Santa Clara County, CA Property Records

    According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, over 1.9 million people reside in Santa Clara County, CA, making it the sixth-most populous county in the state. Santa Clara is also the most populous county in Northern California. The typical home value in the county is $1,663,152, which is 1.0% lower than in previous years. Meanwhile, the average home value across California is $1,578,502.

    Listed properties in Santa Clara County are typically secured under contract in about 13 days, with 63.3% of such homes selling above the asking price. This reflects a competitive and high-demand real estate market that is strongly influenced by its location within the Silicon Valley region, which is home to global technology companies. However, Santa Clara County residents face persistent affordability issues, as approximately 34.6% of households spend 30% or more of their income on housing expenses, according to Federal Reserve Economic Data.

    The Office of the County Assessor handles assessments for properties located in all municipalities within Santa Clara County. You can use the County Assessor's property search database to obtain detailed parcel data and property information, such as assessed valuations, property ownership details, exemptions, parcel maps, and tax data.

    Who Keeps the Official Land Records?

    In Santa Clara County, the Office of the County Clerk-Recorder is responsible for maintaining and providing access to land records. Records held by the Clerk-Recorder's Office include liens, deeds of trust, mortgages, and abstracts of judgment.

    The person can view land records in person or obtain copies of such documents from the records custodian. The following includes the address and contact information of the County Clerk-Recorder's Office:

    • County of Santa Clara Office of the County Clerk-Recorder: 110 West Tasman Drive, 1st Floor, San Jose, CA 95134. Real Property Search tool

      Phone: (408) 299-5688

      Coverage: All municipalities.

    What Santa Clara County Property Records Include

    Santa Clara property records include official real estate documents that are vital for establishing property ownership and legal history for all land parcels across the county. These records include deeds of trust, mortgages, liens, covenants, foreclosure notices, discharges, and agreements.

    Santa Clara County provides access to paper copies of real estate records dating back to 1850. The individual can access such recorded documents in person by visiting the Office of the Clerk-Recorder during its operating hours.

    How to Access Santa Clara County Property Records

    The person can access Santa Clara County property records through any of the following channels:

    Online Access (Free):

    The Office of the Clerk-Recorder in Santa Clara County does not offer official online search services for property records. However, you can use the Office of the County Assessor's Real Property Search tool to look up certain information on properties located within the county. To search for such information in the database, enter the property address in the search field.

    In Person:

    To access Santa Clara property records in person, you must go to the Clerk-Recorder's Office location at:

    • Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder's Office: 110 West Tasman Drive, 1st Floor, San Jose, CA 95134

    Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Mondays through Fridays.

    Be sure to come along with the following details to facilitate the records search:

    • Names on the desired records

    • Property address

    • Assessor's Parcel Number (APN)

    • Document number

    • Book and page number (for maps or documents recorded before 1994)

    At the office, users may view images of desired documents and search older records between 1850 and 1980 on the digital reel system. In addition, the Clerk-Recorder's Office provides public workstations where you can conduct computer searches for property records.

    Certified copies of these documents are also available for purchase in person at $4 for the first page and $2 for each additional page. There is also a $2 charge for certification. You can pay for your order with cash, check, money order, or credit card. Please note that credit card payments will incur a $6 processing fee.

    By Phone or Email:

    To get assistance with obtaining Santa Clara property records, you can contact the Clerk-Recorder's Office by phone using the following information:

    • Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder's Office: (408) 299-5688

    Likewise, people can order copies of plain or certified real estate documents from the office by email. Their email request must include relevant information about the records you seek, such as the name on the documents, the recording date, or the document number. Users can send your request to the following email address:

    • Clerk-Recorder's Office Email: bus-rdc@rec.sccgov.org

    By Mail/Overnight:

    You can obtain plain or certified copies of Santa Clara property records by mailing a written request to the County Clerk-Recorder's Office. Your request should include the following details:

    • Your name and address.

    • Your phone number.

    • Grantee or grantor's names/names of the document.

    • Map title/title of document.

    • Document recording date.

    • Document number / Instrument number / Book and page number.

    • Assessor Parcel Number (if applicable).

    • Specify the type of copy you want (plain or certified).

    You can pay the copy fees by check or money order payable to the Clerk-Recorder's Office. If you wish to pay by credit card, include the name and address of the credit card holder and the card's expiration date. It typically takes up to 5 working days for the Clerk-Recorder to process a request by mail.

    A person can mail his request to Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder's Office, ATTN: Business Division, 110 West Tasman Drive, 1st Floor, San Jose, CA 95134.

    E-Recording (Professionals):

    Santa Clara County does not offer e-recording services for recording property documents with its Clerk-Recorder's Office. You can only record real estate documents with the Recordings Division in person at the office location.

    What's Not at the Registry (But Matters for Property Research)?

    In Santa Clara County, the Clerk-Recorder's Office maintains most property-related documents, but there are some you cannot find there because they are managed elsewhere. For example, the clerk-recorder's office does not manage certain property information, including assessed valuations, sales history, property tax data, parcel maps, and exemptions. Such details are managed by the Office of the County Assessor.

    Additionally, you can visit the California State Board of Equalization (BOE) website for resources on statewide property tax data.

    Step-by-Step: How to Pull a Deed Online

    Santa Clara County does not provide an online search index for deeds and other property documents. However, you can follow these steps to pull up Santa Clara County deeds information:

    1. Visit the Office of the County Assessor's Real Property Search Portal

    2. Search for property information on the portal by simple address search, advanced search, or Assessor's Parcel Number (APN).

    3. The Assessor's lookup results for the property you search will include the document number for the most recently recorded deed.

    4. A user may use the document number to search for the deed document on public computers at the Clerk-Recorder's Office or on third-party property search websites.

    5. A person can view and print deed images using the public computers available at the Clerk-Recorder's Office.

    Cities & Towns in Santa Clara County (and Their Registry Districts)

    The Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder's Office serves all municipalities, including the following:

    • Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Palo Alto, San Jose, Santa Clara, Saratoga, Sunnyvale, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos.

    City/Town Resources for Assessments & Taxes

    The Office of the County Assessor is responsible for property assessments and tax data management for all municipalities in Santa Clara. The Assessor's Office provides searchable databases to look up such information. You can use the Real Property Search or the Mobile Home Property Search tools to find property assessment and tax information in Santa Clara County.

    Additionally, statewide tax rates and finance data are available online on the California State Board of Equalization (BOE) website.

    Santa Clara County County-Specific Nuances

    The following are things you should note when conducting property research in Santa Clara County:

    • The Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder's Office is responsible for maintaining official land records, including deeds, liens, mortgages, and discharges.

    • The Office of the County Assessor handles assessments for properties across all Santa Clara municipalities.

    • Santa Clara does not offer an official online search portal for property records due to privacy regulations.

    • Users may research recorded property documents dating back to 1850 in Santa Clara County. These historical records are typically available on the Clerk-Recorder's Digital Reel System.

    Typical Contents of a Santa Clara County Property Record

    Santa Clara County property records refer to official documents that record ownership, title transfers, financial interests, and other legal transactions in real estate within the county. You will typically find the following details when checking out these records:

    • Deeds (proof of ownership transfer):

      • Grantor and grantee names

      • Legal description of the property

      • Consideration (sale price)

      • Book and page number

      • The date of the deed's signing and notarization

    • Mortgages/Deeds of Trust and Discharges (evidence of debt):

      • Mortgagor and mortgagee names

      • Loan amount and repayment terms

      • Recording date

      • Promissory note

      • Satisfaction details

    • Plans (visual maps):

      • Survey or plan number

      • Subdivision references

      • Lot dimensions and layout

      • Zoning information

      • Aerial images

    • Encumbrances (claims and restrictions)

      • Easements

      • Restrictions or covenants

      • Leases

      • Lis pendens notices

      • Rights of way or shared access agreements

    Recording Changes to Property Titles

    You can record changes to property titles in Santa Clara County, including new conveyances, liens, deeds of trust, and related instruments, by filing them with the Recordings Division of the Clerk-Recorder's Office.

    You can record real estate documents by visiting the office during its operating hours or mailing the relevant documents to the office address. Documents must meet the county's recording standards and comply with local and state laws. You can find more information on the recording guidelines, applicable fees, operating hours, and acceptable document standards on the Clerk-Recorder's Office website.

    Practical Research Flow (Checklist)

    You can use this checklist as a guide for conducting property research in Santa Clara County, CA:

    1. Visit/contact the Clerk-Recorder's Office: You can visit or contact the Clerk-Recorder's Office to conduct research for property records. The office has public computers for searching properties, and you may also seek assistance with your research from the office staff.

    2. Search and note reference numbers: Property documents are recorded with unique identifiers, such as assessor's parcel number, document number, or book/page numbers. You can note such reference numbers for your property research.

    3. Trace the chain of title: To check ownership history, look up the property on the Assessor's property search tool. The search result will include the document number for the most recent deed, including the names of the grantee and grantor. You can use the seller's name to look up previous changes to the property title.

    4. Review plans and encumbrances: Review recorded plans and other documents that may affect property use or access, such as liens, covenants, and easements.

    5. Verify parcel data with the Office of the County Assessor: You can verify your research findings with the County Assessor's Office. The Assessor maintains a searchable database to obtain property information, such as tax data, assessed valuations, sales history, and exemptions.

    Appendix A - Municipalities in Santa Clara County

    Santa Clara County, CA, has 15 incorporated places, including 13 cities and two towns*.

    • Cities: Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Palo Alto, San Jose, Santa Clara, Saratoga, and Sunnyvale.

    • Towns: Los Altos Hills and Los Gatos.

    *There are also several unincorporated communities and census-designated places in Santa Clara County.) (Wikipedia).

    Appendix B - Key Contacts & Portals