Every state has different regulations regarding who can handle real estate closings and the roles and cost to do so. The rates and practices can even differ between cities and counties.
In this post we’ll list who can handle closings in each state.
Who can close a real estate transaction in each state:
- Alabama – Title Company, Escrow Company, or Attorney
- Alaska – Title or Escrow Company
- Arizona – Title or Escrow Company
- Arkansas – Abstract or Title Company
- California – Title or Escrow Company
- Colorado – Title or Escrow Company
- Connecticut – Attorney only
- Delaware – Attorney only
- Washington D.C. – Title or Escrow Company
- Florida – Title, Attorney, or Escrow Company
- Georgia – Attorney only
- Hawaii – Title or Escrow Company
- Idaho – Title or Escrow Company
- Illinois – Title or Escrow Company
- Indiana – Title or Escrow Company
- Iowa – Attorneys, Local Abstractors, and Closing Companies only. No Title Companies licensed within the state. Title Polices are written outside of the state.
- Kansas – Title Companies and Escrow Companies can handle closings in Kansas.
- Kentucky – Attorney only
- Louisiana – Title Companies and Attorneys
- Maine – Closing Companies and Attorneys
- Maryland – Title or Escrow Companies
- Massachusetts – Attorney Only
- Michigan – Title or Escrow Companies
- Minnesota – Title or Escrow Companies
- Mississippi – Attorney Only
- Missouri – Title or Escrow Companies
- Montana – Title Company only
- Nebraska – Title or Escrow Companies
- Nevada – Title or Escrow Companies
- New Hampshire – Title and Escrow Companies
- New Jersey – New Jersey is a split state. In the northern half of the state, closing are handled by Attorneys but in the south closings are handled by title companies.
- New Mexico – Title Companies only
- New York – Attorney Only
- North Carolina – Attorneys often handle closings in North Carolina but non-attorney closing or settlement offices do exist as well.
- North Dakota – Title or Escrow companies
- Ohio – Title or Escrow companies
- Oklahoma – Title or Escrow companies
- Oregon – Title or Escrow companies
- Pennsylvania – Title, escrow, or attorneys
- Rhode Island – Title companies and attorneys only
- South Carolina – Attorney only
- South Dakota – Title or Escrow companies
- Tennessee – Title Companies and Attorneys
- Texas – Title or Escrow companies and sometimes Lenders can handle closings as well.
- Utah – Title companies only
- Vermont – Attorney only
- Virginia – Title or Escrow companies and attorneys
- Washington – Title companies, independent escrow companies that must have a limited practice officer to conduct the closing, and attorneys.
- West Virginia – Attorney only
- Wisconsin – Title or Escrow companies
- Wyoming – Title companies only
As you can see, the type of company that can handle the closing in each state is different.