings. Recorded deed copies may carry a small per-document fee.
How do I find tax delinquent properties in DC?
The Office of Tax and Revenue publishes the annual tax sale list of delinquent properties, typically ahead of the July sale. DMVDealFlow tracks tax-delinquency signals across DC year-round, mapped to the parcel.