California · Document Recording
Recording a Deed or Document in Alameda County, CA
Alameda County (population 1,682,353) records real-property documents through the Alameda County Clerk-Recorder's Office. Below is what it costs and how to submit. Filing a memorandum of contract? We record it with the county for $199, notary included — no trip to the courthouse.
Alameda County recorder — contact
- Recording office
- Alameda County Clerk-Recorder's Office
- Mailing address
- Alameda County Clerk-Recorder's Office, 1106 Madison Street, Oakland, CA 94607
- Phone
- 510-272-6362 (Clerk-Recorder); 888-280-7708
- Checks payable to
- Alameda County Clerk Recorder
- Electronic recording
- Available via Simplifile, CSC
Alameda County recording fees
- First page / base fee
- $89.00 per title (first page, standard 8.5x11)
- Additional pages
- $3.00 per additional page (backside counts as a page)
- Other fees
- Building Homes and Jobs Act (SB2) fee of $75 per title, up to $225 max per transaction, unless statutorily exempt; $3 additional fee if a cover sheet must be added for missing margin space
Counties change fees without notice. Check with the Alameda County Clerk-Recorder's Office before you mail a check.
What Alameda County requires
- Page formatting
- Minimum 1/2" margins on each side; top 2.5" of first page reserved for recording/return info; standard page size 8.5"x11" (non-standard sizes up to 8.5"x14" incur $3 surcharge; larger not accepted)
- Cover sheet
- Required only if the first page lacks the required blank margin/top space for recording information (adds $3 fee); otherwise not mandatory
- Submission & return
- Mail return of recorded original to submitter (self-addressed envelope recommended)
- Hours & turnaround
- Not officially published
Can you e-record in Alameda County?
Yes. Alameda County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile, CSC, so a properly formatted document can be recorded the same or next business day without mailing paper.
How to record a document in Alameda County, California
- Prepare the document so it meets Alameda County's formatting rules (above): legal description, grantee address, signature block, and the blank space the recorder reserves for its stamp.
- Notarize it if the instrument requires acknowledgment. Most deeds and affidavits do.
- Submit electronically through Simplifile, CSC, or by mail to Alameda County Clerk-Recorder's Office.
- Pay the recording fee, payable to Alameda County Clerk Recorder.
- Receive the recorded instrument back with its book/page or instrument number as proof of record.
Looking up a Alameda County property
Owner names, parcel numbers and legal descriptions for Alameda County property are searchable at Alameda County Assessor. A deed or memorandum needs the exact legal description, so pull it from there or from the last recorded deed.
Filing with Jurably in California
California isn't available quite yet — it's coming soon. See the states we file in.