Search Sonoma County Deed Records
Sonoma County maintains property deed records at the Clerk-Recorder-Assessor office in Santa Rosa. Their online database holds records from 1964 to present. You can search by grantor name, grantee name, or document number to find land transfers and ownership documents. The office is at 585 Fiscal Drive, Room 103, and can be reached at 707-565-3800 or via email at ClerkRecorder@sonomacounty.gov. This North Bay county includes wine country, coastal areas, and the city of Santa Rosa. Property values range from rural farmland to high-end estates in towns like Healdsburg and Sonoma.
Sonoma County Quick Facts
Sonoma County Recorder Office
The Clerk-Recorder-Assessor office handles property recordings for Sonoma County. Visit them at 585 Fiscal Drive, Room 103, in Santa Rosa. Call 707-565-3800 or email ClerkRecorder@sonomacounty.gov for questions. They keep regular business hours Monday through Friday. This office records deeds, deeds of trust, liens, easements, and other land documents that affect property ownership.
When you record a deed in Sonoma County, staff review it to make sure it meets California formatting standards. The document must have proper margins, clear signatures, and correct notarization. If it passes review, they stamp it with the official date and time, assign a unique document number, and enter it in the public index. Your deed becomes part of the permanent record that anyone can search.
The office has paper files going back to the 1800s when Sonoma County was first formed. Older documents are stored on microfiche or in bound volumes. Digital records start in 1964 and are searchable through their online database. For anything before that, you need to visit in person or request copies by mail. Staff cannot provide legal advice about which deed type to use or how to fill out forms. Consult an attorney or title professional for that help.
Online Deed Database
Sonoma County offers a free online search tool for deed records from 1964 to now. The database is located at https://crarecords.sonomacounty.ca.gov/Web/ where you can search by party names, document numbers, or legal descriptions. It shows the index of what is on file but may charge for viewing full document images depending on the search options you pick.
To search by name, enter the last name first, then the first name. The system pulls up all matching records with document numbers and recording dates. Click on a result to see more details like the document type, book and page numbers, and parties involved. This tells you what was recorded and when, which is often enough for basic research.
If you need the actual document, you can order copies through the online system or by contacting the office directly. Certified copies come with the county seal and a signed statement from the recorder. You need those for legal matters like court filings or loan applications. Plain copies work fine if you just want to see what the deed says.
Electronic recording is available through certified vendors. Many title companies in Sonoma County use eRecording to submit deeds faster. Instead of driving to Santa Rosa or mailing paper documents, they upload digital files that get processed within hours. The recorder office reviews them just like paper deeds and either accepts or rejects based on formatting rules. Under California's Electronic Recording Delivery System program, the Attorney General certifies and provides oversight of eRecording vendors to ensure secure and accurate processing of recorded documents.
Recording Fees
Standard recording fees apply in Sonoma County. Expect to pay $14 for the first page and $3 for each additional page. Add the $75 SB2 fee if the deed involves a real estate transfer. Some counties also charge a fraud prevention fee, though that varies. Call the recorder office to confirm the exact total before you submit documents.
Documentary transfer tax in Sonoma County is 55 cents per $500 of the sale price. This is the standard California rate set by state law at Revenue and Taxation Code Section 11911 which requires a tax at the rate of $0.55 for each $500 or fractional part thereof when consideration exceeds $100. Santa Rosa is a chartered city and charges an additional city transfer tax of $2.00 per $1,000 of value. Other Sonoma County cities may have their own rates or follow the standard county formula.
Copy fees are separate from recording fees. A plain copy costs a few dollars per page. Certified copies cost more because of the extra work to add the seal and certification statement. If you order copies online, there may be a convenience fee on top of the base price. In-person requests at the counter often cost less but you have to drive to Santa Rosa.
Common Deed Types
Grant deeds are the standard form for property sales in Sonoma County. When you buy a home, the seller gives you a grant deed. This type carries implied warranties under California law. The seller promises they own the property and have not sold it to anyone else. They also promise there are no liens or claims against it except those listed in the deed. These warranties come from California Civil Code Section 1113 which defines what the word "grant" means legally.
Quitclaim deeds transfer property with no promises at all. The grantor just gives up whatever interest they have, if any. People use quitclaim deeds for family transfers, divorce settlements, or fixing title problems. Say your name is misspelled on an old deed. You can quitclaim the property to yourself with the right spelling. Or if you inherit a house with siblings and want to give them your share, a quitclaim deed does that.
Deeds of trust appear in the index when you take out a mortgage or home loan. This document gives the lender a security interest in your property. If you stop paying, they can foreclose. When you pay off the loan, the lender files a reconveyance deed to release their claim. Both the original deed of trust and the reconveyance get recorded so anyone searching the title can see the loan history.
You will also find liens, easements, and CC&Rs in the recorder index. Liens come from unpaid debts like taxes, contractor bills, or HOA dues. Easements let utility companies or neighbors cross your land. Covenants, conditions, and restrictions tell you what you can and cannot do with your property in certain subdivisions. All of these documents affect ownership and show up in title searches.
California Deed Law
All real property transfers in California must be in writing. California Civil Code Section 1091 states that an estate in real property can be transferred only by operation of law or by an instrument in writing subscribed by the party disposing of the same. Oral agreements do not count. You need a signed, written deed.
Recording your deed protects you against later claims. California follows a race-notice system under California Civil Code Sections 1213-1214 which provides that every conveyance recorded is constructive notice to subsequent purchasers and mortgagees. If two people claim to own the same property, the first one to record usually wins. Recording puts the whole world on notice that you own the land.
The recorder must accept documents that meet format rules. California Government Code Section 27201 requires the recorder to accept for recordation any instrument authorized by statute upon payment of proper fees and taxes. They check margins, signatures, notarization, and fees. They do not verify that the deed is valid or wise. That is your job or your lawyer's job before recording.
Major Cities in Sonoma County
Sonoma County includes several cities where property deeds are recorded at the Santa Rosa office. The largest city over 100,000 population is:
Smaller cities like Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Healdsburg, Sonoma, and Sebastopol also record deeds through the county recorder. If you own property in any Sonoma County city, your deed goes to the same office in Santa Rosa.
Nearby Counties
If your property is not in Sonoma County, check these neighboring counties: