Los Angeles County Recorder Information

About Los Angeles County Recorder

The Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk is responsible for maintaining records for real property located in Los Angeles County.

Recording Fees

Base Fee: $15.00 (G.C. 2736 (a), 1.4(a), (b), (c))
Each additional page: $3.00
Each additional title: $15.00

Fraud Notification Fee: $7.00 (G.C. 27387.1). Charged for the following documents: Deed, Quitclaim Deed, Deed of Trust, Notice of Default, Notice of Sale

District Attorney Fraud Fee: $3.00 (G.C. 27388). Only applies to Quitclaim Deed not subject to transfer tax. Charged for each title in combined documents.

Assembly Bill 1466 Restrictive Covenant Modification Program Fee G.C. 27388.2.......$2.00 (Except those expressly exempted per G.C. 27388.2(b))

Survey Monument Preservation Fee: $10.00 (G.C. 27585). Charged when the interest in reap property conveyed uses legal description that is not shown on a recorded subdivision tract map.

Nonconforming fee: $3.00 (for each page not conforming to 8.5" x 11")

Penalty print: $1.00

Referencing fee: $1.00 (for each additional reference)

Indexing fee: $4.00 (for each group of ten names beyond the first)

Penalty fee for missing Preliminary Change of Ownership Report (PCOR): $20.00

County recording fees are subject to change without notice. For the most current fees
and further information, contact the local recorder directly.

Include the recording fees, payment can be made by cash, personal check, cashier's check or money order.
Make checks payable to: LA County Registrar-Recorder/ County Clerk.
Mail to: PO Box 1250, Norwalk, CA 90651-1250

On January 1, 2018, California Senate Bill 2, a.k.a., the "Building Homes and Jobs Act," goes into effect and may increase recording fees for real estate instruments. The fee will address homelessness and housing shortages, and help to increase the rate of home ownership within the State by creating a Building Homes and Jobs Trust Fund to which the additional fee will be remitted.

Upon taking effect, the recorder's office will impose a fee of $75.00 to be paid when recording every real estate instrument, paper, or notice required or permitted by law to be recorded, per each single transaction per single parcel of real property, not to exceed $225.00.

Transfers subject to the documentary transfer tax as defined in Section 11911 of the Revenue and Taxation Code or on any real estate instrument, paper, or notice recorded in connection with a transfer of real property that is a residential dwelling to an owner-occupier are exempt from this fee.

If you have any questions about how the Building Homes and Jobs Act affects your recording fees, please speak with a clerk with the Recorder's Office or a licensed attorney within the state.

QUITCLAIM DEED RECORDING-FEE EXAMPLE
Base Fee.......................................................................................................................$15.00
Senate Bill 2 Building Homes and Jobs Act Fee.....................................................$75.00
Special Real Estate Fraud Prosecution Program Fee
Fraud Notification (G.C. 27297.6 and 27387.1).................................................. $7.00
District Attorney Fraud (G.C. 27388).................................................................... $5.00
(Only applies to Quitclaim Deed, not subject to transfer tax)
Assembly Bill 1466 Restrictive Covenant Modification Program Fee.......$2.00
G.C. 27388.2 (Except those expressly exempted per G.C. 27388.2 (b))
TOTAL......................................................................................................................$104.00
Each additional page after first...............................................................................$3.00

GRANT DEED -- RECORDING FEE EXAMPLE
Base Fee (First Page)...........................................................................................$15.00
Senate Bill 2 Building Homes and Jobs Act Fee..............................................$75.00
G.C. 27388.1 (Except those expressly exempted per G.C. 27388.1 a(1) and G.C. 27388.1 a(2)
Special Real Estate Fraud Prosecution Program Fee:
Fraud Notification (G.C. 27297.6 and 27387.1)........................................... $7.00
Assembly Bill 1466 Restrictive Covenant Modification Program Fee:
G.C. 27388.2 (Except those expressly exempted per G.C. 27388.2 (b)) ...$2.00
Survey Monument Preservation User Fee...........................................................$10.00
G.C. 27585 When the interest in real property conveyed uses legal description
that is not shown as being on a recorded subdivision tract map.
TOTAL.....................................................................................................................$109.00
Each additional page after first............................................................................$3.00

REVOCABLE TRANSFER ON DEATH DEED RECORDING-FEE EXAMPLE
Base Fee.................................................................................................................$15.00
Senate Bill 2 Building Homes and Jobs Act Fee...............................................$75.00
Special Real Estate Fraud Prosecution Program Fee
District Attorney Fraud (G.C. 27388)..............................................................$5.00
Assembly Bill 1466 Restrictive Covenant Modification Program Fee
G.C. 27388.2 (Except those expressly exempted per G.C. 27388.2 (b))..$2.00
TOTAL.....................................................................................................................$97.00
Each additional page after first............................................................................$3.00

DEED OF TRUST, ASSIGNMENT OF RENTS AND REQUEST FOR NOTICE-FEE EXAMPLE
Base Fee........................................................................................$15.00
Additional Title.............................................................................$15.00
Plus the Third Title.......................................................................$15.00
Building Homes and Jobs Act Fee x3........................................$225.00
District Attorney Fraud Fee x 3..................................................$15.00
Restrictive Covenant Modification Program Fee x 3...............$6.00
Fraud Notification Fee..................................................................$7.00
Total.................................................................................................$298.00
SAME INSTRUMENT COMBINED ON BOTH SIDES OF A SHEET OF PAPER +$3.00

DEED OF TRUST, ASSIGNED OF RENTS, FIXTURE FILING AND REQUEST FOR NOTICE-FEE EXAMPLE
Base Fee..................................................................................................................$15.00
Additional Title.......................................................................................................$15.00
Plus the Third Title.................................................................................................$15.00
Plus the Fourth Title...............................................................................................$15.00
Building Homes and Jobs Act Fee x3........................$225.00 (Fee cap $225 reached)
Restrictive Covenant Modification Program Fee x 4.........................................$8.00
District Attorney Fraud Fee x 4............................................................................$20.00
Fraud Notification Fee............................................................................................$7.00
TOTAL.......................................................................................................................$320.00
SAME INSTRUMENT COMBINED ON BOTH SIDES OF A SHEET OF PAPER +$3.00

ADDITIONAL FEES-IF APPLICABLE
Nonconforming Fee............................................................................$3.00
(G.C. 27361) Each page when document, signed on or after 07/01/1994 contains any page(s) not 8.5 by 11 inches in size (not to exceed 8.5 by 14 inches)
Penalty Print.......................................................................................$1.00
(G.C. 27361) Consists of wording added to the printed form that is spaced either more than nine lines per vertical inch, has more than 22 characters and spaces per inch measured horizontally, for not less than three inches in one sentence.
each page where penalty print appears
Referencing Fee...................................................................................$1.00
(G.C. 27361.2) Each reference to a previously recorded document that gives names other than the first reference, each additional reference requiring indexing
Indexing Fee.........................................................................................$4.00
(County Code 2.32.350) For each additional group of 10 names or portion thereof
Involuntary Liens
(G.C. 27297.5)First notification that is required to be sent to the first group of four debtors at the same address............................................................................$9.00
Each additional notification for the next group of four debtors at the same or different mailing address.....................................................................................$2.00
Preliminary Change of Ownership Report (Fee in Lieu of)............. $20.00
Per Revenue and Taxation Code 480.3 (b), if a document evidencing a change in ownership is presented to the recorder for recordation without the concurrent filing of preliminary change of ownership report, the recorder may charge an additional recording fee.

Document Formatting Requirements

Documents may be presented for recording in person, by mail or by a courier service. Each document presented for recording MUST include or comply with the following general requirements:

- The property must be located in Los Angeles County. (CC1169)

- The document must be authorized or required by law to be recorded. (GC 27201)

- Signatures must be original unless the document is a certified copy issued by the appropriate custodian of the public record. (GC 27201b, GC 27279, Evid Code 1530)

- The legibility of a document is important to the quality of the permanent record.

- Include the name of the party requesting the recording and a name and address where the document can be returned. (GC 27361.6)

- The document must be properly acknowledged, unless exempt. California requires an all-purpose acknowledgement. (GC 27201, 27289, 27285, 27287, 27288, CC 1189)

- The Assessor's Parcel or Identification Number, or numbers that fully contain all or a portion of the real property, is required on deeds, trust deeds and mortgages (Gov. Code 27297.6).

- If tax is due, the amount must be show on the face of the document, along with the incorporated or unincorporated location of the lands, tenements, or other realty described in the document. (The recorder will no longer accept "not for public record/NPR" or the "Declaration of Documentary Transfer Tax for Legal Entity Changes in Ownership" forms for this purpose.)

- The notary seal must be legible for a microfilm reproduction. (GC 8207)

- Include a completed Preliminary Change of Ownership Report in order to avoid a $20 penalty fee.

- Standard page size is 8-1/2" by 11"; other page sizes incur additional recording fees.

- Margin requirements: 2.5" at top of first page; the left 3.5" across for party requesting recording and return address, the right for use by the Registrar-Recorder. Left and right side margins: 0.5".

- If the first page of a document does not comply with these legal requirements, attach a separate page to the front of the document which meets these spacing criteria and which includes the title or titles of the document.

- Documents must be clearly legible in order to produce a readable photographic record. This pertains to the document text, notary seals, certificates and other attachments, such as legal descriptions. (Gov. 27361.7)