California Forms

San Diego County Certificate of Trust Form

San Diego County Certificate of Trust Form

San Diego County Certificate of Trust Form

Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.

Document Last Validated 8/22/2025
San Diego County Certificate of Trust Guide

San Diego County Certificate of Trust Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Document Last Validated 6/30/2025
San Diego County Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

San Diego County Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.

Document Last Validated 4/25/2025

All 3 documents above included • One-time purchase • No recurring fees

Immediate Download • Secure Checkout

Important: Your property must be located in San Diego County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.

Where to Record Your Documents

San Diego Clerk/Recorder Main Office
Address:
County Administration Center - 1600 Pacific Highway, Suite 260
San Diego, California 92101

Hours: Monday to Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm

Phone: (619) 236-3771, 238-8158; (760) 630-1219 North County

Mail to: San Diego Assessor/Recorder/Clerk
Address:
P.O. Box 121750
San Diego, California 92112-1750

Hours: N/A

Phone: mailing address

El Cajon Branch Office
Address:
200 S Magnolia Ave
El Cajon, California 92020

Hours: Monday through Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm

Phone: (619) 238-8158 or (619) 236-3771 Assessor

San Marcos Branch Office
Address:
141 E Carmel St
San Marcos, California 92078

Hours: Monday through Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm

Phone: (619) 238-8158 or (760) 630-1219 North County

Chula Vista Branch Office
Address:
590 3rd Ave.
Chula Vista, California 91910

Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays.

Phone: (619) 238-8158

Recording Tips for San Diego County:
  • Check that your notary's commission hasn't expired
  • Avoid the last business day of the month when possible
  • Leave recording info boxes blank - the office fills these
  • Have the property address and parcel number ready

Cities and Jurisdictions in San Diego County

Properties in any of these areas use San Diego County forms:

  • Alpine
  • Bonita
  • Bonsall
  • Borrego Springs
  • Boulevard
  • Camp Pendleton
  • Campo
  • Cardiff By The Sea
  • Carlsbad
  • Chula Vista
  • Coronado
  • Del Mar
  • Descanso
  • Dulzura
  • El Cajon
  • Encinitas
  • Escondido
  • Fallbrook
  • Guatay
  • Imperial Beach
  • Jacumba
  • Jamul
  • Julian
  • La Jolla
  • La Mesa
  • Lakeside
  • Lemon Grove
  • Lincoln Acres
  • Mount Laguna
  • National City
  • Oceanside
  • Pala
  • Palomar Mountain
  • Pauma Valley
  • Pine Valley
  • Potrero
  • Poway
  • Ramona
  • Ranchita
  • Rancho Santa Fe
  • San Diego
  • San Luis Rey
  • San Marcos
  • San Ysidro
  • Santa Ysabel
  • Santee
  • Solana Beach
  • Spring Valley
  • Tecate
  • Valley Center
  • Vista
  • Warner Springs

View Complete Recorder Office Guide

Hours, fees, requirements, and more for San Diego County

How do I get my forms?

Forms are available for immediate download after payment. The San Diego County forms will be in your account ready to download to your computer. An account is created for you during checkout if you don't have one. Forms are NOT emailed.

Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in San Diego County?

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by San Diego County including margin requirements, content requirements, font and font size requirements.

Can I reuse these forms?

Yes. You can reuse the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have multiple properties in San Diego County you only need to order once.

What do I need to use these forms?

The forms are PDFs that you fill out on your computer. You'll need Adobe Reader (free software that most computers already have). You do NOT enter your property information online - you download the blank forms and complete them privately on your own computer.

Are there any recurring fees?

No. This is a one-time purchase. Nothing to cancel, no memberships, no recurring fees.

How much does it cost to record in San Diego County?

Recording fees in San Diego County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (619) 236-3771, 238-8158; (760) 630-1219 North County for current fees.

Questions answered? Let's get started!

California Certification of Trust

In California, the certification of trust is governed by Probate Code Section 18100.5.
A certificate of trust is used by an acting trustee or trustees of a trust to prove to financial institutions or other third parties that he/she/they has/have the authority to act on behalf of the trust. The certificate is used in lieu of the full trust document to keep nonessential information about the trust, such as the identities of trust beneficiaries, confidential.

The certificate verifies the existence of the trust and presents the pertinent details of the trust, such as the settlor, the trustee, the powers granted to the trustee, and, in the case that there are co-trustees, the number and identity of persons required to sign legal documents dealing with the trust. The certificate also specifies how the trust will vest title to real property.

Like all documents affecting real estate, the certification requires a legal description of the real property subject to the trust. In California, the certification also must include the trust's taxpayer ID, a number that is either the SSN of the settlor (in the case of revocable trusts) or an EIN assigned by the IRS (in the case of irrevocable trusts).
Trust law can quickly become complicated, and each case is unique, so contact a lawyer with any questions that arise.

(California Certificate of Trust Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)

Important: Your property must be located in San Diego County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.

This Certificate of Trust meets all recording requirements specific to San Diego County.

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the San Diego County recording requirements for formatting. If there's an issue caused by our formatting, we'll make it right and refund your payment.

Save Time and Money

Get your San Diego County Certificate of Trust form done right the first time with Deeds.com Uniform Conveyancing Blanks. At Deeds.com, we understand that your time and money are valuable resources, and we don't want you to face a penalty fee or rejection imposed by a county recorder for submitting nonstandard documents. We constantly review and update our forms to meet rapidly changing state and county recording requirements for roughly 3,500 counties and local jurisdictions.

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August 7th, 2020

The certification of trust looks fine to me. I printed it and filled it out and had it notarized today. I have not sent it to the company that wants it yet so that will be the test. They are very picky. If they have any comment I will let you know.

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April 22nd, 2019

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