Article 5 - Fees

California Government Code — §§ 27360-27388.2

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Sections (28)

Amended by Stats. 2015, Ch. 269, Sec. 15. (SB 184) Effective January 1, 2016.

For services performed by the recorder’s office, the county recorder shall charge and collect the fees fixed in this article.

Added by Stats. 1963, Ch. 22.

As used in this code, the word “folio” means 100 words. Each figure, character, symbol, and initial, excluding punctuation marks, shall be regarded as a word for the purpose of computing fees by a recorder.

Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 77, Sec. 14. (AB 137) Effective July 16, 2021.

(a)The fee for recording and indexing every instrument, paper, or notice required or permitted by law to be recorded shall not exceed ten dollars ($10) for recording the first page and three dollars ($3) for each additional page, to reimburse the county for the costs of services rendered pursuant to this subdivision, except the recorder may charge additional fees as follows:
(1)If the printing on printed forms is spaced more than nine lines per vertical inch or more than 22 characters and spaces per inch measured horizontally for not less than three inches in one sentence, the recorder shall charge one dollar ($1) extra for each page or sheet on which printing appears, except, however, the extra charge shall not apply to printed words that are directive or explanatory in nature for completion of the form or on vital statistics forms. Fees collected under this paragraph are not subject to subdivision (b) or (c).
(2)If a page or sheet does not conform to the dimensions described in subdivision (a) of Section 27361.5, the recorder shall charge three dollars ($3) extra per page or sheet of the document. The funds generated by the extra charge authorized under this paragraph shall be available solely to support, maintain, improve, and provide for the full operation for modernized creation, retention, and retrieval of information in each county’s system of recorded documents. Fees collected under this paragraph are not subject to subdivision (b) or (c).
(b)One dollar ($1) of each three dollar ($3) fee for each additional page shall be deposited in the county general fund.
(c)Notwithstanding Section 68085, one dollar ($1) for recording the first page and one dollar

($1) for each additional page shall be available solely to support, maintain, improve, and provide for the full operation for modernized creation, retention, and retrieval of information in each county’s system of recorded documents.

(d)(1) In addition to all other fees authorized by this section, a county recorder may charge a fee of one dollar ($1) for recording the first page of every instrument, paper, or notice required or permitted by law to be recorded, as authorized by each county’s board of supervisors. The funds generated by this fee shall be used only by the county recorder collecting the fee for the purpose of implementing a social security number truncation program pursuant to Article 3.5 (commencing with Section 27300).
(2)A county recorder shall not charge the fee described in paragraph (1) after December 31, 2017, unless the county recorder

has received reauthorization by the county’s board of supervisors. A county recorder shall not seek reauthorization of the fee by the board before June 1, 2017, or after December 31, 2017. In determining the additional period of authorization, the board shall consider the review described in paragraph (4).

(3)Notwithstanding paragraph (2), a county recorder who, pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 27304, secures a revenue anticipation loan, or other outside source of funding, for the implementation of a social security number truncation program, may be authorized to charge the fee described in paragraph (1) for a period not to exceed the term of repayment of the loan or other outside source of funding.
(4)A county board of supervisors that authorizes the fee described in this subdivision shall require the county auditor to conduct two reviews to verify that the funds

generated by this fee are used only for the purpose of the program, as described in Article 3.5 (commencing with Section 27300) and for conducting these reviews. The reviews shall state the progress of the county recorder in truncating recorded documents pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 27301, and shall estimate any ongoing costs to the county recorder of complying with subdivisions (a) and (b) of Section 27301. The board shall require that the first review be completed not before June 1, 2012, or after December 31, 2013, and that the second review be completed not before June 1, 2017, or after December 31, 2017. The reviews shall adhere to generally accepted accounting standards, and the review results shall be made available to the public.

(e)Except as provided in subdivision (g) of Section 6103.8, the fee authorized by this section shall not be charged

to those entities exempted from the payment of recording fees under Section 6103 or 27383.

Added by Stats. 1967, Ch. 56.

Whenever two or more instruments, papers, or notices are serially incorporated on one form or sheet, or are attached to one another, except as an exhibit marked as such, each instrument, paper, or notice shall be considered to be a separate instrument, paper, or notice for the purpose of computing the fee established by Section 27361 of this code.

Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 77, Sec. 15. (AB 137) Effective July 16, 2021.

(a)Whenever any instrument, paper, or notice is recorded that contains references to more than one previously recorded document and requires additional indexing by the county recorder to give notice required by law, an additional fee of one dollar ($1) shall be charged for each reference to a previously recorded document, other than the first such reference, requiring additional indexing. References to group mining claims listed on a proof of labor shall be considered as only one reference when they are consecutively numbered or lettered alphabetically, and each break in consecutive numbers or letters shall be considered as an additional mine for fee purposes under this section and shall be so indexed in the index.
(b)Except as provided in subdivision (g) of Section 6103.8, the fee authorized by this section shall not be charged to those entities exempted from the payment of recording fees under Section 6103 or 27383.

Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 329, Sec. 11. (SB 780) Effective January 1, 2020.

(a)Notwithstanding any contrary provision of the law, the fee for recording every release of lien, encumbrance, or notice executed by the state, or any municipality, county, city, district, or other political subdivision shall be two times the fee charged to record the first page of a lien, encumbrance, or notice under

subdivision (a) of Section 27361, on January 1 of the year the release is recorded if the original lien, encumbrance, or notice was recorded without fee as provided by Section 27383.

(b)No fee shall be charged for recording a release of lien, encumbrance, or notice which was recorded in error by the state, or any municipality, county, city, district, or other political subdivision if there is noted on the face of the release of lien, encumbrance, or notice a statement to that effect.
(c)Two dollars ($2) for recording each release of lien pursuant to this section shall be available solely to support, maintain, improve, and provide for the full operation for modernized creation, retention, and retrieval of information in each county’s system of recorded documents.

Amended (as amended by Stats. 2020, Ch. 370, Sec. 155) by Stats. 2021, Ch. 77, Sec. 17. (AB 137) Effective July 16, 2021. Section operative January 1, 2026, by its own provisions.

(a)The board of supervisors of any county may provide for an additional fee of one dollar ($1) for filing every instrument, paper, or notice for record, in order to defray the cost of converting the county recorder’s document storage system to micrographics. Upon completion of the conversion and payment of the costs therefor, this additional fee shall no longer be imposed.
(b)The board of supervisors of any county may provide for an additional fee, other than the fees authorized in subdivisions (a) and (c), of one dollar ($1) for filing every instrument, paper, or notice for record provided that the resolution providing for the additional fee establishes the days of operation of the county recorder’s offices as every business day except for legal holidays

and those holidays designated as judicial holidays pursuant to Section 135 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

(c)The board of supervisors of any county may provide for an additional fee, other than the fees authorized in subdivisions (a) and (b), of one dollar ($1) for filing every instrument, paper, or notice for record provided that the resolution providing for the additional fee requires that the instrument, paper, or notice be indexed within two business days after the date of recordation.
(d)Except as provided in subdivision (g) of Section 6103.8, the fees authorized by this section shall not be charged to those entities exempted from the payment of recording fees under Section 6103 or 27383.
(e)This section shall become operative on January 1, 2026.

Repealed and added by Stats. 1992, Ch. 87, Sec. 6. Effective January 1, 1993. Operative July 1, 1994, by Sec. 9 of Ch. 87.

(a)As used in Section 27361, a page shall be one printed side of a single piece of paper being 81/2inches by 11 inches.
(b)A sheet shall be one printed side of a single piece of paper which is not exactly 81/2inches by 11 inches but not greater than

81/2inches by 14 inches.

Repealed and added by Stats. 1992, Ch. 87, Sec. 8. Effective January 1, 1993. Operative July 1, 1994, by Sec. 9 of Ch. 87.

Except as otherwise provided by law or regulation, all documents submitted for recording shall have at least a1/2-inch margin on the two vertical sides except in the space reserved for recording information. At least the top 21/2inches of the first page or sheet shall be reserved for recording information. The left-hand

31/2inches of the space shall be used by the public to show the name of the person requesting recording and the name and address to which the document is to be returned following recording. In the event the first page or sheet of a document does not comply with these requirements, a separate page shall be attached by the party requesting recording to the front of the document which meets these criteria and which reflects the title or titles of the document as required by Section 27324. Any printed form accepted for recordation that does not comply with the foregoing shall not affect the notice otherwise imparted by recording.

All instruments, papers, or notices presented for recordation shall be on a quality of paper and contain print of a size and color which will reproduce legibly by microphotographic or imaging processes as set forth in Sections 26205.5 and

27322.2.

Any instrument, paper, or notice presented for recordation which in any way modifies, releases, or cancels the provisions of a previously recorded document shall state the recorder identification number or book and page of the document number being modified, released, or canceled.

Amended by Stats. 1981, Ch. 187, Sec. 1.

Whenever the text of a document presented for record may be made out but is not sufficiently legible to reproduce a readable photographic record, the recorder may require the person presenting it for record to substitute a legible original document or to prepare a legible copy of the first document by handwriting or typewriting and attach the same to the original as a part of the document for making the permanent photographic record. The handwritten or typewritten legible copy shall be certified by the party creating the copy under penalty of perjury as being a true copy of the original. As used in this section, the word “text” includes the notary seal,

certificates, and other appendages thereto.

Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 77, Sec. 18. (AB 137) Effective July 16, 2021.

(a)Whenever any instrument, paper, or notice is recorded that requires additional indexing by the county recorder to give notice required by law and does not refer to a previously recorded document by reference, as covered in Section 27361.2, an additional fee of one dollar ($1) shall be charged for each group of 10 names or fractional portion thereof after the initial group of 10 names.
(b)Except as provided in subdivision (g) of Section 6103.8, the fee authorized by this section shall not be charged to those entities exempted from the payment of recording fees under Section 6103 or 27383.

Amended by Stats. 2010, Ch. 697, Sec. 34. (SB 189) Effective January 1, 2011. Operative July 1, 2012, by Sec. 105 of Ch. 697.

The board of supervisors of any county may provide for an additional fee for filing

every preliminary notice pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 8214 of the Civil Code for the exclusive purpose of defraying the cost of implementing and maintaining a system to facilitate compliance with subdivision (b) of Section 8214 of the Civil Code.

Amended by Stats. 1993, Ch. 710, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1994.

The fee for each certificate under seal shall be set by the board of supervisors in an amount necessary to recover the direct and indirect costs of providing the product or service or the cost of enforcing any regulation for which the fee or charge is levied.

Added by Stats. 1947, Ch. 424.

The fee for any copy of a birth, death, or marriage certificate, when the copy is made by the recorder, is the same as is payable to a state or local registrar of vital statistics.

Amended by Stats. 1993, Ch. 710, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 1994.

The fee for any copy of any other record or paper on file in the office of the recorder, when the copy is made by the recorder, shall be set by the board of supervisors in an amount necessary to recover the direct and indirect costs of providing the product or service or the cost of enforcing any regulation for which the fee or charge is levied.

Added by Stats. 1947, Ch. 424.

The fee for searching the records of his office for a birth, death, or marriage certificate is the same as is payable to a state or local registrar of vital statistics; in all other cases, for each year, fifty cents ($0.50).

Amended by Stats. 1957, Ch. 1865.

The fee for recording each map or plat where it is copied in a book of record is ten cents ($0.10) for each course, plus ten cents ($0.10) a folio for letters and figures on the map or plat.

When recording is by a photographic method the fee for recording each map or plat shall be the same as provided for under Sections 27361 and 27361.5 of this code.

Amended by Stats. 1957, Ch. 1865.

The fee for recording or filing and indexing each map wherein land is subdivided in lots, tracts, or parcels is five dollars ($5) for the first page and two dollars ($2) for each additional page.

Amended by Stats. 1957, Ch. 869.

The fee for taking an acknowledgment of any instrument is seventy-five cents ($0.75).

Added by Stats. 1947, Ch. 424.

The fee for administering and certifying each oath or affirmation is fifty cents ($0.50).

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