Los Angeles Property Records

Property records for Los Angeles are kept by Los Angeles County offices. The city has about 3.9 million people and is the largest city in California and the second largest in the United States. All deeds, liens, and property transfers for Los Angeles go through the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. The assessor tracks property values on every parcel. Tax bills come from the county treasurer. The City of Los Angeles manages building permits and planning records through various city departments.

Los Angeles County Property Files

The city is part of Los Angeles County. All property documents are filed at the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder office. The main office is at 12400 Imperial Highway in Norwalk. Branch offices are in Beverly Hills at 9355 Burton Way, Lancaster at 44509 16th Street West, and Van Nuys at 14340 W. Sylvan Street. Call (800) 201-8999 option 3 for help with Los Angeles property records.

Los Angeles County does not offer online deed searches. You must visit an office or call to request copies. Records are indexed by grantor and grantee name. Staff can search by name and pull the file. Plain copies cost five dollars for the first page and three dollars for each additional page. Certified copies are six dollars for the first page and three dollars for each page after that.

The Los Angeles County Assessor maintains property value data. The main office is at 500 West Temple Street in Los Angeles. Search values online at portal.assessor.lacounty.gov. Type in an address to see assessed values and tax info. Call (888) 807-2111 with questions about your assessment. The assessor also has a property map system at maps.assessor.lacounty.gov/m where you can view parcel boundaries.

Recording fees add up in Los Angeles County. The base fee is fifteen dollars for the first page. Senate Bill 2 adds seventy-five dollars per document for affordable housing. A fraud fee of five dollars applies to most deeds. Other fees include two dollars for restrictive covenant modification and seven dollars for fraud notification on grant deeds. Total fees can exceed one hundred dollars for a single document. Check the current schedule at lavote.gov before filing.

Getting Los Angeles Property Records

Since the county does not have online deed images, you need to visit an office or request copies by mail. The Norwalk office is the main location and has the most staff. It is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Beverly Hills branch is closest to West Los Angeles and Hollywood areas. That office is open 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays.

When you visit, bring information about the property. If you know the parcel number, grantor name, or document number, staff can find the record faster. If you only have an address, they look up the parcel number first. Once they find the document, they make a copy. Wait times depend on how busy the office is. Going early in the morning or mid-afternoon is usually faster than noon or late afternoon.

You can request records by mail. Write a letter with the property address or parcel number and what type of document you need. Mail it to 12400 Imperial Highway, Norwalk, CA 90650. Include a check for the copy fees. Staff will mail copies back to you. This takes one to two weeks depending on their workload. For urgent requests, visit in person.

The assessor website gives basic property info. Go to portal.assessor.lacounty.gov and type in an address. You can see the owner name, assessed value, square footage, and tax bill. The site shows maps and photos of many properties. This does not give deed images, but it confirms ownership and value for Los Angeles properties.

Los Angeles Property Taxes

The Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector handles all tax bills. Search and pay online at vcheck.ttc.lacounty.gov. Type in your address or parcel number. The site lets you pay with an eCheck for free. Credit and debit cards cost 2.22 percent with a minimum of $1.49. You can also pay by phone at 1-888-473-0835 with the same fee, or mail a check to P.O. Box 54018, Los Angeles, CA 90054-0018.

Property taxes are due twice a year. First half is due November 1 and becomes delinquent December 10. A ten percent penalty applies if you pay late. Second half is due February 1 and becomes delinquent April 10. That penalty is ten percent plus ten dollars. If you do not pay by June 30, the account moves to the defaulted roll and more fees add up. Eventually the county can sell your property at auction to collect the debt.

Most Los Angeles homeowners pay through escrow. The mortgage lender collects a portion each month and pays the county. If you pay on your own, mark the due dates. The county mails bills in October and February. Not getting a bill does not excuse you from paying on time. Call (888) 473-0835 to check your balance or request a duplicate bill.

Proposition 13 caps annual assessment increases at two percent. When a home sells, the assessor resets the value to the sale price. That new value becomes the base for future tax bills. If you think your value is wrong, you can file an appeal during the filing period each fall. The county assessment appeals board reviews cases and can lower values if they find an error. Some properties qualify for exemptions like the homeowner exemption that reduces assessed value by seven thousand dollars.

City of Los Angeles Building Records

The City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety handles building permits and inspections. The main office is at 201 N. Figueroa Street. Call (213) 482-7077 for general questions. The city has several regional offices across Los Angeles to serve different areas. These records are separate from county property files.

You can search for building permits online at ladbs.org. The site shows active permits, completed work, and inspection results for Los Angeles addresses. Type in an address to see what work was done. The system also shows any code violations or open complaints. Permit fees vary by project type and valuation of the work.

Planning records are kept by the Department of City Planning. Visit lacity.org/planning for information about zoning, general plans, and development projects. The planning department reviews applications for zone changes, variances, and conditional use permits. Staff can tell you what zone a property is in and what uses are allowed there. The city has complex zoning rules with many overlay zones and specific plans for different neighborhoods.

Recording Documents in Los Angeles

To record a deed or lien for Los Angeles property, file it with the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder. The Norwalk office is the main location at 12400 Imperial Highway. Branch offices in Beverly Hills, Lancaster, and Van Nuys also accept documents. All offices take walk-in submissions Monday through Friday during business hours. You can also mail documents to the Norwalk address.

Documents must follow state format rules. Use 8.5 by 11 inch paper. Leave one inch margins on three sides. The top of the first page needs three inches of blank space for the county stamp. Type or print all text clearly. Get signatures notarized where required by law. The recorder will reject documents that do not meet standards. Most title companies know the rules and format documents correctly.

Many escrow and title companies use electronic recording for Los Angeles properties. E-recording is faster than mail and reduces errors. The vendor checks the document before sending it to the county. Most e-recorded documents get processed within one to two days. Ask your title officer if they offer e-recording when you buy or refinance property in Los Angeles.

Once recorded, a document becomes public. Anyone can search for it by name or request a copy. The county stamps the date and time on each paper. That timestamp sets priority if there are competing claims. Under California Civil Code section 1214, the first to record in good faith has the stronger right to the Los Angeles property. This race-notice system protects buyers who record promptly.

Legal Help in Los Angeles

If you need legal help with a property matter in Los Angeles, several organizations offer services. Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles provides free help to low-income residents. They handle foreclosure defense, landlord-tenant issues, and title problems. Call (800) 399-4529 or visit lafla.org to see if you qualify. They have offices throughout Los Angeles County.

The Los Angeles County Bar Association runs a lawyer referral service at (213) 243-1525. They can connect you with an attorney who handles real estate and property law. The first meeting usually costs fifty dollars for thirty minutes. After that, you negotiate rates with the lawyer. The State Bar of California also has a referral line at 1-800-392-5660.

For disputes about property lines, easements, or title issues in Los Angeles, you may want to hire a real estate attorney. Look for someone with experience in Los Angeles County. Some offer a free first meeting. Ask about their fees and how they bill before you hire them. You may also need a licensed surveyor if there is a question about property boundaries. Real estate attorneys in Los Angeles handle everything from simple deed corrections to complex title disputes and eminent domain cases.

Nearby Cities in Los Angeles County

Los Angeles borders many other cities in Los Angeles County. Property records for these cities are also kept by the county registrar-recorder and assessor. Nearby cities include Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena, Long Beach, and Torrance. All use the same county offices for recording deeds and collecting property taxes.