The items below are general recording requirements and are not a complete list of all recording requirements or fees. Some documents may require additional information or forms to be recorded.
Recorder Duties & Indexing - GC 27201 & 6103
- The Recorder shall upon payment of proper fees and taxes, accept for recording any instrument, paper or notice authorized or required by law.
- Documents must contain sufficient information to be indexed, meet recording requirements and be photographically reproducible.
- Requires original signatures on all instruments, papers or notices presented for recording except as otherwise provided by law. A certified copy is also acceptable.
- Any California notary public or other officer taking acknowledgments in California must complete the California all-purpose notary acknowledgment.
- Documents must be acknowledged using a proper format unless exempt from being acknowledged, as provided by law. Notary forms available on the Forms & Resources page.
- Documents presented for recording must be sufficiently legible to reproduce a readable photographic copy. This includes notary seals and any attachments or exhibits.
- Whenever the text of a document presented for record may be made out but is not sufficiently legible to reproduce a readable photographic record, the recorder may require the person presenting it for record to substitute a legible original document or to prepare a legible copy of the first document by handwriting or typewriting and attach the same to the original as a part of the document for making the permanent photographic record. The handwritten or typewritten legible copy shall be certified by the party creating the copy under penalty of perjury as being a true copy of the original. As used in this section, the word “text” includes the notary seal, certificates, and other appendages thereto. Forms available on the Forms & Resources page.
- A page is defined as one printed side of a single piece of paper measuring 8 ½" x 11".
- A sheet is defined as one printed side of a single piece of paper that is not exactly 8 ½" x 11", but is no larger than 8 ½" x 14".
- All documents submitted for recording must have at least a ½" margin along each vertical side. In addition, the top right 2 ½" of the first page or sheet must be reserved for recording information. The left 3 ½" of this space is used to show the name of the party requesting the recording and where to mail the document after it is recorded.
- If the first page of the document does not have required space for the recording information, a separate page or cover sheet must be attached to the front of the document. This cover sheet must show the name of the party requesting the recording, where to mail the document after it is recorded and the title or titles of the document. Recording fees will be charged for this page.
- Every deed or instrument executed to convey fee title to real property shall have noted on the first page or sheet thereof the name and address to which future tax statements may be mailed.
- All documents submitted for recording must indicate the title or titles of the documents contained therein. Titles should appear on the first page, directly below the space reserved for the Recorder.
- The Recorder is required to index all titles shown on the first page. Additional titles may also be identified and indexed at the discretion of the Recorder. When a document contains more than one title to be indexed, the document will be charged for each additional title.
- Any document that modifies, releases or cancels the provisions of a previously recorded document must contain the recording reference number of that prior document.
- All recording fees are due at the time of recording. Other fees may apply.
- If any part of a document does not measure 8 ½" x 11" an additional fee of $3.00 will be charged for each page of the document.
- Effective January 1, 2018, pursuant to the Building Homes and Jobs Act (SB2), documents accepted for recording shall be charged a fee of $75 per parcel for every instrument, paper or notice, with a maximum fee of $225 per transaction, unless a valid exemption is declared on the document. SB2 Building Homes & Jobs Act Fee Notice
- A declaration of a valid exemption may be placed on the face of the each document, or on a document cover page, which shall become part of the document, prior to depositing with the Recorder. If no valid exemption is declared, the fee will be assessed.
- A fee of $10 may be applicable to grant deeds submitted for recording. Survey Monument Fund Fee