San Jose Property Records Search
Property records for San Jose are managed by the Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder office. San Jose is the largest city in the county with over one million people. It is also the tenth largest city in the United States. All deeds, liens, and tax records for homes and land in San Jose go through the county system. The Clerk-Recorder office is at 110 West Tasman Drive in San Jose. You can visit during business hours to file documents or get copies. Most property records are no longer available online due to a county policy change. You must visit the office in person or call to request records. The county assessor tracks property values and tax bills. These can still be searched on the assessor website. This split between recorder and assessor services means you may need to visit more than one place to get all the info you need for a San Jose property.
San Jose Quick Facts
Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder
The Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder keeps all deeds and liens for San Jose. Every deed, trust deed, and lien filed in the city goes to this office. When someone buys or sells property in San Jose, the deed is recorded here. The staff stamp it with a date and time. That stamp sets priority if more than one person claims the same property. The file becomes part of the public record.
The office is at 110 West Tasman Drive in San Jose. Office hours are Monday through Friday. Call 408-299-5688 to reach the Clerk-Recorder. You can visit in person to search records or file new documents. Bring photo ID when you visit the counter. Parking is available at the building.
| Office | Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder |
|---|---|
| Address | 110 West Tasman Drive San Jose, CA 95134 |
| Phone | 408-299-5688 |
| Website | sccgov.org/sites/rec |
Important notice: Under a directive from the County Executive Office, online search of the Official Record Index is no longer offered by Santa Clara County. You must visit the office in person to search for recorded documents. This policy affects all cities in the county, including San Jose. Staff can help you search the index and get copies of documents when you visit.
How to Search San Jose Property Records
You must visit the Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder office in person to search for deeds and liens. The office does not offer online access to the recorder index. When you visit, staff can help you search by name, address, or document number. They can make copies of documents from the file. Bring the property address or the names of the people on the deed to help them find the right records.
For property tax and assessment info, visit the Santa Clara County Assessor at sccassessor.org. You can search by address or parcel number. The site shows the assessed value, tax bill, and property details. This is separate from the recorder office. The assessor tracks values and sends out tax bills. The recorder files deeds and liens. You may need info from both offices to get the full picture of a San Jose property.
San Jose has a higher documentary transfer tax than most of the county. The city rate is one dollar and sixty-five cents per five hundred dollars of value. This is on top of the county rate of fifty-five cents per five hundred dollars. If you sell a home for five hundred thousand dollars, the total transfer tax is over two thousand dollars. Palo Alto and Mountain View also have higher city rates. The rest of the county only pays the base county rate.
Types of Property Documents
Grant deeds transfer ownership. When someone sells a home in San Jose, they sign a grant deed. The buyer takes that deed to the county recorder. The staff file it and stamp it with a date and time. That deed becomes part of the public record. Anyone can search for it later to see who owns the property.
Trust deeds secure loans on property. If you borrow money to buy a house in San Jose, you sign a trust deed. The lender files it at the county. The deed gives the lender a claim on your property until you pay off the loan. When you finish paying, the lender records a reconveyance to remove the lien from your title.
Liens attach to property when someone owes money. A mechanic lien comes from a contractor who did work but did not get paid. A tax lien comes from unpaid taxes. The IRS can file a federal tax lien. The state can file one for unpaid income tax. These liens show up in the public record for your San Jose property. You must pay or settle the lien before you can sell with clear title.
Common property records for San Jose:
- Grant deeds and quitclaim deeds
- Deeds of trust and reconveyances
- Mechanic liens and judgment liens
- Tax liens from IRS, state, or county
- Notices of default and trustee sales
Note: You must visit the recorder office in person to see most recorded documents due to the county policy on online access.
San Jose Property Taxes
Property taxes in San Jose are based on the assessed value of your home or land. The county assessor sets that value each year. Under Proposition 13, the assessed value can go up no more than two percent per year unless the property sells. When you buy a home, the assessor resets the value to what you paid. That new value becomes the base for your tax bill.
Tax bills go out twice a year. The first installment is due November 1 and late on December 10. The second is due February 1 and late on April 10. A ten percent penalty hits if you pay late. If you do not pay by June 30, the account goes to the defaulted roll. More fees and monthly interest apply after that.
Pay your San Jose property taxes online or by mail. The Santa Clara County Tax Collector handles all property tax payments for the county. You can find your bill and pay online at the county website. Payments by eCheck are often free. Credit cards come with a service fee. Check the site for the current rate before you pay.
If you think your property value is too high, file an appeal with the county Assessment Appeals Board. The filing period for regular appeals runs from July 2 to September 15 each year. You need to show why the assessed value is wrong. The board will schedule a hearing and decide if your value should be lowered. Visit boe.ca.gov/proptaxes/faqs/assessappeals.htm for more info on the appeals process.
Fees for Recording in San Jose
Recording a deed in San Jose costs about one hundred dollars or more. The base state fee is fifteen dollars for the first page and four dollars for each extra page. Senate Bill 2 adds seventy-five dollars to most real estate transfers. This fee funds affordable housing programs in California. Each extra page costs three or four dollars depending on the document type.
San Jose has a higher documentary transfer tax than most cities in the county. The city rate is one dollar and sixty-five cents per five hundred dollars of value. The county rate is fifty-five cents per five hundred dollars. Together, these add up to two dollars and twenty cents per five hundred dollars. If you sell a home for five hundred thousand dollars, the total transfer tax is over two thousand dollars. This is much higher than cities that only pay the county rate.
Copy fees are much less than recording fees. Check with the Clerk-Recorder office for current copy fees. If you order copies by mail, send a check for the right amount plus a self-addressed stamped envelope. Processing takes one to two weeks by mail. In-person requests are usually same-day if you come during office hours.
Note: Fee schedules can change, so call 408-299-5688 to confirm current rates before you file or order copies.
City of San Jose Planning and Building
The City of San Jose Planning, Building & Code Enforcement Department handles building permits and zoning. These records are separate from property ownership records. If you want to see what permits were issued for a home or check zoning for a property, contact the city. Their office is at 200 East Santa Clara Street. Call 408-535-3555 for questions about permits in San Jose.
Visit sanjoseca.gov for info on building permits. You can also use the online portal at sjpermits.org to search for permits and track applications. The city tracks all permits for new construction, additions, and repairs. You can request a permit history on any property. This helps when you are buying a home and want to see if work was done with permits.
California Property Recording Laws
California Civil Code section 1213 says that recorded documents give public notice. If you record your deed at the county, later buyers cannot claim they did not know about it. The law protects people who record first. Visit leginfo.legislature.ca.gov to read the full text of Civil Code 1213.
Civil Code section 1214 sets the race-notice rule. If two people buy the same property, the one who records first wins. This only works if the second buyer did not know about the first sale. Recording your deed right after you buy protects your claim on property in San Jose.
Government Code section 27320 tells the county recorder what to do when you file a document. The recorder must stamp the date and time on it. That timestamp shows when your document was filed. The recorder checks that your paper meets format rules. It must be on standard size paper with clear text and proper margins. If it does not meet the rules, the recorder can reject it and send it back to you.
Revenue and Taxation Code section 60 defines change in ownership for tax purposes. When you buy property in San Jose, the assessor resets the value to what you paid. Some transfers do not trigger reassessment, like gifts between parents and children or moves into certain types of trusts where the same person keeps control.
Other Santa Clara County Cities
Other cities in Santa Clara County with property records include Sunnyvale and Santa Clara. All these cities use the same county recorder and assessor system. If you own property in more than one city in the county, you search them all through the Santa Clara County portal. Nearby cities in other counties like Fremont in Alameda County have their own county systems. You must search each county separately if you want records from multiple places.
Santa Clara County Property Records
San Jose is in Santa Clara County. All property recording and assessment for the city goes through the county offices. For more details on services, office hours, and fee schedules, visit the Santa Clara County property records page.