County recorders: fees.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill was vetoed by the governor, but it's unclear if lawmakers will override this veto.

County Recorder Fees

AB-1430 changes the fees county recorders can charge for recording and indexing documents, increases funding for modernized document systems, and extends certain fee provisions indefinitely.

What This Bill Does

• Changes the fee for recording a first page from $10 to $15.
• Increases the fee for each additional page from $3 to $4.
• Requires fees to not exceed reasonable costs of services provided by county recorders.
• Removes the requirement that $1 per additional page goes into the county general fund.
• Increases funding for modernized document systems from $1 to $3 per additional page.
• Extends provisions allowing an extra fee for converting document storage indefinitely.

Who It Names or Affects

• County recorders who charge fees for recording and indexing documents.
• People or businesses that pay these fees when filing documents with county recorders.

Terms To Know

county recorder

An official in each California county responsible for keeping public records, such as property deeds and liens.

state-mandated local program

A state requirement that forces counties to follow certain rules or spend money on specific programs.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill was vetoed by the governor, but it is unclear if lawmakers will override this veto.
• It does not specify how much more funding county recorders will receive for modernizing document systems.
• The exact impact of extending certain fee provisions indefinitely is uncertain.

Official Summary Text

AB 1430, Bennett.
County recorders: fees.
Existing law establishes the office of county recorder and requires the county recorder to accept for recordation any instrument, paper, or notice that is authorized or required to be recorded, subject to the collection of specified fees. Existing law prohibits the fee for recording and indexing an instrument, paper, or notice from exceeding $10 for recording the first page and $3 for each additional page, which charges are to reimburse the county for the costs of services rendered. Existing law requires $1 of each $3 fee for each additional page to be deposited in the county general fund.
This bill would set the fee for recording and indexing at $15 for recording the first page and $4 for each additional page, but would prohibit the fees from exceeding the
reasonable costs of the county recorder’s office for providing these services. The bill would provide that these funds are to be dedicated to, and solely utilized for, the county recorder’s office, as specified. The bill would delete the provision requiring $1 of each $3 fee for each additional page to be deposited in the county general fund.
Existing law specifies that $1 for recording the first page and $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.
This bill would increase the $1 amount for each additional page to $3.
Existing law authorizes the county board of supervisors to provide for an
additional fee of $1 for each instrument, paper, or notice of record to order to defray the cost of converting the county recorder’s document storage system to micrographics. Existing law, until January 1, 2026, authorizes the $1 fee to also be used for restoration and preservation of the county recorder’s permanent archival microfilm, to implement and fund a county recorder archive program, or to implement and maintain or utilize a trusted system for the permanent preservation of recorded document images.
This bill would delete the January 1, 2026, repeal date, thereby making these provisions operative indefinitely. The bill would replace a reference to “archival microfilm” with “archival mediums” and would repeal related provisions. The bill would include related legislative findings concerning county recorder fees.
By imposing new duties on counties relative to recording fees, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF