San Diego County Preliminary Notice Form
Last validated August 6, 2026 by our Forms Development Team
San Diego County Preliminary Notice Form
Fill in the blank Preliminary Notice form formatted to comply with all California recording and content requirements.

San Diego County Preliminary Notice Guide
Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

San Diego County Completed Example of the Preliminary Notice 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:
- Check margin requirements - usually 1-2 inches at top
- Leave recording info boxes blank - the office fills these
- Bring extra funds - fees can vary by document type and page count
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!
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 San Diego County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.
This Preliminary Notice 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
Get your San Diego 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 - ( 4769 Reviews )
Hugh B R.
February 24th, 2021
Very user friendly and fast. Pleasure using this site.
Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!
CYNTHIA W.
April 12th, 2023
My deed has now been recorded. Thank you so very much. I saved about $120.00 by doing this with your document service. Thankfully, I heard about you from a friend and did not go with my Title Company that wanted a fee that seems outrageous because of how simple it was to do. I will definitely "advertise" this service to others.
We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!
Carleton G.
August 8th, 2020
I found everything I needed. Very easy to use. I am very satisfied.
We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!
Terralynn J.
July 18th, 2019
I was very pleased to find ONLINE, Deed Revision Document(s) and their explanation. I ordered these document Forms, downloaded them and Printed them. Now, I will be able to fill them out in the privacy of my home. Instructions were also included, how to file this new Deed, after I complete it and have it Notarized. This has saved me time and emotional stress following the death of my husband. THANK YOU.
We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!
Michael W.
November 16th, 2021
So far the web site and the tools are a pleasure to use. The price is reasonable. If only getting rid of this timeshare in Mashpee Massachusetts (that I have owned for over thirty years) was this easy.
We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!
STACIA V.
July 19th, 2019
I filled out the forms that were somewhat easy. I was surprised that it was recorded by the county recording office. I just hope that it really worked. I think it did. I will find out later this year.
Thank you!
DAVID S.
January 16th, 2019
I was very impressed with the speed at which information was retrieved on my very first search. Unfortunately, the county we were looking for is behind times and has not digitized its information. I will be using Deeds.Com again and appreciate that I was not charged for no information being returned back. Thank You David S
Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!
terrance G.
February 11th, 2025
Excellent Service, with quick turnaround times.
Thank you for your positive words! We’re thrilled to hear about your experience.
Steven S.
June 22nd, 2020
Very convenient and great tool for my real estate business. I'm a fan and will be a repeat customer.
We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!
Lorraine F.
October 9th, 2024
I followed the instructions to download the form for my Mac, typed in the legal description of the real property but the space provided for it would not expand so I just typed the form into Word as a document. While I appreciate having the form to work with it would have been a breeze if it worked properly.
Your insights are invaluable to us and help us strive for better service. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts.
Travis S.
February 25th, 2020
Glad this existed.
Thank you!
Karen T.
April 22nd, 2019
Thank you for the feedback. I reviewed this with my client/friend and she is following up with the appropriate people, including the Police and a lawyer. Thank you for your help.
Thank you!
Yolanda S.
April 12th, 2021
very professional
Thank you!
Willie S.
January 5th, 2021
So easy and fast. Since covid-19 is here, this option is perfect.
Thank you!
James J.
October 2nd, 2021
Thank you for service. The deed process was easy to complete. My new deed was accepted by the county clerk and the tax assessors office.
Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!