Search Los Angeles Property Records

Los Angeles County property records are maintained by the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk and the Los Angeles County Assessor. These offices handle the largest property record system in California with over ten million residents and millions of parcels. The Registrar-Recorder keeps deeds, liens, and trust documents at four branch locations across the county. The Assessor handles property values and tax assessments. Online access is limited compared to some other counties. Deed searches require an in-person visit or phone request. The Assessor offers an online portal for property value lookups. Recording fees follow state law with local additions. Multiple office locations make it easier to get service without traveling to downtown Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Registrar-Recorder Offices

The Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk operates four branch offices in Los Angeles County. The main office is in Norwalk at 12400 Imperial Highway. Branch offices serve Beverly Hills, Lancaster, and Van Nuys. Each location handles property document recording and provides access to real estate records. Staff can search by name or year of recording. You cannot search by address alone since Los Angeles County indexes deeds by grantor name, grantee name, and year filed.

An important note for Los Angeles County is that property records are not available online. The office does not provide internet access to real estate records or indexes. You must visit one of the four branch offices in person or call to request copies. This differs from most other California counties that offer some form of online deed search. Plan to visit during business hours if you need to review documents or get certified copies.

Call 800-201-8999 and press option 3 for property records questions. Staff can tell you what documents are on file and how to get copies. If you need help after a fire or disaster, email RRCCFireAssistance@rrcc.lacounty.gov for assistance with lost property documents in Los Angeles County.

Recording Fees in Los Angeles County

Los Angeles County recording fees include several state and local charges. The base fee under Government Code section 27361 is fifteen dollars. The SB 2 Building Homes and Jobs Act adds seventy-five dollars per transaction. The Real Estate Fraud Prosecution Program fee is five dollars. Assembly Bill 1466 adds two dollars for the Restrictive Covenant Modification program. Each additional page beyond the first costs three dollars.

Additional fees may apply depending on document type. Grant deeds include a seven dollar fraud notification fee in Los Angeles County. A survey monument preservation fee of ten dollars applies to certain documents. These fees add up. A simple one-page grant deed costs about one hundred dollars to record when you add all the charges. Multi-page documents cost more due to the per-page fee.

Copy fees are separate from recording fees. Certification costs six dollars for the first page and three dollars for each additional page. Plain copies cost five dollars for the first page and three dollars for each added page. You must purchase the complete document. The office does not sell individual pages or segments from a multi-page filing.

Visit lavote.gov/home/recorder/property-document-recording/fees for the complete fee schedule. Fees can change when state law updates, so check the website or call before you visit to record documents in Los Angeles County.

Los Angeles County Assessor Property Search

The Los Angeles County Assessor maintains a separate office from the Registrar-Recorder. The Assessor handles property valuations, tax rolls, and assessment data. You can search property information online at portal.assessor.lacounty.gov. The portal lets you look up assessed values, ownership data, and property characteristics by address or Assessor Parcel Number.

The Assessor main office is at 500 West Temple Street, Room 320 in Los Angeles. Call 213-974-3211 or toll free at 1-888-807-2111 for help. Email helpdesk@assessor.lacounty.gov with questions about your property assessment. The office handles over two million parcels with a total assessed value exceeding two hundred six billion dollars.

If you think your property value is too high, you can file an assessment appeal. The appeal period runs from July 2 to September 15 in most years. Some counties extend the deadline to November 30. File your appeal with the Los Angeles County Assessment Appeals Board. This board is separate from the Assessor office. They hold hearings where you can present evidence that your property is worth less than the assessed value. Visit the California State Board of Equalization website at boe.ca.gov/proptaxes/faqs/assessappeals.htm for forms and guidance on how to prepare an appeal.

Property Tax Payment in Los Angeles County

The Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector handles property tax bills and payments. Visit vcheck.ttc.lacounty.gov to pay online. The system accepts eCheck payments for free. Credit or debit card payments have a service fee of 2.22 percent with a minimum charge of one dollar forty-nine cents. You can also pay by phone at 1-888-473-0835 with the same fee.

Property taxes are due in two installments each year across California. The first installment is due November 1 and becomes delinquent on December 10. A ten percent penalty applies if you pay late. The second installment is due February 1 and becomes delinquent on April 10. A ten percent penalty plus a ten dollar cost applies to late second installment payments. These deadlines are set by state law and apply to all California counties including Los Angeles.

Mail payments to P.O. Box 54018, Los Angeles, CA 90054-0018. In-person payments can be made at 225 North Hill Street, First Floor Lobby, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Bring your tax bill and payment during business hours. The office posts hours on their website. Plan extra time if you visit near a deadline as lines can be long.

Note: As of December 24, 2025, USPS postmarks reflect when mail is first processed through machinery, not when you drop it in a mailbox. For deadline-sensitive payments, request a manual postmark at the post office counter.

Types of Property Records in Los Angeles

Grant deeds are the main way to transfer property in California. When you buy a home in Los Angeles County, the seller signs a grant deed. That deed gets recorded at the Registrar-Recorder office. Recording gives public notice of the new owner. Under California Civil Code section 1213, a recorded deed has priority over later unrecorded claims. Anyone can search the recorder index to see who owns a piece of property.

Trust deeds secure loans on real estate in California. You sign a trust deed when you borrow money to buy property. The lender holds the deed until you pay off the loan. When the loan is paid, the lender records a reconveyance. That removes the lien from your title. Most home loans in Los Angeles County use trust deeds instead of mortgages. Trust deeds allow faster foreclosure if the borrower stops paying.

Liens show debts tied to property. A mechanic lien may be filed by a contractor who was not paid. A tax lien comes from unpaid taxes. The IRS can file a federal tax lien on your property. The state can file a lien for unpaid income tax. All these liens are recorded at the Registrar-Recorder office. They attach to the property and must be paid before you can sell with clear title in Los Angeles County.

Common property documents in Los Angeles County include:

• Grant deeds and quitclaim deeds
• Deeds of trust and reconveyances
• Mechanic liens, tax liens, and judgment liens
• Notices of default and trustee sale notices
• Property tax bills and payment records
• Assessment rolls and parcel maps

Each document serves a purpose. Deeds transfer ownership. Trust deeds secure debts. Liens show claims. All are kept on file at the Registrar-Recorder office. If you need to trace the history of a property in Los Angeles County, the recorder index is where you start.

California Laws on Property Recording

The California Public Records Act gives you the right to see most government files. Property records are public under this law. Anyone can ask to see deeds, liens, and tax records. You do not need to be the owner. You do not need to state why you want them. The county must provide access unless a specific rule blocks it. Most property records have no block. They are fully open under California law.

Civil Code section 1213 requires recording for legal priority. A recorded deed gives notice to everyone. An unrecorded deed can still be valid between buyer and seller, but it does not protect the buyer if someone else buys the same property and records their deed first. This is the race-notice rule under Civil Code section 1214. Recording protects your ownership in Los Angeles County.

Government Code section 27320 tells the Registrar-Recorder what to do when you bring in a document. The recorder stamps the date and time on it. This timestamp sets priority. If two people file similar claims on the same day, the one with the earlier time wins. The recorder also checks that the document meets format rules. It must fit on standard paper with proper margins. If it does not meet the rules, the recorder can reject it until you fix the problems.

Revenue and Taxation Code section 60 defines what counts as a change in ownership for property tax purposes. A sale triggers reassessment under Proposition 13. The new assessed value becomes the base for future tax bills. Some transfers do not cause reassessment, such as transfers between spouses or from parent to child. The rules are complex. Ask the Los Angeles County Assessor if you are unsure how a transfer will affect your property taxes.

Major Cities in Los Angeles County

Los Angeles County includes many cities over one hundred thousand population. Property records for all these cities are maintained at the county level by the Registrar-Recorder and Assessor. Each city handles its own building permits and planning records, but deeds and tax records go through the county system:

• Los Angeles
• Long Beach
• Glendale
• Pasadena
• Torrance
• Burbank

Nearby Counties

If you need property records from surrounding areas, check these neighboring counties:

• Orange County
• Ventura County
• San Bernardino County
• Kern County