County recorders: fees

The law updates how Californians record and access property and other public documents, while tying fees more directly to recorder-office costs. It also expands and makes permanent the framework for electronic recording.

What the law does ​

• Sets the standard recording and indexing fee at $15 for the first page and $4 for each additional page, capped at the recorder’s reasonable service costs.
• Eliminates extra fees for documents with nonconforming page spacing or dimensions and repeals certain added indexing fees.
• Requires recorders collecting the standard fee to implement an electronic recording delivery system by January 1, 2028.
• Requires recorders to provide access to a true copy of every recorded public document for public inspection.
• Permanently allows recorders to contract with eligible additional submitters for electronic recording and allows secure electronic submission of any eligible recorded document.
• Keeps most recording-fee revenue restricted to the county recorder’s office and reserves specified portions for modernizing recorded-document systems.
• Calculates government lien-release fees using the first-page recording fee in effect when the original no-fee lien was recorded.

Who it affects ​

• County recorders and county recorder offices.
• Homebuyers, property owners, lenders, title companies, and others recording real-property documents.
• Businesses and government entities that electronically submit documents for recording.
• People seeking copies of recorded public documents.

Context ​

The Attorney General continues to certify and oversee county electronic recording systems through regulations.