Santa Clara County Certificate of Trust Form

Last validated September 10, 2026 by our Forms Development Team

Formatted for recording in Santa Clara County, for property anywhere in the county: rural and unincorporated areas as well as Alviso, Campbell, Coyote, Cupertino, Gilroy, Holy City, Los Altos, Los Gatos and 13 more.

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Santa Clara County Certificate of Trust Form

Santa Clara County Certificate of Trust Form

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

Document last validated 9/10/2026
Santa Clara County Certificate of Trust Guide

Santa Clara County Certificate of Trust Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Document last validated 9/10/2026
Santa Clara County Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

Santa Clara County Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.

Document last validated 8/10/2026

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

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

Where to Record Your Documents

County Clerk-Recorder

Address:
110 West Tasman Drive (ATTN: Recording-First floor)
San Jose, California 95134

Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m

Phone: (408) 299-5688

Recording Tips for Santa Clara County:
  • Bring your driver's license or state-issued photo ID
  • Ensure all signatures are in blue or black ink
  • Recorded documents become public record - avoid including SSNs
  • Recording fees may differ from what's posted online - verify current rates
  • Request a receipt showing your recording numbers

Cities and Jurisdictions in Santa Clara County

Properties in any of these areas use Santa Clara County forms:

  • Alviso
  • Campbell
  • Coyote
  • Cupertino
  • Gilroy
  • Holy City
  • Los Altos
  • Los Gatos
  • Milpitas
  • Morgan Hill
  • Mount Hamilton
  • Mountain View
  • New Almaden
  • Palo Alto
  • Redwood Estates
  • San Jose
  • San Martin
  • Santa Clara
  • Saratoga
  • Stanford
  • Sunnyvale

View Complete Recorder Office Guide

Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Santa Clara County

How do I get my forms?

Forms are available for immediate download after payment. The Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara County?

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable formatting requirements used for recording in Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara 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. The free Adobe Acrobat Reader is recommended, and most PDF apps also work. 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 Santa Clara County?

Recording fees in Santa Clara County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (408) 299-5688 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 Santa Clara County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the county recording office listed above.

This Certificate of Trust meets all recording requirements specific to Santa Clara County.

Our Promise

The documents you receive here are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable Santa Clara 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

Get your Santa Clara 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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