Santa Maria Deed Records

Deed records for Santa Maria are kept by Santa Barbara County Clerk-Recorder-Assessor. The city does not maintain its own deed files. All property transfers in Santa Maria go through the county system in Santa Barbara. You can search many records online through the county website or visit the office in person. Santa Maria is the largest city in Santa Barbara County with over 109,000 people. It sits in the northern part of the county about 65 miles from the city of Santa Barbara. The county offers online deed searches going back to 1975 which makes it easy to research property records from your home or office.

Santa Barbara County Recorder

Santa Barbara County Clerk-Recorder-Assessor handles all deed filings for Santa Maria. The main office is at 1100 Anacapa Street in Santa Barbara which is about 65 miles south of Santa Maria. Call (805) 568-2250 with questions. The county also has a branch office in Santa Maria for some services but most recording happens in Santa Barbara.

You can file deeds in person, by mail, or through electronic recording. Most title companies use eRecording for speed. Documents submitted online typically get recorded within one or two business days. Paper documents take longer depending on volume. The county assigns a document number to each recorded deed and adds it to the searchable index.

For more information about Santa Barbara County's deed recording services, visit the Santa Barbara County deed records page where you can find detailed information about the recorder office, fees, online databases, and how to search for property documents throughout the county including Santa Maria and all other Santa Barbara County cities.

Search Santa Maria Deeds Online

Santa Barbara County offers online deed searches at records.sbcrecorder.com/web/ where you can look up records by name, document type, date, or document number. The database goes back to 1975. This covers most modern real estate transactions in Santa Maria. Older records require an in-person visit to the Santa Barbara office.

To find a Santa Maria deed, enter the property owner name or address. Results show all matching documents in the county. Click on one to see details like the recording date, document type, and number of pages. You may be able to view the full deed image online. If you need a certified copy, you must request it from the county and pay the certification fee.

Grant deeds are the most common type in Santa Maria home sales. A grant deed transfers ownership with implied promises that the seller has not sold the property to anyone else and there are no hidden liens. Quitclaim deeds also appear for transfers between family members or to clear title issues. Deeds of trust are used for mortgages and refinancing.

The online system covers all Santa Barbara County cities including Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, Lompoc, and others. Make sure to verify the property address when you search. A person may own land in multiple cities so you want to confirm you have the right parcel.

Recording Fees and Transfer Tax

Santa Barbara County charges standard California recording fees. The first page of a deed costs more than additional pages due to base fees and state mandates. Expect to pay for the fraud prevention fee and the SB2 housing fee on top of the basic recording charge. Each extra page costs $3. Most deeds are two or three pages total.

Documentary transfer tax in Santa Barbara County is 55 cents per $500 of the purchase price. This is the standard California rate. The city of Santa Maria does not charge an additional city transfer tax. You only pay the county rate. This makes Santa Maria less expensive for closing costs compared to cities with their own transfer taxes.

If you need a certified copy of a deed, the county charges for the first page and each additional page. Certification adds the county seal and a signed certificate. Courts and lenders require certified copies. Plain copies without the seal cost less but are not accepted for legal matters. You can order copies online, by mail, or in person at the Santa Barbara office.

California Recording Laws

All deeds in California must follow state law. The main rule is in Civil Code Section 1091 which says real property transfers must be in writing and signed by the person transferring the property. You cannot transfer land with a verbal agreement in California.

Grant deeds in Santa Maria include implied covenants under Civil Code Section 1113 which says the seller promises they have not sold the property to anyone else and the property is free from liens except those disclosed. These promises are automatic when you use the word grant in the deed.

The county recorder must accept your deed if it meets legal requirements and you pay the fees. This rule comes from Government Code Section 27201 which lists the duties of county recorders. The recorder cannot give legal advice or tell you if your deed is valid. They only check format and signatures.

Recording a deed gives constructive notice under Civil Code Sections 1213-1214 which establish California's race-notice recording system. The first buyer to record usually wins if there are competing claims. Always record your deed as soon as possible after closing to protect your ownership rights.

Other Santa Barbara County Cities

Santa Barbara County does not have any other cities over 100,000 population. Santa Maria is the only qualifying city. All Santa Barbara County residents file deeds at the same county office in Santa Barbara regardless of which city they live in.

Recording fees and transfer tax rates are the same throughout the county. No Santa Barbara County cities charge additional city transfer taxes. The standard county rate applies to all property sales in Santa Maria and every other city in the county.