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Recorder Office
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San Luis Obispo Office
About the San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder
Land records in San Luis Obispo County are recorded by the Clerk-Recorder. The office is held by Elaina Cano.
Certified copies and documents recorded prior to Aug. 8, 2001 are not available for purchase on the Self-Service Portal; they can be requested in person, by email or fax, or by mail.
Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: Fee Schedule Effective July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027 · Clerk-Recorder - County of San Luis Obispo · Recorded Document Copies
Recording Fees
These government fees are separate from any Deeds.com service fees. Confirm current charges with the recorder's office.
| All documents | $14.00 first page, $3.00 each additional page (regular recording fee, first page limited to 8.5 x 11) |
|---|
Added at recording
| SB2 Affordable Housing and Jobs Act Fee | $75.00 Every real estate instrument, paper or notice required or permitted by law to be recorded, except those expressly exempted, per single transaction per parcel; not to exceed $225.00 per single transaction; applies per title. Gov. Code § 27388.1 |
|---|---|
| Restrictive Covenant Program Fee (RCP) | $2.00 Every real estate instrument, paper or notice required or permitted by law to be recorded, except those expressly exempted, per single transaction per parcel; applies per title. Gov. Code § 27388.2 |
| Real Estate Fraud Fee | $7.00 Documents on the office's Real Estate Fraud Fee list, charged per document title; excludes any instrument recorded in connection with a transfer subject to documentary transfer tax. Gov. Code § 27388 |
| Survey Monument Preservation Fee | $10.00 Grant deeds for property in the unincorporated area when the legal description contains Township and Range, County Parcel Map, Record of Survey, portion of lots on a tract map, or a tract map recorded before August 24, 1929. Gov. Code § 27584 |
Other charges
| Document that does not meet the formatting standards | $3.00 per page when A page or sheet does not conform to the dimensions described in Section 27361.5(a) |
|---|---|
| Additional names indexed | $4.00 each beyond the 10 included (per group of ten names or fraction after the first ten) |
| Additional references or marginal notations | $1.00 each beyond the 1 included (each additional deed of trust assigned or non-sequential mining claim) |
| Copies, per page | $1.00 |
| Certification | $1.00 |
Fee schedule effective July 1, 2026.
StatewideThe recorder charges $1 extra per page or sheet when printing on printed forms is spaced more than nine lines per vertical inch or more than 22 characters and spaces per inch (Gov. Code § 27361(a)(1)). Counties may adopt additional fees: up to $10 per real estate instrument for the Real Estate Fraud Prosecution Trust Fund upon a board of supervisors resolution (Gov. Code § 27388); $1 for the first page for a social security number truncation program (Gov. Code § 27361(d)); $1 per instrument fees for micrographics/archive, business-day operation, and indexing within two business days (Gov. Code § 27361.4); and up to $1 per instrument for an electronic recording delivery system (Gov. Code § 27397). A recorder may charge an additional $20 recording fee when a document evidencing a change in ownership is presented without a concurrent Preliminary Change of Ownership Report (Rev. & Tax. Code § 480.3(b)).
Combined documents: when two or more documents are serially incorporated into one form or sheet, they are considered separate documents; $14.00 is charged for each additional document title to be indexed (Gov. Code §§ 27361.1, 27361.4). Release of state or county tax liens: $20.00 regardless of page count (Gov. Code §§ 27361.3, 27361.4). Map filings (subdivision, parcel, survey and assessment maps): $8.00 first page, $2.00 each additional page (Gov. Code § 27372). U.C.C. financing statements: $10.00 for 2 pages or less, $20.00 for 3 pages or more. Notification of involuntary lien: $21.00 per debtor (Gov. Code § 27297.5). Preliminary 20-day notice: $50.00 (Gov. Code § 27361.9). Filings: $5.00 (Gov. Code § 27380).
Paying the office
| Accepted | Cash, Check, Money order, Cashiers check, Credit card, Debit card |
|---|---|
| Checks payable to | SLO County Clerk Recorder |
| Card fee | All credit card payments incur a $1.49 processing fee. |
Visa, Mastercard and Discover cards are accepted.
Transfer tax
Documentary Transfer Tax. $0.55 for each $500 or fractional part thereof of consideration or value exceeding $100 (county); cities may impose one-half that amount. The tax is collected when the document is recorded. (statewide, Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code § 11911)
StatewideA county's documentary transfer tax is imposed by board of supervisors ordinance under Rev. & Tax. Code § 11911(a). A city within a taxing county may impose its own tax at one-half the county rate (§ 11911(b)), and a credit is allowed against the county tax for the city tax (§ 11911(c)). Some charter cities levy their own rates. Every taxed document must show on its face the amount of tax due and the incorporated or unincorporated location of the realty (§ 11932).
Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: Fee Schedule Effective July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027 · Recording an Official Document · California Government Code § 27361 (FindLaw) · California Government Code § 27388 (FindLaw) · California Revenue and Taxation Code § 11911 (FindLaw) · California Revenue and Taxation Code § 11932 (FindLaw)
Document Requirements
Confirm current requirements with the recorder's office before submitting documents.
| Paper size | 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches (a sheet not greater than 8 1/2 inches by 14 inches) (statewide, Cal. Gov. Code § 27361.5) |
|---|---|
| First page top margin | 2.5 in (statewide, Cal. Gov. Code § 27361.6) |
| Other margins | 0.5 in (statewide, Cal. Gov. Code § 27361.6) |
| Ink and paper | Paper quality and print size and color must reproduce legibly by microphotographic or imaging processes (statewide, Cal. Gov. Code § 27361.6) |
| Return address required | Yes (statewide, Cal. Gov. Code § 27361.6) |
| Tax statement mailing address required | Yes (statewide, Cal. Gov. Code § 27321.5(a)) |
| Parcel number required | Yes |
| Printed names under signatures required | Yes (statewide, Cal. Gov. Code § 27280.5) |
StatewideAt least a 1/2-inch margin on the two vertical sides except in the space reserved for recording information. The left-hand 3 1/2 inches of the top 2 1/2 inches of the first page is used to show the name of the person requesting recording and the return name and address.
StatewideIf the first page does not meet the recording-space requirements, a separate page meeting them and showing the document title must be attached to the front. A document that modifies, releases, or cancels a previously recorded document must state the recorder identification number or book and page of that document. A deed of trust or mortgage with power of sale must specify the trustor's or mortgagor's address and contain a request for notice of default and sale.
Forms filed along with a transfer
- Preliminary Change of Ownership Report (BOE-502-A) Statewide County assessor and recorder; form prescribed by the State Board of EqualizationMay be filed with the recorder concurrent with the recordation of any document effecting a change in ownership; the recorder may charge an additional $20 recording fee without it
Submitting documents
| In person | Accepted |
|---|---|
| By mail | Accepted |
| How recorded documents come back | The original document is mailed back to the address listed under "When recorded mail to:". |
| Processing time | Original documents are usually mailed back within fifteen (15) to twenty (20) working days. |
Documents presented in person that meet all requirements are recorded while you wait. Mailed documents are examined and either accepted or returned for correction with a letter outlining the reasons for rejection. One conformed copy is returned after recording at no fee if a self-addressed, stamped envelope is enclosed.
Checked October 2026 against official publications. Sources: Recording an Official Document · California Government Code § 27361.5 (FindLaw) · California Government Code § 27361.6 (FindLaw) · California Government Code § 27321.5 (FindLaw) · California Government Code § 27280.5 (FindLaw) · California Revenue and Taxation Code § 480.3 (Onecle)
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