California · Document Recording
Recording a Deed or Document in San Diego County, CA
San Diego County (population 3,298,634) records real-property documents through the San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk. 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.
San Diego County recorder — contact
- Recording office
- San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk
- Mailing address
- San Diego Recorder/County Clerk, P.O. Box 121750, San Diego, CA 92112-1750 (overnight: 590 3rd Avenue, Suite 204, Chula Vista, CA 91910)
- Phone
- (619) 238-8158
- Checks payable to
- San Diego Recorder/County Clerk
- Electronic recording
- Paper / mail
San Diego County recording fees
- First page / base fee
- $14.00 for the first page
- Additional pages
- $3.00 per page
- Other fees
- $75.00 SB2 fee unless exempt (max $225); $20.00 if no PCOR; $3.00 per non-standard-size page; $2.50 card surcharge
- Transfer tax on deeds
- $0.55 per $500 of value (excluding liens), paid to the Recorder at recording
Counties change fees without notice. Check with the San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk before you mail a check.
What San Diego County requires
- Page formatting
- 8.5" x 11" standard page; top 2.5 inches of first page reserved for recording; 1/2-inch side margins; legible for photographic reproduction
- Cover sheet
- Not required; PCOR required with transfers; SB2 exemption may go on a cover page
- Submission & return
- Mailed to the 'Recording Requested By and Mail To' address on the document
- Hours & turnaround
- Generally 7 to 10 business days
Checked against official San Diego County and California sources on October 6, 2026: sdarcc.gov. Part of Jurably’s open recording-fee dataset.
Can you e-record in San Diego County?
San Diego County records documents submitted by mail or in person. Jurably notarizes your document, mails it by certified mail, and tracks it to a recorded instrument number.
How to record a document in San Diego County, California
- Prepare the document so it meets San Diego 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 by mail to San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk.
- Pay the recording fee, payable to San Diego Recorder/County Clerk.
- Receive the recorded instrument back with its book/page or instrument number as proof of record.
Looking up a San Diego County property
Owner names, parcel numbers and legal descriptions for San Diego County property are searchable at San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk - Property Information. 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.