Visalia Deed Records

Visalia deed records are kept at the Tulare County Assessor-Recorder office in Visalia. The city of Visalia does not maintain its own deed files. All property transfers in Visalia and throughout Tulare County go through this county office. The recorder is located at 221 South Mooney Boulevard, Room 103 in downtown Visalia. You can search deeds online from 1949 through 2022 using the county database. Older records require an in-person visit or mail request. Visalia is the largest city in Tulare County with about 140,000 residents. It sits in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley roughly halfway between Fresno and Bakersfield. The city serves as the county seat and economic center for the surrounding agricultural region.

Tulare County Recording Office

Tulare County Assessor-Recorder handles all deed recordings for Visalia. The office is right in downtown Visalia at 221 South Mooney Boulevard, Room 103. This makes it convenient for Visalia residents since the county recorder is located within city limits. Call (559) 636-5100 for general questions about recording or copies.

Office hours are Monday through Friday during regular business hours. You can visit the counter to submit documents for recording, request copies, or search old records not available online. Many people use the online system instead since it is faster and you can search from home.

When you record a deed in Visalia, the county stamps it with the official recording date and time. This establishes your ownership in the public record. Under California law, recording gives constructive notice to everyone that you own the property. This protects you against claims from people who did not know about your ownership.

For more details about Tulare County recording, visit the Tulare County deed records page which has complete information about recording fees, online database access, copy request procedures, and how the county processes property documents for Visalia and all other cities and unincorporated areas throughout the county.

Search Visalia Property Records

Tulare County offers online deed searches through its RIIMS database. Go to the Tulare County online records system to search for Visalia deeds. The database covers 1949 through 2022. Records after 2022 may require direct contact with the recorder office.

You can search by name, address, or document number. For name searches, enter the last name first. The system returns all matching records with basic details. Click on a result to see more information about that deed including recording date, book and page numbers, and document type.

The online system shows index information but may not always show full document images. If you need a copy of the actual deed, you can request it from the recorder. Fees apply for copies. Certified copies cost more than plain copies because they include the county seal and a signed certification statement.

Most Visalia home sales involve grant deeds. These transfer ownership from seller to buyer with implied warranties that the property has not been sold to anyone else and is free from hidden liens. Quitclaim deeds are also common for family transfers or to fix title issues. These provide no warranties.

Cost to Record Deeds

Tulare County charges different recording fees depending on the document type. Standard recording is $21 for the first page. For documents involving transfer taxes like grant deeds, the fee is $14 for the first page. Additional pages cost $3 each. These rates include base fees and mandatory state surcharges.

The lower fee for transfer tax documents reflects a different fee structure in state law. When a deed includes documentary transfer tax, the base recording fee is lower. The county collects the transfer tax at the same time which makes up the difference.

Copy fees vary by whether you need certification. Plain copies are cheaper and work fine for personal records. Certified copies include the county seal and are required for legal matters like court filings or refinancing. Ask the recorder for current copy fees when you request documents.

The SB2 fee of $75 applies to most real estate recordings. This state-mandated charge funds affordable housing programs. Every California county collects it. The maximum SB2 fee is $225 for transactions involving multiple parcels.

Visalia Transfer Tax

Visalia has no city transfer tax. You pay only the county documentary transfer tax at 55 cents per $500 of the sale price. For a $400,000 home, the transfer tax is $440. This is the standard rate throughout California for counties without additional city taxes.

Transfer tax is typically paid by the seller at closing unless the parties agree otherwise. The tax applies to the actual money that changes hands. If a buyer assumes an existing mortgage, that loan balance does not count toward the taxable amount.

The county stamps the transfer tax amount on the recorded deed. This becomes part of the public record. Anyone searching the deed can see the tax amount and estimate the sale price by working backward from the tax calculation.

Transfer tax is different 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 the time of recording.

California Deed Requirements

California requires all property transfers to be in writing and properly executed. The California Civil Code Section 1091 states that real property can only be transferred by operation of law or by a written instrument signed by the party disposing of the property.

This statute protects property owners by requiring formal documentation. Verbal agreements to transfer real estate are not enforceable in California. The deed must be signed, notarized, and recorded to create a valid transfer of ownership.

Other Tulare County Cities

Tulare County has eight incorporated cities. All record deeds at the county office in Visalia. Below are other cities in Tulare County:

• Tulare
• Porterville
• Dinuba
• Exeter

Note: Only Visalia has a population over 100,000. The cities listed above are under the population threshold for this directory but all use the same Tulare County recording office.