San Diego County Property Search
San Diego County property records (sometimes called land records) bear information on the county's real estate. This includes property owners' names, the legal descriptions of properties, liens and other encumbrances, mortgage details, and more.
Property records constitute the official public records of counties and cities in California. As a result, local government agencies preserve and disseminate these records. In San Diego County, the local department that maintains property records is the Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk's (ARCC) Office (or, simply, the county clerk's office). This office provides various essential services to citizens, including recordation.
Per California law, the San Diego County Clerk's Office can accept any document statutorily required or authorized to be recorded. The law extends to documents created because of real property transactions and all San Diego County Public Records. However, the document to be recorded must point to a piece of property within San Diego County, be photographically reproducible, and conform to other content and recording requirements. Following recordation, individuals can search for and acquire property records from the clerk's office or through third parties (like title companies or third-party vendors).
A person may also obtain property-related records from other government offices in San Diego, such as the Treasurer-Tax Collector's Office and the assessor's division of the clerk's office. Either way, all motives for a property search typically merge into one person or business entity wanting to make sound investments in real estate. By conducting property searches, homeowners, buyers, developers, lenders, and other interested entities can learn more about a parcel of land or building, including verifying if a specific person owns a property and determining the property taxes that will apply.
Are San Diego County Property Records Public?
Yes. San Diego County property records are available to the public per the California Public Records Act. The CPRA allows the public to inspect or copy records relating to the official functions of government agencies. For this reason, anyone (resident or not) can request a property record from the San Diego County Clerk's Office, except for records protected from disclosure.
Confidential records include social security numbers, property statement data, change-in-ownership statements, homeowners' exemption claims, information relating to the affairs of other taxpayers, and so on. These records are available only to authorized parties or upon redaction/removal to any member of the public.
What Do San Diego County Property Records Contain?
Different divisions of the San Diego County Clerk's Office maintain property records for the county. Thus, the contents of these records vary by the custodian and document type. Nonetheless, below are common property documents one may find in San Diego County:
Deeds: Deed records are official documents that show ownership rights to a piece of property. Deeds carry information such as the names of the grantor and grantee, the date the parties transferred ownership rights, a legal description of the property, and the date the document was filed with the county recorder's office. There are various types of deeds, including special warranty, quitclaim, grant, trust, and limited warranty.
Mortgages: These certify direct conveyances of real property from borrowers to lenders to secure debt repayment and guarantee the sale of a piece of property if a debtor defaults on payment. Mortgage records reveal the names of the grantor and grantee, the debt amount, the maturity date, the recording date, sale terms and conditions, mortgage liens, etc.
Federal and State Tax Liens: These records show liens placed on a property because the owner failed to pay federal or state taxes. These liens secure the government's interest in the property until the taxpayer settles the debt. Tax liens carry the government agency's name that attached a lien (e.g., the IRS for federal tax liens), the defaulting taxpayer's name, the amount owed, the debt's due date, and the recording date.
Plats: Plats are books or maps that reveal the physical location of a piece of property. These documents often include the property owner's name, a legal description of the property, the number of acres, survey number, lot and block number, boundary lines, easements or rights of way, flood zones, surveyor's notes (if any), the recording date, etc.
Other property records preserved in San Diego County include assignments, powers of attorney, releases, real estate contracts, tax assessment rolls, and surveys.
Where to Perform a San Diego County Property Lookup
The Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk's (ARCC) Office in San Diego County generally provides property information to real estate owners and the public. However, different methods exist to request this information, given that the office consists of two divisions (assessor and recorder/clerk) that maintain distinct record types.
Generally, members of the public can perform a San Diego County property lookup in the following ways:
- Search online databases provided by the AARC.
- Call the AARC on designated numbers.
- Use public kiosks or request copies at any ARCC office location.
- Mail a written request to the AARC.
Details on using these methods to conduct property searches in San Diego are provided in the succeeding sections.
How to Perform a Property Owner Lookup in San Diego County
The San Diego County Office of the Assessor provides property ownership information, parcel maps, property characteristics, assessed values, and other property information to the public. Thus, anyone looking to perform a property owner lookup in San Diego can start with this government office. Individuals can search the assessor's property records online, by phone, or in person.
Members of the public can dial the assessor's public information line (619) 236-3771 to obtain property ownership information. They can also visit the assessor's office or any of the ARCC's office locations to use public kiosks or request copies of property ownership documents.
Individuals requesting copies from the assessor's office pay $2 for the first copy and 5 cents for each additional copy. (See the fee schedule for other copy costs.)
Lastly, a person can use the online service provided by the AARC through a third-party vendor to obtain property ownership records. Users may conduct up to 25 property searches in any 30-day period for free. However, certain records (like a property owner's name) are paywalled. Documents purchased through the service are immediately available to the user electronically.
Note: To perform any search at the assessor's office or through the authorized vendor, one will require the property's address or a parcel number.
Property Owner Lookup at the San Diego County Office of the Recorder/Clerk
An individual can also search for property ownership records (e.g., deeds) at the recorder/clerk's office online, in person, or via mail.
Parties can access the office's online Official Records Index with any of the following criteria:
- Book/Page Number
- Document Type (DocType)
- Document Number
- Grantor/Grantee Name
- Assessor's Parcel Number (APN)
- Recording Date
- Map Number
Searches conducted on the Official Records Index are free. These inquiries can provide a user with a recording date, document number, book/page number, number of pages in a document, document type, APN, party type, and the grantee and grantor's names. Users can also obtain copies of property ownership documents and request certification through the site. However, customers must create an account and pay a fee for the service. Generally, it costs $2 for the first page, $0.05 per additional page, and $1 (per document) for the certification of copies. Payment can be made with a credit or debit card, but a convenience charge of 2.19% applies to the total amount.
Documents purchased through the Official Records Index are not available immediately. Instead, online orders are printed the next business day and sent to the purchaser via regular USPS mail. Requesters can also have copies delivered electronically by email. The processing time within California is three to five business days. Out-of-state orders may take longer.
Besides an online search, parties can send a written request with a money order or check payable to the San Diego Recorder/County Clerk. Below is the mailing address:
San Diego Recorder/County Clerk
ATTN: Real Estate Records
P.O. Box 121750
San Diego, CA 92112-1750
The written request should contain the recording year, document number, the name of at least one party named on the document, and the document type. Mail orders cost $2 for the first page, $0.05 per additional page, and $1 for the certification of each document.
Lastly, one may visit the recorder/clerk's office at the address below or any of the clerk's office locations to use public kiosks or request property ownership records for the same fees.
County Administration Center
1600 Pacific Highway, Suite 260
San Diego, CA 92101
In-person requesters can pay for copies with cash, check, money order, or credit/debit card.
Property Owner Lookup at the San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector's Office
The Treasurer-Tax Collector's Office collects property taxes in San Diego County. The office has an online tool where taxpayers can find and pay their bills. However, it is possible to find the current owner of a piece of property on the site.
Aside from the government offices, individuals can enlist title companies, real estate agents, or attorneys to find out who owns a piece of property in San Diego. This option may be more convenient for persons who cannot go to the different offices that maintain property records and prefer to obtain a comprehensive report on their inquiry.
How to Find San Diego County Property Records Online
Individuals looking for San Diego County property records online can access the electronic database provided by the Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk's (ARCC) Office. As explained earlier, property searches are free, but one must pay to acquire a copy of a document or certify it.
Besides the above database, several third-party aggregate sites offer property searches and records to the public. These databases can be found upon an internet search and are usually accessible with a property owner's name, situs address, the recording state and county, or a parcel/property ID. Further, some providers work with local government agencies to provide property data to interested persons (an example is the ARCC's contracted vendor), while others work independently.
However, in most cases, an inquirer must pay a fee to access advanced information or copies of documents. The fee may cost more or less than what is charged at a local recorder or assessor's office, but users are often privy to extensive data, including neighborhood information.
Verifying any data obtained from an independent site against the official source is advised to ensure accuracy and completeness.
How to Find Property Owner by Address Free
To find a property owner by address for free in San Diego County, one should contact the Office of the Assessor at (619) 236-3771 or visit during regular business hours to use public kiosks. Typically, the assessor's office only charges a fee when people want to obtain a copy of a document.
The San Diego County Recorder/Clerk's Office does not index records by property address (like the assessor's office does). As a result, the office cannot provide these property searches to the public.
San Diego County Property Tax Lookup
Members of the public have several reasons to look up property tax information in any U.S. county, including to confirm a piece of property is free of delinquent taxes, to find out their property tax obligations, and to ensure that all property taxes are current. Failure to check this information before a purchase/sale may leave the owner unaware of liens or foreclosures borne from outstanding taxes.
Individuals seeking property tax information in San Diego County can contact or visit the Treasurer-Tax Collector's (TTC) Office. A person can also use the office's Property Tax Information site to search for records with a bill number/assessor's parcel number, mailing address, or unsecured bill number.
How to Find San Diego County Property Appraiser
One way to find a property appraiser in San Diego County is to contact the local assessor's office at (619) 236-3771. This office often works with appraisers to evaluate taxable property in the county. As such, staff may provide information on local appraisers.
A property appraiser also works with private citizens who want to estimate the value of lands and buildings before a sale, purchase, mortgage, or development. The professional can prepare written reports on their estimations, compare the values of similar properties, and inspect a property to gauge its condition and features, among other services.
Besides contacting the San Diego County Office of the Assessor, one may search the California Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers website for the names, addresses, and contact numbers of appraisers based in San Diego County. The individual may also talk to real estate agents and attorneys.
San Diego County Property Assessor
Per the California Constitution, the San Diego County Property Assessor is responsible for identifying, locating, and estimating the value of all taxable real and personal property found within San Diego County. The office also maintains records on all taxable property (including all parcel maps) within San Diego County.
Here's the contact information for the office:
County Administration Center
1600 Pacific Highway, Suite 103
San Diego, CA 92101
Phone: (619) 236-3771
Email: ARCC.FGG@sdcounty.ca.gov
Individuals who require the assessor's office services can stop by on weekdays. The specific business hours are available on the county clerk's office locations page.
