Santa Barbara County CA. California PROPERTY RECORDS, Title and Lien Search

Looking up property records, conducting title searches, and researching liens in Santa Barbara County, California requires accessing multiple official resources and understanding the proper procedures. The Santa Barbara County Clerk-Recorder’s Office maintains real estate records and provides an Official Records Search website to search for documents dated after 1975.

Santa Barbara County Official Property Records Search

The primary resource for Santa Barbara County property records is the Official Records Search website at records.sbcrecorder.com, where copies or certified copies may be added to your shopping cart with fees of $10.00 per document and $2.00 per document for certification. This system allows you to search property records by:

• Owner name or party names
• Document title or type
• Document number
• Property address

Once you’ve accessed the Real Estate Records Index (Official Records Search), search by the name of the party(ies), document title, or document number. The database is updated Monday through Friday by the County Clerk-Recorder’s Office.

Title Search Procedures in Santa Barbara County

Title searches in Santa Barbara County involve researching the chain of ownership for a specific property. The Recorder’s Office maintains documents dating after 1975 in their online system, with historical documents available through their historical index. For professional title research, services like U.S. TITLE RECORDS (https://www.ustitlerecords.com/) provide comprehensive title search capabilities and historical property research.

Key documents for title searches include:

• Grant deeds and warranty deeds
• Deeds of trust and mortgages
• Reconveyances and assignments
• Easements and rights of way
• Probate records affecting property ownership

Lien Search and Recording Information

Santa Barbara County accepts mechanics liens and other lien documents at the Clerk-Recorder’s office located at 1100 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara, CA 93101, with a base recording fee of $14.00 for the first page and $3.00 for each additional page. Common lien types recorded include:

• Mechanics liens for construction work
• Tax liens from government agencies
• Judgment liens from court decisions
• HOA liens for unpaid assessments
• UCC financing statements

Property Assessment and Tax Records

The Santa Barbara County Assessor’s Office maintains assessment records to discover, identify, value and assess all taxable real and personal property for the secured and unsecured assessment rolls. Access assessment information at:

Santa Barbara County Assessor Website: sbcassessor.com Property Tax Search: mytaxes.sbtaxes.org

The property tax website provides access to all unpaid property tax bills for payment and ten years of paid property tax bills for viewing, with tax amounts calculated according to the California State Revenue and Taxation Code.

Essential County Office Contact Information

Santa Barbara County Clerk-Recorder

• Address: 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
• Phone: (805) 568-2250
• Online Records: records.sbcrecorder.com
• Main Website: countyofsb.org/641/Real-Estate-Records

Santa Barbara County Assessor

• Search Portal: sbcassessor.com/assessor/search.aspx
• Property Sales Search: sbcassessor.com/Assessor/SearchPropertySales.aspx

City of Santa Barbara Property Records

The City of Santa Barbara maintains a separate Community Development Property Records Database containing over 3 million images, available to view public records at their 630 Garden Street facility. Access the city’s property database at:

City Property Records: santabarbaraca.gov/services/construction-land-development/property-records-archives

Document Recording Requirements and Fees

Documents recorded in Santa Barbara County must meet specific formatting requirements including a blank top margin of at least 2.5 inches on the first page, with original signatures required unless the document is a certified copy. Current recording fees include:

• First page: $14.00
• Additional pages: $3.00 each
• Non-conforming page size: $3.00 per page
• Real Estate Fraud Fee: $10.00 (for certain instruments)
• Documentary Transfer Tax: $0.50 per $1,000 of value

Historical Property Records Research

Santa Barbara County maintains historical property records dating back to the 1850s, with documents prior to 1975 available through their historical index system. For extensive historical research spanning multiple decades, professional title research services provide comprehensive chain of title reports and historical ownership analysis.

Professional Title Research Services

When conducting complex title searches or requiring certified title reports, U.S. TITLE RECORDS (https://www.ustitlerecords.com/) offers professional property research services for Santa Barbara County. Professional title companies provide:

• Chain of title reports
• Ownership and encumbrance reports
• Lien and judgment searches
• Easement and restriction analysis
• Historical ownership verification

Online Search Tips and Best Practices

To maximize your property record search effectiveness in Santa Barbara County:

1. Prepare Multiple Search Terms: Property owners may be listed under various name spellings or business entities
2. Check Recording Date Ranges: Property sales searches are limited to 6-month periods, and recent transactions may not immediately appear in search results as they are being processed
3. Verify Information: Cross-reference findings between the Clerk-Recorder and Assessor databases
4. Download Important Documents: Save copies of critical documents for future reference
5. Check Historical Records: For older properties, search both current and historical indexes

Understanding Property Record Types

Santa Barbara County maintains various property-related documents including:

Ownership Documents:

• Grant deeds, quitclaim deeds, warranty deeds
• Probate deeds and court-ordered transfers
• Corporate and partnership property transfers

Financial Instruments:

• Deeds of trust and mortgage documents
• Reconveyances and loan modifications
• Assignment of deeds of trust

Encumbrances and Restrictions:

• Easements and rights of way
• CC&Rs and HOA documents
• Environmental restrictions and notices

This systematic approach to property record research in Santa Barbara County ensures thorough due diligence for real estate transactions, legal research, and property investment analysis.