The Santa Cruz County Recorder’s Office cannot change the information on a recorded document – a recorded document is a permanent record. In order to make changes to title, a new document must be prepared and recorded.

Recorded changes to title usually require the preparation and execution of a document effecting the change.

The most common documents recorded effecting these changes are:

  • Deeds
  • Affidavits
  • Court Orders

It is highly recommended that you consult an attorney, title company, or professional document preparation service if you are considering making any change to the title of real property or if you have any questions regarding the process.  Members of the Recorder’s Office staff are prohibited by California law from providing legal advice.  This prohibition includes offering any guidance as to what processes must be undertaken or what forms are required in order to make any change to the title of real property.

The Recorder’s Index is a permanent public record of documents. Once something is recorded, it remains in our index in perpetuity. Nothing is ever deleted from our records.

When something happens that affects a previously-recorded document, a subsequent document must be recorded in order to memorialize the change. For example, when a recorded lien is satisfied, a document releasing that lien is recorded to evidence that the lien has been paid off.

Documents in the Santa Cruz County Recorder’s office are indexed under the name of the property owner. Using the Grantor/Grantee index, it is possible to locate any liens or encumbrances recorded under a particular property owner's name.

You can view the Grantor/Grantee index online at any time. The online search will only provide you the document index information; you will be unable to view an image of the recorded document. Viewing images of the documents is only available when searching the index on site at the Santa Cruz County Recorder’s lobby during business hours (8:00 AM to 12:00 and 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday).

There is no such thing as an all-inclusive, property-specific “file” maintained by the Recorder’s Office. The documents on file in the Recorder’s office are maintained by the date of recording, grantor/grantee names, and an associated document number.

You should have received your deed at the time you purchased the property. When you pay off the loan on your property, the lender should record a release document (a Reconveyance or a Release of Mortgage) with the Santa Cruz County Recorder. You may want to search the Grantor/Grantee index to see whether a release has been recorded.

A Reconveyance/Deed of Reconveyance is a document showing that a Deed of Trust securing a note (loan) has been paid off. The Reconveyance conveys the lender’s “power of sale” interest in the real property back to the owner and clears the title of the Deed of Trust referred to in the document. The deed of reconveyance is processed by your Lender. Please contact your lender for information regarding the timeline for receiving the deed of reconveyance.

The Santa Cruz County Recorder does not provide forms for recording. Standard legal forms can be obtained from title companies and stationery stores. Some websites also provide legal forms for download.

Documentary Transfer Tax is a tax on recorded transfers of title to real property. Transfer tax is due on all conveyances where the consideration or value of the property being transferred is more than $100.00. The tax is based on the value of the property changing hands – this means that tax may be due even if no money is involved in the transaction. Transfer tax is due at the time a document is recorded unless an applicable exemption from Documentary Transfer Tax under the California Revenue & Taxation Code is cited on the document.

Documentary transfer tax is calculated at $0.55 per $500.00 (or fraction thereof) of value for all areas of Santa Cruz County.