Key West Title Company
Title insurance, escrow & real estate closings in Key West — local Key West knowledge, licensed across all 67 Florida counties.
Atlantic Title Firm provides title insurance, escrow, and closing services throughout Key West and the rest of Monroe County. Buyers, sellers, FSBOs, investors, and lenders rely on us for accurate, on-time closings — backed by local Key West know-how and statewide reach. Key West is the end of the road, a city of 1840s conch houses in Old Town, Casa Marina estates, the 1950s grid of New Town, the former Navy land of Truman Annex and the working waterfront of Stock Island, with the Lower Keys stretching back up the Overseas Highway. It has the most regulated housing market in Florida, and its titles run through Spanish grants, Navy conveyances and a permit system found nowhere else. Our Key West closings are luxury and second-home purchases, transient-license investments and conch-house restorations.
On a typical $1,000,000 Key West sale, the Florida-specific closing costs run about $12,102 (deed doc stamps + owner’s title + recording). In Monroe County, the seller customarily pays the owner’s title policy and usually chooses the closing agent.
Title & Closing Costs in Key West
Two line items drive most of the Florida-specific cost of a Key West closing: the deed documentary stamp tax and owner's title insurance. Key West uses Florida's standard deed doc-stamp rate of $0.70 per $100 of the sale price, while owner's title is set at state-promulgated rates that are identical at every Florida title company. On a $1,000,000 Key West sale, those items look about like this:
Example: $1,000,000 sale in Key West
These are illustrative — your actual costs depend on price, financing, prorations, and who pays what under the contract. Run your own numbers with the Key West closing cost calculator, or use the statewide tools below:
See all Florida title calculators →
What Is Different About Closing in Key West
Transient rental licenses. Short-term rental in Key West requires a transient license tied to the property, and licenses are capped and trade at a premium. We confirm the license exists, is current and transfers with the sale, because a unit sold as a vacation rental without one is a very different asset.
ROGO and building rights. The Rate of Growth Ordinance limits new units county-wide. Vacant lots and additions depend on ROGO allocations or transferable development rights. We confirm what building rights actually exist before a buyer pays for a lot.
Old Town and historic titles. Conch houses trace to 1840s plats with descriptions by lot and square, and the Historic Architectural Review Commission governs every exterior change. We run the full chain and explain HARC before buyers plan a restoration.
Navy land and Truman Annex. Truman Annex, the Peary Court area and parts of Stock Island were conveyed by the Navy with recorded restrictions and reversionary clauses. We identify them on the commitment so they are not a surprise at the table.
Who Pays for Title Insurance in Key West?
Key West follows the Monroe County custom: the seller ordinarily pays the owner's title insurance premium, and by Florida tradition the party footing that cost chooses the title and closing agent. So on a typical Key West transaction the seller makes the call. It is a local custom, not a legal requirement, and it is always open to negotiation — if you're selling, we'd be glad to be your choice.
Get a Key West Title Quote
Buying, selling, or refinancing in Key West? Leave your info and our team will reach out — fast, accurate, and licensed across all 67 Florida counties.
Property Taxes & Homestead in Key West
Key West properties are assessed by the Monroe County Property Appraiser, with a total millage of about 8.2 mills per $1,000 of taxable value (the 2025 City of Key West total rate; unincorporated Monroe County parcels use a different, usually lower, rate). If the home is your permanent primary residence as of January 1, the homestead exemption lowers your taxable value by up to $50,000 and activates the Save Our Homes 3% assessment cap. Florida reassesses to market value the January after a sale — so budget from a market estimate, not the seller's old tax bill.
Estimate Key West property taxesFree property-tax estimator with Monroe County millage & homestead→Recording Your Deed in Key West
Deeds and mortgages for Key West properties are recorded with the Monroe County Clerk of the Circuit Court in Key West (with a Marathon branch). Florida recording fees are statutory statewide — $10 for the first page and $8.50 for each additional page. As your closing agent, Atlantic Title Firm prepares the documents, collects and remits the doc stamps, and records everything with the Clerk so your Key West closing is complete and your title is protected.
How Your Key West Closing Works
Open Title
Your agent, lender, or you send us the contract. We open the file and order the Key West title search right away.
Search & Examine
We examine the public record for liens, judgments, easements, and other clouds — and clear anything that turns up.
Commitment & Prep
We issue the title commitment, order estoppels and payoffs, and prepare your deed, settlement statement, and closing figures.
Close & Record
You sign and fund, then we record the deed and mortgage with the Monroe County Clerk and issue your owner's title policy.
Key West Title & Property Considerations
High-value Key West files bring wire-fraud risk, foreign sellers with FIRPTA and entity buyers needing SB 264 documentation. Waterfront lots raise sovereign submerged land and dock questions, and the Keys’ wastewater conversion left utility assessments on many parcels. Stock Island, Key Haven and the Lower Keys are unincorporated Monroe County, with different millage and rules from the city.
Deeds record with the Monroe County Clerk in Key West, with a Marathon branch. Recording is statewide, $10 for the first page and $8.50 per additional page, and we e-record on closing day.
Our Key West title search and examination are built to surface issues like these before you close — so you take title clean and your ownership is protected from day one.
Neighborhoods & Areas We Serve in Key West
Atlantic Title Firm closes throughout Key West, including Old Town, Casa Marina, the Meadows, New Town, Truman Annex, Key West by the Sea, Stock Island, Key Haven, Big Coppitt and the Lower Keys:
Closing in Key West? Let's Get Started.
Fast, accurate title & closing services — local to Key West, licensed across all 67 Florida counties.
☎ (561) 396-2692Order TitleKey West Title Company FAQ
Does Atlantic Title Firm close in Key West and the Lower Keys?
Yes. We handle title insurance, escrow and closings throughout Key West, Old Town, Stock Island, Key Haven and the Lower Keys, for buyers, sellers, investors, foreign and entity buyers and lenders.
What do title insurance and doc stamps cost on a Key West sale?
On a $1,000,000 Key West sale the Florida-specific items are about $7,000 in deed documentary stamps, $5,075 in owner's title insurance and roughly $27 in recording. Our Key West closing cost calculator adds lender fees and prorations.
Who pays for title insurance in Monroe County?
The seller customarily pays for the owner's title policy in Monroe County and usually chooses the closing agent. Luxury and cash contracts often shift that, and it is negotiable.
Does a transient rental license transfer when I buy in Key West?
Only if the license is current and the contract conveys it. We confirm the license status with the city and make sure the transfer is part of the closing.
Can I build on a vacant lot in Key West?
Only with a ROGO allocation or transferable development rights. We confirm what building rights exist before a buyer pays lot value.
A dedicated closer, co-branded marketing, and clear updates on every file — see why Key West agents make us their preferred title company.
Open & Move Your File Online
Already have a signed contract? Send it over and we’ll open your file today.
Submit a Contract →Related Reading
Nearby Cities & Counties We Serve
Key West is in Monroe County. See the full county page, or our statewide coverage across all 67 Florida counties.