San Diego County Certificate of Trust Form
Last validated April 22, 2026 by our Forms Development Team
San Diego County Certificate of Trust Form
Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.

San Diego County Certificate of Trust Guide
Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

San Diego County Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document
Example of a properly completed form for reference.
All 3 documents above included • One-time purchase • No recurring fees
Immediate Download • Secure Checkout
Additional California and San Diego County documents included at no extra charge:
Where to Record Your Documents
San Diego Clerk/Recorder Main Office
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
San Diego, California 92112-1750
Hours: N/A
Phone: mailing address
El Cajon Branch Office
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
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
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:
- Ensure all signatures are in blue or black ink
- White-out or correction fluid may cause rejection
- Avoid the last business day of the month when possible
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
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 the applicable formatting requirements used for recording in San Diego County, including margin requirements, font requirements, and other layout standards. This guarantee applies to formatting, not to the legal sufficiency of information entered by the user or the suitability of a form for a particular transaction.
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 are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable San Diego County recording format requirements. If there is a rejection caused by our formatting, we will correct the issue or refund your payment. This guarantee applies to document formatting only and does not extend to information entered by the user, the selection of the form, or the legal effect of the completed document.
Save Time and Money
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June 2nd, 2022
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July 25th, 2020
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July 27th, 2023
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September 15th, 2022
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September 15th, 2020
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December 2nd, 2021
Application is not well laid out. I guess it does the job but leaves a lot to be desired. Hard to follow
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May 15th, 2020
This was such an easy transaction and quicker than if I went to the recording office. During this time of COVID19 and not being able to record documents in person it helped us to get what we needed and quickly. Thank you!
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December 22nd, 2021
Great help Quite useful
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February 2nd, 2023
great job but, I wanted to upload a document. I got it wrong, but the info was good.
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June 26th, 2020
I downloaded the forms, which was very easy, and filled them out with the help of the very helpful instructions! I was able to go down to my court house and file the forms within 24 hours of downloading! I am at peace knowing my son's will avoid a lot of headaches when I pass because my property deed will transfer to them without probate court TOD !!!!
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April 22nd, 2020
Unfortunately the forms were not useful to me, I still had to go pay a lawyer to create a deed for me.
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July 10th, 2021
This was so easy and the instructions were great.
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Heather W.
October 11th, 2019
Easy to use Example provided Clear instructions
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