Santa Clara Deed Records
Santa Clara County deed records are kept by the Office of the Clerk-Recorder in San Jose, which serves the heart of Silicon Valley with over 1.9 million residents across 15 cities. You can obtain property ownership information by contacting the office or visiting in person at 110 West Tasman Drive. The county previously offered online search access to their Official Record Index but this service is no longer available per a County Executive directive, so you must now visit the office or contact them directly to search for deeds and other recorded documents. The office handles all real property recordings for the entire county including high-value commercial properties and residential deeds. Recording fees include a first page charge of $25 which includes the fraud prevention fee, making it slightly higher than some other California counties.
Santa Clara County Quick Facts
Clerk-Recorder Office
The Santa Clara County Office of the Clerk-Recorder is located at 110 West Tasman Drive, 1st Floor, San Jose, CA 95134. You can contact them at (408) 299-5688 or email clkmail@rec.sccgov.org for information about recording procedures, fees, or document requests. Staff provide basic information but cannot give legal advice about property matters or deed preparation.
The office handles all property document recordings for Santa Clara County. This includes grant deeds, deeds of trust, reconveyances, liens, easements, and other land records. When you submit a deed for recording, staff review it to ensure it meets California formatting requirements. Documents must have proper margins, legible text, and valid notarization. If something is wrong, the recorder rejects it and returns it with instructions for corrections.
Electronic recording is available through certified vendors. Most title companies and law firms use this service for faster processing. Documents submitted electronically are usually recorded within hours instead of days or weeks. You get email confirmation with the recording date and document number when the process is complete.
Access to Deed Records
Santa Clara County previously offered online search of the Official Record Index but this service is no longer available. According to the office, the online search was discontinued per County Executive directive. This means you cannot search deed records through the internet anymore. You must visit the office in person or contact them by phone or email to request deed information.
In-person searches are available at the San Jose office during business hours. Bring the property address, assessor parcel number, or names of parties involved in the transaction. Staff can help you locate recorded documents in their system. You can then request copies of any deeds or other documents you need.
Copy fees are $4 for the first page plus $2 for each additional page plus $2 for certification. A certified copy of a three-page deed would cost $4 + $4 + $2 = $10. Plain copies without certification cost less if you just need them for your records and not for official purposes.
The lack of online search access makes Santa Clara County different from most other large California counties. While this protects privacy, it makes deed research more difficult for people who cannot visit the office in person. If you need to search many properties or do regular deed research, you may need to work with a title company or professional searcher who has access to private databases.
Recording Fees and Costs
Recording a deed in Santa Clara County costs $25 for the first page. This fee includes the fraud prevention charge. Additional pages are $3 each. A two-page grant deed would cost $25 + $3 = $28 before adding the SB2 fee. The SB2 affordable housing fee of $75 applies to most residential property transfers, bringing the typical total to about $103.
Documentary transfer tax is 55 cents per $500 of the purchase price at the county level. Several cities in Santa Clara County have additional city transfer taxes. San Jose charges transfer tax on properties sold for more than $2.3 million under Measure E. Mountain View, Palo Alto, and Santa Clara also have their own transfer tax rates. Always check with your escrow company about city-specific taxes that may apply to your transaction.
Total recording costs vary based on document length and property value. For a typical home sale, expect to pay around $100 to $150 in recording fees and state-mandated charges. Transfer taxes add more depending on the sale price and whether the city has its own tax. For high-value properties in cities with transfer taxes, these costs can be substantial.
Property Deed Types
Grant deeds are the most common deed type for home sales. The seller grants the property to the buyer. California law implies certain warranties with grant deeds. The seller promises they have not conveyed the property to anyone else. They also promise there are no undisclosed liens except those mentioned in the deed or in public records. These implied warranties give buyers legal protection.
Quitclaim deeds provide no warranties at all. The grantor only conveys whatever interest they have, if any. People use quitclaim deeds for family transfers, divorce settlements, or clearing title defects. If you accept a quitclaim deed, you take the property as is with no guarantees. Always get title insurance when dealing with quitclaim deeds.
Deeds of trust are loan documents, not ownership deeds. When you get a mortgage to buy property, you sign a deed of trust. This gives the lender a security interest. If you default, the lender can foreclose through the trustee named in the deed. After you pay off the loan, the lender files a reconveyance to release their claim on your property.
Other documents recorded include liens, easements, and restrictions. Mechanic liens from unpaid contractors. Tax liens from government agencies. Utility easements. HOA covenants, conditions, and restrictions. All these create rights or restrictions that run with the land. Title companies review all recorded documents before issuing insurance policies.
Cities in Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County includes 15 cities. All property deeds are recorded at the county office in San Jose. Below are the largest cities:
Note: San Jose, Mountain View, Palo Alto, and Santa Clara have their own city transfer taxes in addition to the county rate.
Nearby Counties
If your property is not in Santa Clara County, check these neighboring counties: