Simi Valley Deed Files
Simi Valley deed records are kept by Ventura County Clerk and Recorder. The city has no recording office of its own. All property transfers in Simi Valley must be filed with the county to become official. Ventura County handles recording for ten cities including Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, and Oxnard. The county office is in Ventura which is about 30 miles west of Simi Valley. You can search records online using the county's self-service portal or request copies by mail. Simi Valley sits in the southeast corner of Ventura County near the Los Angeles County line. The city has about 126,000 people and covers roughly 42 square miles in the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains foothills.
Simi Valley Quick Facts
Ventura County Recording Services
Ventura County Clerk and Recorder processes all deed recordings for Simi Valley. The office is in Ventura which is the county seat. You can call (805) 654-3665 for general questions or send email to clerk.recorder@ventura.org. The office is open Monday through Friday during regular business hours.
Most people do not need to visit the office in person. The county offers online searches, mail-in requests for copies, and electronic recording through certified vendors. Electronic recording is the fastest method. Most title companies and real estate attorneys submit documents electronically for same-day or next-day recording.
When a deed is recorded, the county stamps it with the official date and time. This creates a public record that establishes your ownership rights. Recording protects you against claims from people who did not know you own the property. California law requires recording to give constructive notice to the world of your ownership.
For detailed information about Ventura County recording, visit the Ventura County deed records page which covers recording fees, online database access, eRecording vendor information, office locations and hours, and how to request certified copies of recorded documents for Simi Valley and all other cities in the county.
Search Simi Valley Property Records
Ventura County provides free online deed searches through its self-service portal. Go to the Ventura County online records system to search for Simi Valley deeds. You can search by name, address, document number, or other criteria.
To search by owner name, enter the last name first. The system shows all matching results with basic information about each document. Click on a result to view more details and see the scanned deed image if available. Viewing documents online is free. No account or payment is required.
If you need a certified copy for legal purposes like refinancing or a court case, you must request it from the county recorder. Certified copies have the county seal and a signed certification statement. They cost more than plain copies but are required for most legal uses.
Grant deeds are the standard document for Simi Valley home sales. These transfer ownership with automatic warranties that the seller has not sold the property to anyone else and that there are no hidden liens beyond those disclosed. Quitclaim deeds are used for family transfers or to fix title issues. They provide no warranties about ownership.
Cost to Record in Simi Valley
Ventura County charges standard recording fees that apply throughout the county including Simi Valley. The first page of a deed costs about $89 to record. This includes base fees and mandatory state charges like the SB2 housing fee. Each additional page costs $3. A typical two-page deed costs $92 total.
The SB2 fee is $75 per transaction for most property documents. This state-mandated charge funds affordable housing programs. Every California county collects it. The maximum SB2 fee is $225 for complex transactions involving multiple parcels.
Copy fees vary depending on whether you need certification. Plain copies are cheaper and work fine for personal records. Certified copies cost more but include the county seal and are required for legal matters. Ask the recorder office for current copy fees when you request documents.
Electronic recording through vendors may involve extra service fees beyond the county recording fee. Most title companies include these in their standard closing costs. Request a detailed fee breakdown before you close on Simi Valley property so you know all the charges.
Transfer Tax for Simi Valley
Simi Valley has no city transfer tax. You pay only the county documentary transfer tax at 55 cents per $500 of the sale price. On a $700,000 home, the tax is $770. This is lower than many other Southern California cities that add their own city taxes on top of the county rate.
The seller usually pays transfer tax at closing but parties can negotiate who pays. The tax is based on the actual money that changes hands. If a buyer assumes an existing loan, that amount does not count toward the taxable consideration.
The county collects transfer tax when the deed is recorded and stamps the amount on the document. This becomes part of the public record. Anyone searching the deed can see what transfer tax was paid and estimate the sale price by working backward from the tax.
Transfer tax is separate from property tax. Property tax is an annual charge based on assessed value and collected by the county tax collector. Transfer tax is a one-time fee charged only when property changes hands and collected by the recorder at recording time.
California Recording Law
California requires county recorders to maintain public records of all property transactions. The California Civil Code Sections 1213-1214 establish the race-notice recording system that gives priority to the first party to record.
Electronic recording has made the process faster and more reliable. Check the California Attorney General certified vendor list to find approved eRecording providers that work with Ventura County for submitting Simi Valley property documents.
Other Ventura County Cities
Ventura County has ten incorporated cities. All record deeds at the county office in Ventura. Below are other cities in the area:
All these cities use the same county recorder. Recording fees and transfer tax rates are uniform across the county since no Ventura County city has adopted additional city transfer taxes.