The County Clerk issues many of the documents marking the milestones of life, including birth, death and marriage certificates. The Clerk also issues public and confidential marriage licenses and deputy commissioner of marriage certificates for those who want to officiate weddings.. Records are made available to the public as allowed by law. Copying and certification costs may apply.
The Clerk files and posts for public inspection Notices of Determination, Notices of Exemption and all other environmental related documents. The Clerk accepts for filing Fictitious Business Name Statements, Statements of Fact, Oaths of Office and Surety Bonds.
The Clerk is responsible for the registration of notaries, legal document assistants, process servers, unlawful detainer assistants and professional photocopiers.
The County Recorder files, indexes and maintains a wide variety of public documents associated with land transactions in Tulare County. These recorded documents are often used to determine the history and ownership of real property and for other real estate transactions. Recorded documents include grant deeds, deeds of trust, mechanic’s liens, tax liens, reconveyances, subdivision and parcel maps, mining claim records and military discharge papers. The Recorder collects documentary transfer tax and conveyance taxes on property sales.
Document recording requirements are governed by California legal statute. Recorded documents are kept permanently for research purposes and the issuing of certified copies. Copying and certification costs may apply.
Note: Please note that the County Clerk-Recorder is unable to give legal advice such as what type of document you need or how to complete a document. It is advisable to seek advice from an attorney or real estate professional before recording documents that affect title to property.
Recorder FAQs
When releases are recorded, the County Recorder does not notify any agencies. To remove the lien from your credit report, you can obtain a recorded copy of the release from our office and forward it to each of the credit reporting bureaus.
The County Recorder cannot provide legal information regarding documents. You might find such information at a law library or by contacting an attorney for assistance.
A Substitution of Trustee and Deed of Full Reconveyance (or sometimes just a Deed of Full Reconveyance) is recorded when a mortgage is paid off. The language on the document may be confusing, but you should not be worried.
No. You will need to obtain a certified copy of the court order/judgment that is signed, dated and sealed by the court clerk certifying that the copy is a true and correct copy of the original. The certified copy of the court order/judgment can be recorded in our office.
Our records only reflect documents that other entities have submitted for recordation. If you paid off a lien and no release is recorded, you must deal with the authority that placed the lien to get them to correct their records and follow their process for recording lien releases with us.
The Recorder's Office does not conduct title searches. We maintain the official archive of legally recordable transactions so members of the public can conduct searches using the computer terminals in our lobby.
Our office does not provide legal forms, however we do have document template examples available on our website. Although we would like to give you as much information as possible, under California law, we are prohibited from providing any legal advice. This includes advising what document to record, providing any legal forms and assisting with the preparation of any legal documents. It is recommended that you seek assistance from an attorney or authorized individual.
When recording documents in person, payment for recording fees and transfer taxes (if applicable) may be made by cash, Visa, MasterCard, checks (with preprinted name and address), or money order payable to Tulare County Assessor/Clerk-Recorder.
Our hours are 8:00 am to 3:00 pm, Monday through Friday, except legal holidays.
Purchasing a house is different from purchasing a car in that the “title” to your car is issued when the car loan is paid off. When you purchase a house, the deed or “title” to your house is recorded when escrow closes. That recorded deed is then mailed to you approximately 4-6 weeks after the recording date. Whether or not you have a mortgage against your house does not change the “title” to your house, unless you subsequently recorded another deed to change “title” (e.g., adding/removing a spouse, transferring title to your trust, etc.).
When recording documents in person, payment for recording fees and transfer taxes (if applicable) may be made by cash, Visa, MasterCard, checks (with preprinted name and address), or money order payable to Tulare County Assessor/Clerk-Recorder.
