Madera County Property Records

Property records in Madera County are maintained by the Recorder office located at 200 W. 4th Street in Madera. This office handles all deeds, liens, and trust documents for real estate throughout the county. You can request copies in person or by mail. Fees follow California state guidelines with local additions for housing and fraud prevention. The Recorder keeps an index of all recorded documents. Staff can search by name or document number to find what you need. Most records are public under California law. The office serves both the city of Madera and surrounding rural areas. When you buy or sell property in Madera County, the deed must be recorded at this office to give legal notice of the ownership change.

Madera County Recorder Office

The Recorder office in Madera County is at 200 W. 4th Street in the city of Madera. This is the only location that handles property document recording for the entire county. Staff can help you file new documents or search for old ones. Bring your deed, trust deed, or lien to this office to get it recorded. Recording gives public notice of your interest in the property under California law.

Hours are Monday through Friday during standard business hours. Call ahead if you are traveling from a distance to make sure staff will be available. Some rural counties have limited staffing, so it helps to phone first before making the trip. Most routine requests can be handled the same day you visit the Madera office.

For property tax questions, contact the Madera County Tax Collector. That office is separate from the Recorder. The Tax Collector handles tax bills, payments, and delinquent accounts. The Assessor office sets property values. The Recorder office handles document recording. Each office has its own staff and function in Madera County.

Copy Fees in Madera County

Copy fees in Madera County are three dollars for the first page and one dollar for each additional page. These are plain copy fees. Certified copies cost two dollars more per document. Certification means the clerk stamps and signs the copy to prove it is a true image of the original on file. Banks and title companies often require certified copies when they review property records.

You can request copies in person or by mail. For mail requests, write a letter with the document number or property details. Include a check for the copy fee. Add two dollars if you need certification. Mail to 200 W. 4th Street, Madera, CA 93637. The office will search and mail back the copies. This takes one to two weeks depending on workload.

Recording fees are separate from copy fees. Recording a new document costs about ninety to one hundred dollars depending on the number of pages and type of transaction. The base state fee is fifteen dollars for the first page. Senate Bill 2 adds seventy-five dollars per real estate transaction. Additional pages cost three to four dollars each. Check with the Recorder office for the exact fee schedule before you visit to record documents in Madera County.

Property Documents in Madera County

Grant deeds transfer ownership in California. When you buy property in Madera County, the seller signs a grant deed. That deed goes to the Recorder for filing. Once recorded, it becomes part of the public record. Anyone can search the index to see who owns a piece of property. Recording gives legal notice of the ownership change under California Civil Code section 1213.

Trust deeds secure loans on real estate. 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 files a reconveyance. That removes the lien from your title. Most home loans in Madera County use trust deeds instead of mortgages. Trust deeds allow faster foreclosure if the borrower stops paying.

Liens show debts tied to property. A contractor who is not paid may file a mechanic lien. The IRS can file a federal tax lien for unpaid income taxes. The state can file a lien for unpaid fees. All these liens are recorded at the Recorder office. They attach to the property title. You must pay off or settle the lien before you can sell with clear title in Madera County.

Common property documents in Madera County include:

• Grant deeds and quitclaim deeds
• Deeds of trust and reconveyances
• Mechanic liens and tax liens
• Notices of default and trustee sale notices
• Parcel maps and subdivision plats

Each document type serves a different purpose. Deeds transfer ownership. Trust deeds secure debts. Liens show claims. All are kept on file at the Recorder office in Madera County.

Property Taxes in Madera County

Property tax bills in Madera County are due in two installments each year. The first half is due by December 10. The second half is due by April 10. A ten percent penalty applies if you pay late. This penalty hits on the day after each due date. After April, an additional cost is added. These deadlines are set by California state law and apply to all counties.

Your tax bill is based on the assessed value of your property. Madera County uses the Proposition 13 rate of one percent as the base. Local bonds and special assessments may add to that rate. The total rate varies by location. Some areas have voter-approved bonds for schools or fire districts. You can see the exact rate on your annual tax bill.

If you do not pay by the April deadline, your account goes into default after June 30. Default adds more penalties and fees. The county may eventually sell the property at a tax auction to recover the unpaid taxes. Tax sales are public. Anyone can bid. To avoid this, pay your taxes on time each year. Contact the Madera County Tax Collector if you need help setting up a payment plan.

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.

Assessment Appeals

You can appeal your property assessment if you think it is too high. The appeal window runs from July 2 to September 15 in most California counties. Some extend the deadline to November 30. File your appeal with the 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.

Bring data on recent sales of similar properties in Madera County. Photos and repair estimates can also help your case. The board will listen to both sides and make a decision. If they agree with you, they lower your assessment. That means a lower tax bill. If they side with the Assessor, the value stays the same. You can try again next year if you still think it is wrong.

The California State Board of Equalization provides guides on how to file an assessment appeal. Visit boe.ca.gov/proptaxes/faqs/assessappeals.htm for forms and tips. Most people do not need a lawyer for an appeal. You can represent yourself with the right documents and preparation.

California Property Record Laws

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 in Madera County. You do not need to be the property owner. You do not need to say 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.

Civil Code section 1213 requires recording to give legal notice. A recorded deed tells the world who owns the property. An unrecorded deed can still be valid between the 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 is how you protect your ownership in Madera County.

Government Code section 27320 tells the 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 it.

Revenue and Taxation Code section 60 defines what counts as a change in ownership for tax purposes. A sale triggers reassessment in most cases. But some transfers do not cause reassessment. For example, a transfer between spouses or from parent to child may not change the assessed value. The rules are complex. Ask the Madera County Assessor if you are unsure how a transfer will affect your property taxes.

Nearby Counties

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

• Fresno County
• Mariposa County
• Merced County