Property Records Santa Clara
Property records for Santa Clara are managed by the Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder office. Santa Clara has about 130,000 people and sits in the heart of Silicon Valley. All deeds, liens, and tax records for homes and land in Santa Clara go through the county system. The Clerk-Recorder office is at 110 West Tasman Drive in nearby 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. Property values and tax bills can still be searched on the county assessor website. Many Santa Clara residents start their research on the assessor site and then visit the recorder office if they need deed copies or lien searches.
Santa Clara Quick Facts
Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder
The Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder keeps all deeds and liens for Santa Clara. Every time someone buys or sells property in the city, the deed goes to this office. 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. The office serves all cities in Santa Clara County, including Santa Clara.
| 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 Santa Clara.
How to Search Santa Clara 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. You may need info from both offices to get the full picture of a Santa Clara property.
Santa Clara 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. San Jose, Palo Alto, and Mountain View also have higher city rates. The rest of the county only pays the base county rate.
Property Documents You Can Find
Grant deeds transfer ownership. When someone sells a home in Santa Clara, they sign a grant deed. The buyer takes that deed to the county recorder. The staff file it and stamp it. That deed becomes part of the public record. Trust deeds secure loans on property. Liens attach to property when someone owes money. All these documents are filed at the county recorder office and affect Santa Clara properties.
Common property records for Santa Clara:
- Grant deeds and quitclaim deeds
- Deeds of trust and reconveyances
- Mechanic liens and judgment liens
- Tax liens from IRS or state
- 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.
Santa Clara Property Taxes
Property taxes in Santa Clara 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.
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. Pay your Santa Clara property taxes online or by mail through the Santa Clara County Tax Collector. Payments by eCheck are often free. Credit cards come with a service fee.
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. Visit boe.ca.gov/proptaxes/faqs/assessappeals.htm for more info on the appeals process.
Fees for Recording in Santa Clara
Recording a deed in Santa Clara 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. Santa Clara has a higher documentary transfer tax due to the city rate of one dollar and sixty-five cents per five hundred dollars plus the county rate of fifty-five cents. This adds up to over two thousand dollars for a home sold at five hundred thousand.
Copy fees are much less than recording fees. Check with the Clerk-Recorder office for current copy fees. Call 408-299-5688 to confirm current rates before you file or order copies.
Note: Fee schedules can change, so call to confirm current rates.
City of Santa Clara Permit Center
The City of Santa Clara Permit Center 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, contact the city. Their office is at Santa Clara City Hall. Call 408-615-2420 for questions about permits in Santa Clara.
Visit santaclaraca.gov for info on building permits. You can also use the Permitting Online Portal (POP) to search for permits. The city tracks all permits for new construction, additions, and repairs in Santa Clara.
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. Visit leginfo.legislature.ca.gov to read 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. Recording your deed right after you buy protects your claim on property in Santa Clara.
Government Code section 27320 tells the county recorder what to do when you file a document. Revenue and Taxation Code section 60 defines change in ownership for tax purposes. When you buy property in Santa Clara, the assessor resets the value to what you paid.
Other Santa Clara County Cities
Other cities in Santa Clara County with property records include San Jose and Sunnyvale. All these cities use the same county recorder and assessor system. 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
Santa Clara 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.