San Francisco Property Records

Property records in San Francisco County are kept at the Assessor-Recorder office in City Hall. As both a city and county, San Francisco maintains a single system for all real estate documents. The office handles deeds, mortgages, liens, and other recorded instruments. Property tax assessment data is also managed through this same office. You can search many records online through the official portal. Documents date back to the early days of the city. Physical records are at 1 Dr. Carlton B Goodlett Place in room 190.

San Francisco Assessor-Recorder Office

Joaquín Torres serves as the Assessor-Recorder for San Francisco. The office is at City Hall. Staff handle all recorded documents for real estate. This includes deeds when you buy a home. It also covers loans and liens. People record these papers to give public notice of ownership and claims on property in San Francisco.

The counter is open from 8 am to 5 pm each weekday. Recording hours run from 8 am to 4 pm. You can bring documents in person or send them by mail. Many title companies use the office each day. The staff review each page before recording it. They check that it meets state rules. Once recorded, your document gets a time stamp and is part of the public record in San Francisco. The fee goes by page count.

How to Search Property Records

San Francisco offers an online search for recorded documents. Go to recorder.sfgov.org to start a search. You can look up papers by name. You can also use a document number if you have it. The system shows basic info and images for many records. Some old records may not have images yet. Those require an in-person visit to City Hall.

The search portal covers deeds, deeds of trust, liens, and more. Each record shows who signed it and when it was filed. You can see the book and page where it was recorded. Click on a document to view the full image. Print it from your home or save it as a file. The site does not charge a fee to view most documents online in San Francisco.

If you need a certified copy, you must get that from the Assessor-Recorder. The office can print and certify any recorded document. Bring the document number or the names of the parties. Staff will pull it from the system. The first page costs more than extra pages. Certification adds a small fee. You can request copies in person or by mail in San Francisco County.

Recording Fees in San Francisco

Recording fees in San Francisco follow state law with some local additions. The base fee is $14 for the first page. If the Real Estate Fraud Fee applies, the first page goes to $17. Each added page costs $3. The state charges an extra $75 under SB2, the Building Homes and Jobs Act. This applies to most real estate documents but has a cap of $225 per transaction.

San Francisco also collects a Monument Preservation Fund fee of $10. These fees add up fast when you file a deed. For a three-page deed with the fraud fee, you pay $17 for page one, $6 for two more pages, $75 for SB2, and $10 for the monument fund. That totals $108 for a basic grant deed in San Francisco County.

Key recording fees in San Francisco:

• First page standard: $14
• First page with fraud fee: $17
• Each added page: $3
• SB2 fee per parcel: $75 (max $225)
• Monument Preservation: $10

Note: Check the current fee schedule at the Assessor-Recorder website before filing documents.

Documentary Transfer Tax

San Francisco has a tiered transfer tax. This tax is due when real estate changes hands. The rate goes up as the sale price goes up. For properties sold between $100 and $250,000, the rate is $2.50 per $500 of value. Sales from $250,000 to $1 million pay $3.40 per $500. Higher brackets pay much more.

The top rate kicks in for sales over $25 million. That rate is $30 per $500. These high rates make San Francisco one of the most costly places to sell real estate in California. The seller usually pays this tax at closing. The title company collects it and sends it to the city. You see it as a line item on your closing statement.

San Francisco transfer tax rates:

• $100 to $250,000: $2.50 per $500
• $250,000 to $1,000,000: $3.40 per $500
• $1,000,000 to $5,000,000: $3.75 per $500
• $5,000,000 to $10,000,000: $11.25 per $500
• $10,000,000 to $25,000,000: $27.50 per $500
• $25,000,000+: $30.00 per $500

Property Tax Information

The Treasurer and Tax Collector handles property tax billing and payment in San Francisco. José Cisneros serves as Treasurer. The office is at City Hall in room 140. Hours are 8 am to 5 pm on weekdays. You can pay taxes online or in person. The office accepts checks, cash, and cards.

Tax bills go out each year in two parts. The first part is due November 1 and becomes late after December 10. The second part is due February 1 and becomes late after April 10. A 10% penalty hits each late payment. If you miss the April deadline, the county adds a $10 cost on top of the penalty. Visit sftreasurer.org to pay online in San Francisco County.

Online payment options include eCheck at no fee or credit and debit cards with a 2.25% fee. The minimum card fee is $2. Many people use eCheck to avoid the card fee. You need your property address or parcel number to look up your bill. The site shows what you owe and past payments.

Property Assessment in San Francisco

The Assessor-Recorder values all property in San Francisco for tax purposes. Assessed values are based on Proposition 13. That means your base value is set when you buy the home. It can go up by no more than 2% each year unless you add to the home or the property changes hands. A change in ownership triggers a new assessment at current market value in San Francisco County.

When you buy a home, you must file a change in ownership form. This tells the assessor to value the property again. The form goes to the Assessor-Recorder within 45 days of the sale. If you do not file it, the county may issue a supplemental tax bill later. These bills make up the difference between the old value and new one for part of the year. They can surprise new owners who do not know they are coming in San Francisco.

You can appeal your assessment if you think it is too high. The deadline to file an appeal is between July 2 and September 15 for most properties. Use form BOE-305-AH to file. The county has a hearing process to review your claim. You must show that the assessed value is more than the market value on the lien date. Many people hire appraisers to help with appeals in San Francisco County.

Online Property Tools

San Francisco provides several online tools for property research. The Property Information Map at sfplanninggis.org/pim shows parcel lines and zoning. You can click on any parcel to see its number and basic data. This tool helps you find a parcel when you only know the address. It also shows lot size and what zone it is in.

The Assessor-Recorder website has data on assessed values and ownership. You can search by address or parcel number. The site shows the current owner name, mailing address, and assessed value. It also lists recent sales and transfers. This is a quick way to check who owns a property or what it is worth for tax purposes in San Francisco.

For detailed property history, use the recorder search. It shows all recorded documents on a parcel. You can see past deeds, loans, and liens. This gives you a picture of who has owned the property over time and what debts have been attached to it. All of these tools are free to use for property records in San Francisco County.

San Francisco City and County

San Francisco is a consolidated city and county. There are no separate cities within it. The entire area is governed as one unit. All property records are kept at the same office in City Hall. This makes it easy to find what you need since there is only one place to look for deeds and tax records in San Francisco County.

Nearby Counties

These counties are near San Francisco. If your property is not in San Francisco County, check the county where it sits. Each county in California has its own recorder and assessor offices.