Article 5. Fees of California Government Code >> Division 2. >> Title 3. >> Part 3. >> Chapter 6. >> Article 5.

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

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.

(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 which 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 with 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.

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.

Whenever any instrument, paper, or notice is recorded which contains references to more than one previously recorded document and which 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.

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 eight dollars ($8) if the original lien, encumbrance, or notice was recorded without fee as provided by Section 27383 of the Government Code. 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. 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.

(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.

(a) As used in Section 27361, a page shall be one printed side of a single piece of paper being 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches.
  (b) A sheet shall be one printed side of a single piece of paper which is not exactly 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches but not greater than 8 1/2 inches by 14 inches.

Except as otherwise provided by law or regulation, all documents submitted for recording shall have at least a 1/2-inch margin on the two vertical sides except in the space reserved for recording information. At least the top 2 1/2 inches of the first page or sheet shall be reserved for recording information. The left-hand 3 1/2 inches 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.

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.

Whenever any instrument, paper, or notice is recorded which 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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

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

The fee for filing, indexing, and keeping each paper not required by law to be recorded is three dollars ($3).

No charge or fee shall be made for recording, indexing, or issuing certified copies of any discharge, certificate of service, certificate of satisfactory service, report of separation, or notice of separation of any officer, commissioned warrant officer, warrant officer, flight officer, cadet, midshipman, noncommissioned officer, petty officer, soldier, sailor, or marine separated, released, or discharged from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard of the United States, Women's Army Corps, Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, Women's Reserve of Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard, or from the Army and Navy Nurse Corps.

No fee shall be charged by the recorder for services rendered to the State, to any municipality, county in the State or other political subdivision thereof, except for making a copy of a paper or record.

In addition to any other fee, the county recorder shall collect a fee from any lienor, other than a governmental entity, for the recordation of an abstract of judgment or other document creating an involuntary lien within the meaning of Section 27297.5 affecting title to real property. The fee shall not exceed the actual cost to the recorder of providing the notice required by Section 27297.5.

(a) In addition to any other recording fee, the recorder, pursuant to Section 27297.6, may collect a fee from the party filing a deed, quitclaim deed, deed of trust, notice of default, or notice of sale, unless that party is a government entity. The fee shall not exceed the mailing cost of the notice specified in Section 27297.6 and the actual cost to provide information, counseling, or assistance to a person who receives the notice, not to exceed seven dollars ($7).
  (b) The actual costs comprising the fee described in subdivision (a) may include administrative costs incurred by the recorder in performing the actions described in that subdivision. However, the administrative costs shall not exceed 10 percent of the total fee collected pursuant to subdivision (a).
  (c) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2020, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2020, deletes or extends that date.

(a) In addition to any other recording fee, the recorder may collect a fee from the party filing a deed, quitclaim deed, or deed of trust, other than a government entity, pursuant to Section 27297.6. The fee shall not exceed the mailing cost of the notice specified in Section 27297.6, not to exceed seven dollars ($7).
  (b) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2020.

(a) (1) In addition to any other recording fees specified in this code, upon the adoption of a resolution by the county board of supervisors, a fee of up to ten dollars ($10) shall be paid at the time of recording of every real estate instrument, paper, or notice required or permitted by law to be recorded within that county, except those expressly exempted from payment of recording fees and except as provided in paragraph (2). For purposes of this section, "real estate instrument" means a deed of trust, an assignment of deed of trust, an amended deed of trust, an abstract of judgment, an affidavit, an assignment of rents, an assignment of a lease, a construction trust deed, covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs), a declaration of homestead, an easement, a lease, a lien, a lot line adjustment, a mechanics lien, a modification for deed of trust, a notice of completion, a quitclaim deed, a subordination agreement, a release, a reconveyance, a request for notice, a notice of default, a substitution of trustee, a notice of trustee sale, a trustee's deed upon sale, or a notice of rescission of declaration of default, or any Uniform Commercial Code amendment, assignment, continuation, statement, or termination. The fees, after deduction of any actual and necessary administrative costs incurred by the county recorder in carrying out this section, shall be paid quarterly to the county auditor or director of finance, to be placed in the Real Estate Fraud Prosecution Trust Fund. The amount deducted for administrative costs shall not exceed 10 percent of the fees paid pursuant to this section.
  (2) The fee imposed by paragraph (1) shall not apply to any real estate instrument, paper, or notice if any of the following apply:
  (A) The real estate instrument, paper, or notice is accompanied by a declaration stating that the transfer is subject to a documentary transfer tax pursuant to Section 11911 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.
  (B) The real estate instrument, paper, or notice is recorded concurrently with a document subject to a documentary transfer tax pursuant to Section 11911 of the Revenue and Taxation Code.
  (C) The real estate instrument, paper, or notice is presented for recording within the same business day as, and is related to the recording of, a document subject to a documentary transfer tax pursuant to Section 11911 of the Revenue and Taxation Code. A real estate instrument, paper, or notice that is exempt under this subparagraph shall be accompanied by a statement that includes both of the following:
  (i) A statement that the real estate instrument, paper, or notice is exempt from the fee imposed under paragraph (1).
  (ii) A statement of the recording date and the recorder identification number or book and page of the previously recorded document.
  (b) Money placed in the Real Estate Fraud Prosecution Trust Fund shall be expended to fund programs to enhance the capacity of local police and prosecutors to deter, investigate, and prosecute real estate fraud crimes. After deduction of the actual and necessary administrative costs referred to in subdivision (a), 60 percent of the funds shall be distributed to district attorneys subject to review pursuant to subdivision (d), and 40 percent of the funds shall be distributed to local law enforcement agencies within the county in accordance with subdivision (c). In those counties where the investigation of real estate fraud is done exclusively by the district attorney, after deduction of the actual and necessary administrative costs referred to in subdivision (a), 100 percent of the funds shall be distributed to the district attorney, subject to review pursuant to subdivision (d). A portion of the funds may be directly allocated to the county recorder to support county recorder fraud prevention programs, including, but not limited to, the fraud prevention program provided for in Section 27297.7. Prior to establishing or increasing fees pursuant to this section, the board of supervisors may consider support for county recorder fraud prevention programs. The funds so distributed shall be expended for the exclusive purpose of deterring, investigating, and prosecuting real estate fraud crimes.
  (c) The county auditor or director of finance shall distribute funds in the Real Estate Fraud Prosecution Trust Fund to eligible law enforcement agencies within the county pursuant to subdivision (b), as determined by a Real Estate Fraud Prosecution Trust Fund Committee composed of the district attorney, the county chief administrative officer, the chief officer responsible for consumer protection within the county, and the chief law enforcement officer of one law enforcement agency receiving funding from the Real Estate Fraud Prosecution Trust Fund, the latter being selected by a majority of the other three members of the committee. The chief law enforcement officer shall be a nonvoting member of the committee and shall serve a one-year term, which may be renewed. Members may appoint representatives of their offices to serve on the committee. If a county lacks a chief officer responsible for consumer protection, the county board of supervisors may appoint an appropriate representative to serve on the committee. The committee shall establish and publish deadlines and written procedures for local law enforcement agencies within the county to apply for the use of funds and shall review applications and make determinations by majority vote as to the award of funds using the following criteria:
  (1) Each law enforcement agency that seeks funds shall submit a written application to the committee setting forth in detail the agency's proposed use of the funds.
  (2) In order to qualify for receipt of funds, each law enforcement agency submitting an application shall provide written evidence that the agency either:
  (A) Has a unit, division, or section devoted to the investigation or prosecution of real estate fraud, or both, and the unit, division, or section has been in existence for at least one year prior to the application date.
  (B) Has on a regular basis, during the three years immediately preceding the application date, accepted for investigation or prosecution, or both, and assigned to specific persons employed by the agency, cases of suspected real estate fraud, and actively investigated and prosecuted those cases.
  (3) The committee's determination to award funds to a law enforcement agency shall be based on, but not be limited to, (A) the number of real estate fraud cases filed in the prior year; (B) the number of real estate fraud cases investigated in the prior year; (C) the number of victims involved in the cases filed; and (D) the total aggregated monetary loss suffered by victims, including individuals, associations, institutions, or corporations, as a result of the real estate fraud cases filed, and those under active investigation by that law enforcement agency.
  (4) Each law enforcement agency that, pursuant to this section, has been awarded funds in the previous year, upon reapplication for funds to the committee in each successive year, in addition to any information the committee may require in paragraph (3), shall be required to submit a detailed accounting of funds received and expended in the prior year. The accounting shall include (A) the amount of funds received and expended; (B) the uses to which those funds were put, including payment of salaries and expenses, purchase of equipment and supplies, and other expenditures by type; (C) the number of filed complaints, investigations, arrests, and convictions that resulted from the expenditure of the funds; and (D) other relevant information the committee may reasonably require.
  (d) The county board of supervisors shall annually review the effectiveness of the district attorney in deterring, investigating, and prosecuting real estate fraud crimes based upon information provided by the district attorney in an annual report. The district attorney shall submit the annual report to the board on or before September 1 of each year.
  (e) A county shall not expend funds held in that county's Real Estate Fraud Prosecution Trust Fund until the county's auditor-controller verifies that the county's district attorney has submitted an annual report for the county's most recent full fiscal year pursuant to the requirements of subdivision (d).
  (f) The intent of the Legislature in enacting this section is to have an impact on real estate fraud involving the largest number of victims. To the extent possible, an emphasis should be placed on fraud against individuals whose residences are in danger of, or are in, foreclosure as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 1695.1 of the Civil Code. Case filing decisions continue to be at the discretion of the prosecutor.
  (g) A district attorney's office or a local enforcement agency that has undertaken investigations and prosecutions that will continue into a subsequent program year may receive nonexpended funds from the previous fiscal year subsequent to the annual submission of information detailing the accounting of funds received and expended in the prior year.
  (h) No money collected pursuant to this section shall be expended to offset a reduction in any other source of funds. Funds from the Real Estate Fraud Prosecution Trust Fund shall be used only in connection with criminal investigations or prosecutions involving recorded real estate documents.