Recording a deed in San Mateo County, California

Recording a deed in San Mateo County

Deeds affecting property in San Mateo County, California are recorded with the Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Elections. Recording is what puts the world on notice of your ownership and fixes the priority date. An unrecorded deed can still transfer title between the parties, but it leaves you exposed to anyone who records first.

The recording rules the office applies come from Cal. Gov. Code § 27201. Deeds themselves are governed by Cal. Civ. Code § 1091.

What to bring

• The original signed and notarized deed. Recorders do not record photocopies handed over the counter.
• A completed notarial acknowledgment, with the date, the place where you signed, and the commission expiry all filled in.
• Any transfer tax payment or exemption statement the office asks for.
• Payment for the recording fee, about $15 for the first page and roughly $3 per additional page. Many offices do not take personal checks.

Formatting

• California reserves the top 2.5 inches of the first page for recording information, with the left 3.5 inches of that space used for the party requesting recording and the return name and address; the vertical sides carry half-inch margins (Cal. Gov. Code § 27361.6). Deedly places the return block in that space. A noncomplying first page must instead carry an attached cover page.
• Paper must be 8.5 × 11 inches; other sizes incur a per-page penalty fee.
• Print must stay legible when the recorder images it (Cal. Gov. Code § 27361.6). Printing denser than nine lines or 22 characters per inch costs $1 extra per page (Cal. Gov. Code § 27361(a)(1)). Deedly uses 10-point type or larger.
• Deedly's layout, which suits this office: 8.5 × 11 inch paper, a 2.5-inch clear space at the top of page one for the recording stamp, 0.5-inch margins on the other edges, and type no smaller than 10 point. Deedly formats every document this way automatically.
• A legal description. A street address alone is not enough.
• A 'when recorded, return to' block so the stamped original comes back to you.

How to file

1. 1In personTake the original to the Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Elections in Redwood City. This is the fastest route. You usually walk out with the recording information the same day.
2. 2By mailSend the original with a check or money order for the fee and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Allow one to three weeks for the stamped original to come back.
3. 3E-recordingCalifornia counties e-record only through authorized submitters under contract with the county, such as title companies, lenders, government agencies and other approved submitters (Cal. Gov. Code § 27390 et seq.). If you prepare your own deed, plan to record it in person or by mail, or ask a title or escrow company to submit it for a fee.