Chain of title is the sequence of recorded transfers of ownership of a property, from the earliest recorded owner through to the current one. It traces how title passed from one party to the next over the years.
Examining the chain of title during a title search confirms that each transfer was valid and that the current seller genuinely holds the ownership they claim. Gaps, errors, forged documents, or missing links in the chain are title defects that can cloud ownership.
A clean, unbroken chain of title supports a marketable title that can be sold and insured. Problems in the chain are among the risks that title insurance protects against and that a thorough title search aims to catch before closing.