Find Property Records San Benito County
Property records for San Benito County are maintained by the County Recorder in Hollister, California. This office keeps all deeds, liens, and other documents that affect land title in the county. You can search records online or visit the recorder office to get copies. The County Assessor in Hollister handles property values and tax data. San Benito County serves over 64,000 people in an area between the Central Coast and Central Valley. The county has mostly rural and agricultural land with the city of Hollister as the main population center and where all property recording takes place.
San Benito County Quick Facts
San Benito County Recorder Office
The County Recorder in Hollister files all property documents for San Benito County. This includes grant deeds, trust deeds, liens, and other papers that affect real estate title. When you buy land or borrow money against property in San Benito County, those documents must be recorded at this office. The recorder stamps each paper with the date and time it arrives. That timestamp sets priority if two claims conflict.
The recorder office is located at 1601 Lana Way in Hollister, CA 95023. You can reach them by phone at 831-636-4046. Recording hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Note that the time from 8:30 to 8:45 am is reserved for title companies to drop off documents. General public service starts at 8:45 am. The office is closed on county holidays.
Recording fees in San Benito County follow California state law. The base fee is fifteen dollars for the first page and three dollars for each added page. The SB2 building homes fee of seventy-five dollars applies to most real estate transfers. Other fees like fraud prevention and monument preservation charges may also be added. Total recording costs for a typical deed range from about one hundred to two hundred dollars depending on page count.
| Location |
San Benito County Recorder 1601 Lana Way Hollister, CA 95023 |
|---|---|
| Contact |
Phone: 831-636-4046 Recording Hours: M-F 8:30am-4:30pm Public Service: Starts 8:45am |
For copy requests, you can visit in person, call, or mail your request. Include the document details or parcel number and your contact info. Copy fees vary by type. Certified copies cost more than plain copies. Processing time depends on how busy the office is. In-person requests often get filled same day. Mail requests may take a week or more.
San Benito County Assessor Office
The County Assessor sets values on all property in San Benito County. This value determines your tax bill each year. Under Proposition 13, most properties can only go up by two percent per year for tax purposes. When a property sells, the assessor resets the value to the purchase price. That new value becomes the base for future years.
If you buy a house in San Benito County, expect to get a supplemental tax bill. This bill covers the difference between the old value and the new purchase price. It gets prorated based on when you bought the property during the tax year. The regular tax bill stays in the name of the prior owner until the next roll year. Your supplemental bill comes separately and has its own due date.
You can appeal your property value if you think it is too high. The deadline for regular appeals is from July 2 to September 15 in most California counties. For supplemental assessments, you have sixty days from the notice date. File your appeal with the San Benito County Assessment Appeals Board. They will schedule a hearing where you can present evidence that your property is worth less than the assessed value. More information on filing appeals is at boe.ca.gov/proptaxes/faqs/assessappeals.htm, the California Board of Equalization website.
The assessor also handles property tax exemptions. The homeowner exemption saves you seven thousand dollars off your assessed value if you live in the house as your main home. Other exemptions exist for veterans, seniors, and disabled persons. Contact the San Benito County Assessor office to see which exemptions you qualify for.
The assessor office keeps maps showing parcel lines and numbers. You can search by address or APN to find property data. The assessor website offers online tools to look up your property value, tax rate, and payment status. Staff can also help you understand your assessment or file exemption claims.
Property Tax Payment in San Benito County
Property taxes in San Benito County are collected by the County Tax Collector. Tax bills are mailed each fall. Taxes are due in two installments. The first half is due November 1 and becomes late after December 10. The second half is due February 1 and becomes late after April 10. A ten percent penalty applies if you miss these deadlines. If taxes stay unpaid for five years, the property can be sold at auction.
You can pay property tax online through the county website. The site accepts eCheck payments for free or credit card with a service fee. You can also pay by mail or in person at the tax collector office. If you pay by mail, send your check to the address on the tax bill. Include your parcel number on the memo line. Allow time for mail processing near the deadline.
Starting in December 2025, USPS postmarks show the date mail is first processed by machinery, not when you dropped it in a mailbox. For deadline-sensitive payments, ask for a manual postmark at the post office counter. This ensures your payment shows as on time even if it sits in a mailbox for a day or two.
Many homeowners pay through escrow. Your mortgage lender collects a portion of the tax each month and pays the bill when it comes due. Even if you use escrow, you should check with the San Benito County Tax Collector to confirm payment arrived on time. You are still responsible if the lender fails to pay. Look up your parcel online to see if the current year tax shows as paid.
How to Search Property Records Online
San Benito County offers online access to some property records through county websites. The recorder and assessor each have their own systems. The recorder site shows deeds and liens. The assessor site shows values and tax bills. Both are free to use and available to anyone.
To search by name, use the recorder search tool if available. Enter the last name of the person you want to find. The system shows documents filed by or against that person. You can filter by date or document type. Click on a record to see more details or view an image if available.
Searching by address works through the assessor portal. Type in the street number and name. The system finds the parcel and shows current value, tax amount, and owner info. You can also search by parcel number if you know the APN. Each parcel has a unique number that stays with the land even when it sells.
Note that some counties have limited APN searches due to Assembly Bill 1785. This law restricts online access to owner data to reduce property scams. If you cannot search by parcel number on the website, you may still be able to do that search at a public kiosk in the county office. Staff can also help you find records if the online system does not give you what you need.
Other Resources for San Benito County Property
The County Clerk handles vital records like birth, death, and marriage certificates. These records can relate to property transfers when someone dies or gets divorced. The clerk office is often in the same building as the recorder in Hollister. You can request copies of vital records in person or by mail.
The Planning and Building Department reviews permits for construction projects. If you want to build or remodel in San Benito County, you need a permit. The department checks that your plans follow zoning rules and building codes. Once work is done and inspected, the permit file becomes part of the public record. These files can show what changes were made to a property over time.
Title companies search all these records when you buy or sell property in San Benito County. They check for liens, unpaid taxes, and other claims against the title. Most lenders require title insurance before they approve a loan. The title company issues a policy that protects you if someone later claims an interest in the property. This search process covers many years of recorded documents to make sure the title is clear.
Cities in San Benito County
San Benito County has a few small cities with Hollister as the county seat and largest city. Property records for all cities are kept at the county level by the recorder and assessor in Hollister. City offices handle local matters like building permits but not property deeds or tax assessments. Those functions stay with the county.
No cities in San Benito County meet the 100,000 population threshold for individual city pages on this site. For property records anywhere in San Benito County, use the county recorder and assessor offices in Hollister. For building permits or zoning questions in a specific city, contact that city hall.
Nearby Counties
San Benito County borders several other counties in Central California. Each has its own recorder and assessor office maintaining separate property records. If you need records from a neighboring county, contact that county directly. Here are the nearby counties:
- Santa Clara County (north of San Benito County)
- Merced County (east of San Benito County)
- Fresno County (southeast of San Benito County)
- Monterey County (west of San Benito County)
County boundaries can split large parcels of land. If you own property that crosses a county line, you may need to check records in both counties. Each county keeps its own files and does not share data with neighbors. A deed recorded in San Benito County will not show up in Santa Clara County records.