How to Access Property Records in California

California property records deal with the sale and purchase of real property and taxes, foreclosures, deeds, liens, and everything else that affects a piece of property. Property records are public records; therefore, everyone has access to them. These California public records can affect your ability to obtain loans, sell or purchase real estate, and your credit.

There are many situations where you may need to find specific property records. When doing so, be sure you have the entire property address, as that is the most effective way to find records about it. Some ways to search for California property records include:

Government Sources

California's primary source of property records is each county clerk's office, also called the registrar or recorder's office. Town offices may also have building permits, tax bills, land surveys, and deeds. You can access property records in California by visiting the local recorder's office where the property is located.

Historical property records show every owner, what they paid for the property, and its current value since it was first owned. This is a great way to gauge how the property has appreciated over time.

Online

Many local counties have websites where you can easily search for property records. Have the owner's name or full property address handy when searching. If your county doesn't store records online, you can use other sources for searching.

You can often find records online at the county website, but not all counties keep their records online. You may have to visit the county office in person to search for or review California public records.

In Person

You can always visit the county clerk's office to search for property records. Bring as much information as you can about the property. You may have to wait, depending on how busy the office is. You may also have to pay a small fee for paper copies.

California has 58 counties and recorder's offices where California property records are filed and maintained. The county names are:

• Alameda
• Alpine
• Amador
• Butte
• Calaveras
• Colusa
• Contra Costa
• Del Norte
• El Dorado
• Fresno
• Glenn
• Humboldt
• Imperial
• Inyo
• Kern
• Kings
• Lake
• Lassen
• Los Angeles
• Madera
• Marin
• Mariposa
• Mendocino
• Merced
• Modoc
• Mono
• Monterey
• Napa
• Nevada
• Orange
• Placer
• Plumas
• Riverside
• Sacramento
• San Benito
• San Bernardino
• San Diego
• San Francisco
• San Joaquin
• San Luis Obispo
• San Mateo
• Santa Barbara
• Santa Clara
• Santa Cruz
• Shasta
• Sierra
• Siskiyou
• Solano
• Sonoma
• Stanislaus
• Sutter
• Tehama
• Trinity
• Tulare
• Tuolumne
• Ventura
• Yolo
• Yuba

For the complete list of all counties and who to contact with property records questions, click here.

Some property records in California may also be found within the court system, such as easements, land dispute lawsuits, foreclosures, and other court-related actions that pertain to a particular piece of property.

Property records in California are public documents that describe a real property's current state and historical status. They may include deeds that prove property ownership and other records showing the property's entire ownership history.

California maintains millions of property records at the county level. It's very easy to locate and review public property records in California. Some of the different types of records you can find include:

You often need to find out who owns a specific property. It's actually easier than you might think. You can use one of the search methods listed above and use the property address to find out who the current owner is. You can also see historical ownership going back to when the property was first owed.

Ownership History Records

Property ownership can be transferred through a few different methods. The most common is through real estate transactions. You can also obtain property when someone dies and leaves it to you. Sometimes, property owners will transfer the property to an heir before they die, so the person will instantly be declared the new owner upon their passing.

What is a Chain of Title?

The chain of title tells the story of each property owner since the land was first sold. It details each historical transfer of title from person to person. The chain applies to land with homes and land without. It shows who first built the house on the land and each sale or transfer afterward. There should never be a break in the chain. It should always show one owner after the next without any gaps. Ownership should be continuous.

The paperwork involved in a chain of title is the deed proving ownership, the title (which is more of an idea than paperwork) giving the owner rights to use the property, and any accompanying "bundle of rights", which may be written legal specifications of how the land may be used.

As a homebuyer in California, it's crucial to conduct your due diligence and find out as much as possible about a property before buying it. You do not want to put an offer in on a place and find out later it has encumbrances, a history of bad liens, or is in foreclosure. Your title company will perform a title search to be sure there are no ownership disputes and that the seller actually has the full title/legal right to sell the property.

When selling real estate in California, you must provide specific documentation to the buyer to disclose any issues with the property, such as hidden lawsuits, liens, tax issues, and foreclosures.

The title company will perform a title search as part of a real estate sale. The goal is to determine whether the property has a clean title without any title defects or issues. When obtaining a mortgage, lenders will require you to purchase title insurance so that if any title defects are found later, the lender and the homeowner are covered.

Why Property Values Are Important in Real Estate Transactions

Professionals use property assessments and appraisals to determine the value of a specific piece of real estate. The county or town property inspector usually performs assessments to set the tax rate. Appraisals are most often used in real estate transactions to verify the property's value before sale. They can also be used in estate planning.

One of the most critical pieces of information about a property is its fair market value (FMV). This number may fluctuate often based on various factors. Most often, the market value will depend on its location, age, size, amenities, and condition. Using realty tools, you can find current property values in property records, primarily online.

As you can imagine, maintaining millions of property records in California is a big job.

Regular people create and maintain property and other public records. People are human, and humans make mistakes. Property records can contain errors. When this occurs, fixing them as quickly as possible is essential. You must contact the agency in charge of the records; most often, this will be the county recorder's office. Provide them with legal source documentation to prove the error and ask them to update the records.

If a legal change occurs and you need to amend property records, contact the local county recorder's office where the property is located. They will want to see proof of the legal change before amending the record. Online sources should get updated copies and automatically change after that.

You can only change your name in property tax records when you own the property. To do so, contact the county recorder's office and request they change your name. You may need to send them documentation validating the name change, such as a marriage or divorce certificate.

The town clerk's/recorder's office in each county is the central location for all property records in California. These offices collect, file, maintain, and store all property records in their jurisdiction.

Many records are kept online, but these offices also keep paper copies. If you visit your local county recorder's office, you can get official copies of a deed, survey, maps, or other documents. After purchasing a new home, the title company must file the deed with your local county recorder's office so they can record it and make it legal.

Remember, property records are public records; anyone can access them in person, online, or through other means. Some of your personal information, like your name, address, and other contact details, may be stored with property records.

Property records are public to protect the rights of people purchasing property. A potential buyer must understand any tax issues, liens, or encumbrances on the property before buying it.

Keeping all your personal information out of public records is not always possible. However, you can contact the necessary agencies and request that they redact anything not legally required. You can also ask online vendors to remove your personal details.

As a precaution, never give out personal information online or to anyone you don't know. Keep social sharing to a minimum and completely delete unused online accounts. You cannot do enough to protect your valuable private information.

Although you cannot shield all your personal information in public property records, you can limit it. Contact your local recorder's office to ask that your phone number or other personal details be redacted from public records.