Alameda County Preliminary Notice Form

Last validated April 27, 2026 by our Forms Development Team

Alameda County Preliminary Notice Form

Alameda County Preliminary Notice Form

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

Document Last Validated 4/23/2026
Alameda County Preliminary Notice Guide

Alameda County Preliminary Notice Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Document Last Validated 4/22/2026
Alameda County Completed Example of the Preliminary Notice Document

Alameda County Completed Example of the Preliminary Notice Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.

Document Last Validated 4/27/2026

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

Immediate Download • Secure Checkout

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

Where to Record Your Documents

Alameda County Clerk-Recorder

Address:
1106 Madison St
Oakland, California 94607

Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30 to 4:30 (avoid 12:00 to 2:00)

Phone: 510-272-6362 or 888-280-7708

Dublin Office

Address:
7600 Dublin Blvd, Suite 160 (enter through courtyard)
Dublin, California 94568

Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30 to 4:30

Phone: as above

Recording Tips for Alameda County:
  • Bring your driver's license or state-issued photo ID
  • 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 Alameda County

Properties in any of these areas use Alameda County forms:

  • Alameda
  • Albany
  • Berkeley
  • Castro Valley
  • Dublin
  • Emeryville
  • Fremont
  • Hayward
  • Livermore
  • Newark
  • Oakland
  • Piedmont
  • Pleasanton
  • San Leandro
  • San Lorenzo
  • Sunol
  • Union City

View Complete Recorder Office Guide

Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Alameda County

How do I get my forms?

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

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable formatting requirements used for recording in Alameda 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 Alameda 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 Alameda County?

Recording fees in Alameda County vary. Contact the recorder's office at 510-272-6362 or 888-280-7708 for current fees.

Questions answered? Let's get started!

A claimant other than a laborer or direct contractor must serve preliminary notice under Civ. Code 8200 in order reserve the right to to claim a future mechanic's lien on a property. The notice must be served to the owner, direct contractor, and construction lender, if any.

California law requires notice to be served within 20 days of first furnishing labor, materials, services, or equipment in a work of improvement. A claimant may give late notice, but this limits the claimant's lien to only work performed within 20 days prior to giving the late notice, and work from that point forward (Civ. Code 8204).

Notices in relation to mechanic's liens must follow requirements under Civ. Code 8102, which include the names and addresses of the owners, direct contractor, and construction lender, if any, a description of the job site and job site address, and the name, address, and relationship to the parties of the claimant providing notice.

In addition to these requirements, the preliminary notice under Civ. Code 8200 requires a general description of the work provided by the potential claimant, an estimate of the total price of the work, and a verbatim notice to the property owner established by statute. If a preliminary notice is given by a subcontractor who has not paid all compensation due to a laborer, the notice also requires the name and address of all laborers to whom payment is due (Civ. Code 8202).

Pursuant to Civ. Code 8106, notice can be served by personal delivery, mail (as provided by Civ. Code 8110), or leaving a notice and mailing a copy according to the Code of Civil Procedure for service of summons in a civil action.

While this notice is typically not recorded, it may be filed with the county recorder for the limited purpose of facilitating the recorder's mailing of notices. When recorded, the preliminary notice does not constitute a recorded document and is maintained in a separate index. It does not function to provide constructive notice to third parties (Cal Civ. Code 8214).

Consult a lawyer with questions about preliminary notices, mechanic's lien laws, or any other issues related to real property in the State of California.

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

This Preliminary Notice meets all recording requirements specific to Alameda County.

Our Promise

The documents you receive here are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable Alameda 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 Alameda County Preliminary Notice 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.

4.8 out of 5 - ( 4698 Reviews )

Scott H.

April 14th, 2021

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Reply from Staff

Thank you!

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July 29th, 2021

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Robert D.

December 25th, 2020

I was trying to register a financial statement (non real estate document). There was no link or statement on the home page to indicate that this could be done. All I had to do was to create an account, name and then upload the document. It took me over a day and several phone calls to the local deed recording office to try to figure this out. A simple link or statement to this effect would have saved me a lot of time

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Ann W.

July 13th, 2020

GREAT forms, easy to use and most importantly... compliant. Worth it and then some!

Reply from Staff

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September 16th, 2024

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Reply from Staff

Thank you for your positive words! We’re thrilled to hear about your experience.

Norman K.

March 2nd, 2021

It wasn't really what I needed I read and read and read and read and I thought I was to do with for filing for probate or probate executor but instead it was for the property if you are executor and but it wasn't very clear on that so it didn't work for me so I was kind of wasted money

Reply from Staff

Sorry to hear that Norman. We've gone ahead and canceled your order and payment.

Duane L.

September 5th, 2020

Easy to use with very helpful directions.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Daniel F.

June 26th, 2020

It was convenient to be able to download the deed template, instructions, and a completed sample deed all from deeds.com. I was able to complete my deed with little effort. My only complaint is that the editable fields in the pdf document are of fixed size, leaving some large spaces within a sentence, for example: Executed on this 1st day of July ,2020. This makes the printed document look a little peculiar.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

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April 27th, 2022

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Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

Joe F.

January 11th, 2021

TOOK ME SEVERAL DAYS TO FIND A SITE THAT DIDNT CHARGE $100 JUST TO USE ONE FORM. THANKS

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Linda F.

August 1st, 2025

I can't recommend working with Deeds.com enough. I had been given incorrect information from another document service. The helpful staff member at Deeds.com that assisted in the submission of the recording was exceptionally helpful in making sure what I was submitting included the necessary elements required by the county. I am very thankful I chose Deeds.com for my eRecording service. Thank you!!

Reply from Staff

Thank you, Linda! We’re so glad our team could assist in making sure your submission met the county’s requirements. It means a lot that you chose Deeds.com after a frustrating experience elsewhere. We appreciate your trust and kind words!

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Reply from Staff

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July 14th, 2021

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Reply from Staff

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Tiffany Dawn J.

September 28th, 2019

Would be nice to have a better description on how to complete the forms if it is separated couple and one is signing the deed over to the other. I am still unsure how it should be worded. Disappointed that the guide didn't have better explanations.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Kenny H.

January 14th, 2020

The forms are extremely helpful. They could use some updating. Promissory note "...in the form of cash, check or money order." is a bit outdated. My note is with my son and we have an automatic bank transfer set up for payments. He could Venmo me. There are many other options and likely to be more changes in the future, so I know this is difficult to maintain.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!