Alameda Property Records
Alameda County maintains property records for over one million parcels across the East Bay region of California. The county clerk-recorder office in Oakland handles document recording while the assessor tracks property values and tax assessments. You can search deeds and liens online dating back to 1969 through the county portal. Property tax records are available through the treasurer office. Most records are free to view online though certified copies require a fee. These records include deeds, trust deeds, liens, assessments, and tax bills for all real property in the county.
Alameda County Quick Facts
Clerk-Recorder Office
The Alameda County Clerk-Recorder maintains all official property records for the county. The office sits at 1106 Madison Street in Oakland. You can visit Monday through Friday to search records or request copies. The phone number is 510-272-6362 or toll free at 1-888-280-7708. Staff can help you find documents if you know the book and page or document number.
Online records go back to 1969 and are free to search. Visit acgov.org/auditor/clerk/opr to start your search. The database lets you look up documents by grantor name, grantee name, or document number. Images of most recorded papers are available in the system. Older documents may require an in-person visit to view microfilm copies. The index is updated daily as new documents get recorded.
Recording fees in Alameda County follow state law. The base fee is fifteen dollars for the first page and three dollars for each added page. The SB2 housing fee adds seventy-five dollars to most property transfers. Other fees may apply based on document type. Fraud prevention fees and monument preservation fees get added to certain recordings. You can submit documents by mail, in person, or through approved e-recording vendors.
Copy fees are three dollars and fifty cents per page for plain copies. Certified copies cost four dollars and fifty cents for the first page. The recorder certifies that the copy matches the original on file. Most people need certified copies for legal matters or loan applications. Plain copies work fine for general research. You can order copies online, by mail, or in person.
Assessor and Tax Records
The assessor office sets property values each year. These values determine how much property tax you owe. The Alameda County Assessor keeps maps, parcel data, and ownership records for every piece of land. You can search property info at propinfo.acgov.org. Enter an address or APN to see current value, square feet, lot size, and year built.
Property tax bills come from the treasurer office. Visit acgov.org/propertytax to pay your bill or check payment status. The treasurer accepts online payments, checks, and in-person payments at county offices. Tax bills are due November 1st and February 1st each year. A ten percent penalty applies if you miss the December 10th or April 10th deadlines.
If you think your assessment is too high, you can file an appeal. Appeals must be filed between July 2nd and September 15th for regular assessments. Supplemental assessments have a sixty-day appeal window from the notice date. The assessment appeals board hears cases and decides if the value should be lowered. Most appeals involve recent sales data or property condition issues.
Alameda County reassesses property when it changes hands. Under Proposition 13, the new assessed value equals the sale price. That value can only go up two percent per year after that unless you make major improvements. Some transfers do not trigger reassessment, such as gifts to children or transfers between spouses. The assessor sends a change in ownership statement when a deed is recorded. You must fill out the form and return it within forty-five days.
How to Get Alameda Property Records
Most county records are online. Start with the clerk-recorder portal for deeds and liens. Use the assessor portal for property values. Check the treasurer site for tax bills. Each portal has its own search tools. Some let you search by name. Others need an address or parcel number. Try different search terms if you do not find what you need at first.
In-person searches happen at the clerk-recorder office in Oakland. Bring ID and be ready to fill out a request form. Staff will pull files or show you how to use the public computers. The office also has microfilm readers for very old records. Some documents from the 1800s are only on film. Plan extra time if you need to search old files.
You can request records by mail too. Write to Alameda County Clerk-Recorder, 1106 Madison Street, Oakland, CA 94607. Include the document number or enough details to locate the record. Add a check for copy fees. The office will mail copies within a few days. Allow one to two weeks for mail requests. Certified copies take the same amount of time as plain copies.
Property tax lookups are quick and free online. The treasurer portal shows current bills, past payments, and any penalties. You can see if a property is in default or has unpaid taxes. Default lists are public and get posted every year. If taxes stay unpaid for five years, the property may go to auction. Tax sale lists appear on the treasurer website.
Major Cities in Alameda County
Alameda County includes several large cities where property records are maintained at the county level. The county recorder handles all document recording regardless of which city the property is in. The assessor tracks values for every parcel across the county. Tax bills come from the county treasurer.
These major cities in Alameda County have pages with local information:
Nearby Counties
Alameda County shares borders with several other Bay Area counties. Each county maintains its own set of property records.