San Mateo County Recorder Information

About San Mateo County Recorder

The office of the Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder is responsible for maintaining records for real property located in San Mateo County.

Recording Fees

First Page......................... $14.00
Each Additional Page.............$3.00

ADDITIONAL FEES:
Real Estate Fraud Prosecution Fee (per title).......................$3.00
Senate Bill 2 -- Building Homes and Jobs Act Fee (per parcel, per title)........$75.00
Penalty: Undersized print (every page of the document)...................$1.00
Penalty: Documents which do not measure 8-1/2x11 (every page of the document).............................$3.00
Penalty: No Preliminary Change of ownership statement Filed with Property Transfer...................................................$20.00
Combined Documents (per title) .................................$14.00

ADDITIONAL INDEXING:
Notice (per group of 10 names after initial 10) 1.00
Preliminary 20-Day Notice (record, notify filer) 84.00
Financing Statements / UCC (record):
First Page..........................................$14.00
Each Additional Page...........................$3.00

INVOLUNTARY LIENS:
1. Private/federal, affecting real property
a) Record and index lien.............................................Basic
b) Supplemental Fee to Notify Debtors (Government Filers Exempt).......$7.00
Each additional group of ten debtors..............................$3.00
c) Search files & certify findings (per debtor)........................$15.00
2. State tax lien (in-state debtor).....................................NO FEE
Out-of-state debtor........................................................... $8.00
3. Release of lien executed by state or local govt, if lien was recorded without fee per Gov 27383......................................................$20.00
Acknowledge/Proof of Recording/ Conformed Copy.....................$10.00
Research Files............................................$20.00

MAP OF SUBDIVIDED LAND:
First Page.......................................................$9.00
Each Additional Page........................................$2.00
Copy of each recorded map...............................$.200
File, index and keep each paper not required by law to be recorded.............$9.00

COPY OF PAPER ON FILE:
No Certification: First Page......................................$5.00
No Certification: Subsequent Page............................$.1.00
Certification and/or Under Seal.................................$.5.00

Visiting customers may choose from one of three methods of payment:
Cash, Check (payable against a USA bank), or Credit/Debit card (Visa/MasterCard only) - except where otherwise noted

Mailed requests and documents for processing must be by preprinted check and made payable to: San Mateo County Clerk-Recorder (against a USA bank).

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

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.

Document Formatting Requirements

Real property documents recorded in San Mateo County must pertain to real property located in San Mateo County, California.

* Document page sizes should be 8.5x11. Larger page sizes of 8.5 x 14 will be charged an additional $3. Sheets larger than 8.5 x 14 cannot be recorded.

* White 16 lb. bond paper is preferred; however, heavier paper is acceptable.

* Typed documents are preferred, and should be in black ink. The first page font requirement is 10-point, but subsequent pages can be in 8 point font.

* On the bottom of the first page of a deed, the tax statement address should be included.

* On the top right corner of the first page, a 2.5 x 5 inch space should be left for the recorder's use.

* The top left 2.5 x 3.5 inch space should contain the return address information and identification of the person requesting the recording.

* Immediately below the recorder's space and the return address information, a document title should be given.

* Side margins should be at least 1/2 inch for all pages of the document.

* If the top-of-the-page requirements cannot be met (recorder's space and return address information), then a separate first page may be used for recording.

* If a document includes any exhibits, these must be properly marked and on separate pages.

* If a document or a portion of a document is not sufficiently legible to reproduce a readable photographic record, a legible copy will be attached to the document. This should be certified by the party creating the copy under penalty of perjury as being a true copy of the original.

* A Documentary Transfer Tax Declaration must be completed and signed for all deeds.

* The location of the land transferred must appear on the face of the document.