Property Records San Diego County
San Diego County property records are maintained by the Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk office with locations throughout the county. You can search deeds, liens, and assessment data online or visit service centers in San Diego, Chula Vista, San Marcos, or Santee. The county serves over 3.3 million people making it California's second most populous county. With more than one million parcels spread from coastal areas to mountains and deserts, San Diego County processes a high volume of property documents each year. The current Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk is Jordan Z. Marks, leading one of the busiest recorder offices in the state.
San Diego County Quick Facts
San Diego County Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk
The Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk office handles all property recording and assessment for San Diego County. This includes filing deeds and liens as well as setting property values for tax purposes. The office has four locations to serve the large county. Main offices are in downtown San Diego at 1600 Pacific Highway, Suite 260. Branch offices operate in Chula Vista, San Marcos, and Santee. All locations are open Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm.
For assessor questions, call (619) 236-3771. For recorder and clerk services, call (619) 237-0502. You can also email ARCCHELP@sdcounty.ca.gov with questions about property values, recording fees, or how to get copies of documents. The website at sdarcc.gov offers extensive information and online services.
Recording fees in San Diego County follow California state law with some local variations. The base fee is fourteen dollars for the first page or seventeen dollars if the fraud fee applies. The SB2 building homes fee of seventy-five dollars per parcel applies to most real estate transfers with a maximum of two hundred twenty-five dollars. Additional page fees are three dollars each. Monument preservation fees of ten dollars may also apply. Documentary transfer tax is fifty-five cents per five hundred dollars of value.
| Main Office |
San Diego County Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk 1600 Pacific Highway, Suite 260 San Diego, CA 92101 |
|---|---|
| Branch Offices |
Chula Vista: 590 3rd Ave. San Marcos: 141 E. Carmel St. Santee: 10144 Mission Gorge Rd. All open M-F 8am-5pm |
| Contact |
Assessor: (619) 236-3771 Recorder: (619) 237-0502 Email: ARCCHELP@sdcounty.ca.gov |
| Copy Fees |
First page: $2.00 Additional pages: $0.05 each Certification: $1.00 |
Copy fees in San Diego County are very low compared to other large California counties. Plain copies are two dollars for the first page and five cents for each additional page. Certification adds just one dollar. This makes it one of the cheapest counties in the state for getting property documents.
Important Notice About APN Searches
Due to California state law Assembly Bill 1785, the Assessor Parcel Number search functionality is no longer available in the online Official Record Search. This law took effect in December 2024 and aims to reduce property fraud by limiting online access to owner data. APN searches remain available only at in-person kiosks in the county offices.
You can still search online by grantor name, grantee name, or document number. For APN searches, you must visit one of the four office locations in San Diego, Chula Vista, San Marcos, or Santee. Staff at the public kiosks can help you find property records using the parcel number.
The online system still offers extensive search capabilities. Most people can find what they need by searching with the property owner name or the document details. If you know when a deed was recorded or have a document number, those searches work well online. Only APN searches require an in-person visit.
Search Property Records Online
San Diego County offers online access to property records through their website at sdarcc.gov. The system lets you search and view recorded documents from home. You can look up deeds, liens, and other papers by grantor name, grantee name, or document number. The database includes records dating back many years with images available for most documents.
To search by name, go to the Official Records Search tool. Enter the last name of the person you want to find. The system returns a list of all documents that match. You can filter by date range or document type. Click on any record to see details or view an image if available. Most recent documents have full images that you can view, print, or save.
The assessor section of the website offers property value and tax information. You can search by address to find current assessed value, tax amount, and payment status. Property maps show lot lines and nearby parcels. The assessor site is separate from the recorder search but both are accessible through the main sdarcc.gov portal.
The online search system is free for basic searches and viewing documents. If you need certified copies, you must visit one of the office locations or request them by mail. The office will prepare certified documents and either mail them to you or hold them for pickup.
Property Assessment in San Diego County
The County Assessor sets values on all land and buildings in San Diego County. This value determines your property tax bill each year. Under Proposition 13, most properties can only increase 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 tax bills.
If you buy a house in San Diego 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 with 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 years. Some California counties extend the deadline to November 30. For supplemental assessments, you have sixty days from the notice date. File your appeal with the San Diego County Assessment Appeals Board. 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. Veterans, seniors, and disabled persons may qualify for other exemptions. Contact the assessor office at (619) 236-3771 to see what you qualify for in San Diego County.
Property Tax Payment in San Diego County
Property taxes in San Diego County are collected by the Treasurer-Tax Collector. Tax bills are mailed each fall. Taxes are due in two installments. The first half is due November 1 and becomes delinquent after December 10 with a ten percent penalty. The second half is due February 1 and becomes delinquent after April 10 with a ten percent penalty plus a ten dollar cost.
Starting July 1, accounts that remain unpaid get transferred to the defaulted roll. At that point, a thirty-three dollar redemption fee is added plus interest of 1.5 percent per month. These penalties can add up fast. If you are behind on taxes, contact the tax collector office right away to discuss payment options.
You can pay property tax online at sdttc.com. The site accepts eCheck for free or credit card with a service fee. You can also pay by phone at 1-855-829-3773. For tax questions, call 1-877-829-4732. Mail payments to the address on your tax bill with your parcel number on the memo line.
San Diego County holds property tax auctions for properties with long-term delinquent taxes. The auctions are conducted online through Grant Street Group. You can view upcoming auctions at the tax sale website. Once a property goes to auction, the owner has limited time to redeem it by paying all back taxes plus fees and interest.
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, check with the San Diego County Tax Collector to confirm payment arrived on time. You remain responsible if the lender fails to pay. Look up your parcel online to see if the current year tax shows as paid.
Other Property Resources in San Diego County
The County Clerk issues marriage licenses and keeps vital records. These records sometimes relate to property when couples buy a house or when someone dies and property passes to heirs. The clerk office is part of the same department as the recorder so you can often handle both types of business at one location.
Planning and building departments review permits for construction projects. If you want to build or remodel in San Diego County, you need a permit. The planning staff check that your project follows zoning rules. Building inspectors make sure work meets code. Once the project is done and approved, the permit file becomes public record. These files can show what changes were made to a property and when.
Title companies search all these records when you buy or refinance property in San Diego 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 reviews many years of recorded documents to make sure the title is clear.
Cities in San Diego County
San Diego County includes many cities spread from the coast to inland valleys. Property records for all cities are kept at the county level by the Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk. City offices handle local matters like building permits and business licenses but not property deeds or tax assessments. Those functions stay with the county.
The following San Diego County cities have populations over 100,000 and have their own pages on this site with local resources:
For property records anywhere in San Diego County, use the county recorder and assessor offices. For building permits or zoning questions in a specific city, contact that city hall.
Nearby Counties
San Diego County borders several other counties in Southern 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:
- Riverside County (north of San Diego County)
- Orange County (northwest of San Diego County)
- Imperial County (east of San Diego County)
San Diego County also borders Mexico to the south. For property in Mexico, you need to contact Mexican government offices as those records are not maintained by California counties.
County lines can split large parcels. If you own land 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 Diego County will not show up in Riverside County records.