Title and escrow agents: who runs the closing in each state

In short

A title agent searches the property's ownership history and issues title insurance; an escrow or settlement agent holds the money and documents and runs the closing. The CFPB says that in most of the country a settlement agent from a title insurance company conducts the closing, that in the West the person is often called an escrow agent, and that some states require a closing attorney. Federal law bars a seller from requiring you to buy title insurance from a particular company.

What they do in a purchase

The title side checks that the seller can transfer clear ownership and insures it: the lender's policy is usually required, the owner's policy is optional (see title insurance explained). The settlement side is the closing itself: the CFPB says "the settlement agent is responsible for the legal transfer of title and ownership", and that "in some states, an escrow officer handles any funds that need to be exchanged during the closing".

Who regulates them

Payotte found no federal license for title or escrow agents in the federal sources it read, and it has not yet compiled each state's regulator for this trade, so this page names none. What federal law does is protect your choice: no seller of a home bought with a federally related mortgage loan may require "that title insurance covering the property be purchased by the buyer from any particular title company", on pain of owing the buyer three times the charges (12 U.S.C. § 2608). And the CFPB notes that "your lender is required to give you a list of companies in your area that provide the services you can shop for".

How to check a title or escrow company yourself

Ask the company which state licenses it and under what number, then check that number on the state agency's own website. Read the written list of providers your lender gives you, and compare. Before you wire your closing funds, call the company on a number you found yourself, not one in an email. Payotte does not check these companies for you.

Who runs the closing, state by state

Payotte's reading of each state's law finds an attorney required to close in 6 states and partly required in 8; in the other 36, a title or escrow company usually runs the closing. In 4 states where the state shapes title insurance rates (Florida, Iowa, New Mexico and Texas), a separate page explains how they are set.

Source: Payotte's state table on attorneys at closing (read October 14, 2026), field “who usually closes”.

What it costs

No federal agency sets title premiums. A worked CFPB example and the rules that shape the price are in title insurance explained; the states that set title rates by law have their own title insurance page, linked in the table.

Closing in each state

Related guides

Title insurance explained · Escrow account · Closing costs explained · All six professions

Questions

Who runs the closing in a US home purchase?

The CFPB says that in most of the country a settlement agent from a title insurance company conducts the closing; in other states, particularly in the West, the person is known as an escrow agent; and some states require a closing attorney. The table on this page shows who closes in each state.

Can the seller choose my title company?

No. A seller may not require you to buy title insurance from a particular company when the home is bought with a federally related mortgage loan; a seller who does owes you three times the title insurance charges (12 U.S.C. § 2608).

Can I shop for title and closing services?

Yes, for the services your lender lists as shoppable. The CFPB says your lender must give you a list of companies in your area that provide the services you can shop for, and that you can often save money by shopping around.