Non-disclosure states are U.S. states where property sale prices are not publicly recorded as part of official public records. Unlike disclosure states, government offices in non-disclosure states are prohibited from releasing sale price information, even when a property transaction is recorded.
This distinction can significantly impact how real estate professionals analyze property values, market trends, and sales activity.
What Is a Disclosure State?
In disclosure states, when a property sale is recorded, the sale price is included in the public record. This information is commonly used by:
- Real estate agents and brokers
- Appraisers
- Lenders
- Investors and analysts
Public sale prices enable transparent valuation and market analysis.
What Is a Non-Disclosure State?
In non-disclosure states, the sale price of real property is not made publicly available through county or state records. This does not prohibit buyers or sellers from sharing prices privately; it means government employees cannot disclose that information to the public.
Additionally, state and county governments in non-disclosure states cannot require parties to report the sale price.
How Can Sale Prices Be Found in Non-Disclosure States?
Multiple Listing Service (MLS)
In some cases, sale prices may be available through the MLS. However:
- Not all transactions are listed in the MLS
- Private sales (FSBO) may not appear
- Some MLS systems allow sale prices to be marked confidential
County-Level Exceptions
Some non-disclosure states include counties that operate as full-disclosure jurisdictions, creating inconsistencies within the same state.
Cash Sales
Cash transactions are often more difficult to track in non-disclosure states because they may not involve mortgage records or MLS reporting, making them largely invisible in public data sources.
Why Comprehensive Property Data Matters in Non-Disclosure States
Because public sale prices are limited or unavailable, comprehensive property data providers aggregate multiple data points to create a more complete market picture, including:
- Assessor and tax records
- Deeds and transfer history
- Mortgage data (when available)
- Automated valuation models
Which States Are Non-Disclosure States?
The current list of non-disclosure states includes:
- Alaska (AK)
- Idaho (ID)
- Kansas (KS)
- Louisiana (LA)
- Mississippi (MS)
- Missouri (MO) – some counties
- Montana (MT)
- New Mexico (NM)
- North Dakota (ND)
- Texas (TX)
- Utah (UT)
- Wyoming (WY)
How Can You Estimate Property Sale Prices in Non-Disclosure States?
When sale prices are not publicly available, one common approach is using an Automated Valuation Model (AVM).
ATTOM’s lender-grade AVM uses property, mortgage, and market data to generate estimated property values, helping fill valuation gaps in non-disclosure states.
How Does ATTOM Help?
ATTOM evaluates AVM accuracy by comparing estimated values to actual sale prices over recent periods where available. Even in non-disclosure states, users can access sales history, mortgage information, and related data through ATTOM to calculate informed value estimates.
ATTOM’s nationwide property database covers more than 80 million homes across all 50 states, representing approximately 99% of the U.S. population.
Key Takeaway
Non-disclosure states limit access to public sale price data, making valuation and market analysis more complex. Aggregated property data and valuation models help bridge these gaps and support informed real estate decision-making.
