Riverside County, California • deed and official-record research guide
Riverside County Recorder: Search Deeds, Liens, Mortgages and Official Records
The Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
records and preserves deeds, deeds of trust, reconveyances, liens,
releases, easements, judgments, maps and many other official documents
affecting property throughout Riverside County.
Riverside County’s public online Official Records system allows searches
by name, document number, recording date, document type and
advanced legal-record criteria. The current electronic Recorder
index begins January 1, 1974.
Fastest beginner workflow:
if you know the property address, first use the Riverside County Assessor
Property Search to find the APN / assessment number.
Then open the Recorder’s Advanced Search and use the
strongest information available—parcel number, party name, approximate
recording date or document type. Verify the exact document before paying
for a copy.
Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder
Peter Aldana
Main Gateway office
2724 Gateway Drive, Riverside, CA 92507
Main office hours
8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Online Recorder index
January 1, 1974 forward
Important privacy/search limitation:
Riverside County lets you find an APN online from a property address,
but the Assessor states that property-owner names are not displayed
through its public online ownership system. If you do not know the owner,
use the APN in Recorder Advanced Search where applicable or obtain owner
information through the Assessor’s public-office resources.
Independent informational guide:
County-CAD.us is not Riverside County, the Riverside County
Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder, Treasurer-Tax Collector, Superior Court,
District Attorney or another government agency. Searches, recordings,
copies and payments must be completed through the official government
services linked below.
Start with the task—not with a random search engine result
What Are You Trying to Do?
Find a deed
Search by owner/grantee, date, APN/legal criteria or document number.
I only know the address
Find the APN first, then move to Recorder Advanced Search.
Search a person’s name
Use Riverside’s Last First MI format and search operators.
I already have a document number
Skip broad searching and retrieve the exact indexed record.
Order a deed or certified copy
Search first, then add the exact document to the official cart.
I paid off my mortgage
Search for the deed of reconveyance or release.
Check liens
Search the property owner, then verify later releases.
Record a deed
Check PCOR, DTT, APN, TRA, acknowledgment and fees.
Calculate recording fees
Use the 2026 fee schedule and live Recorder calculator.
Find a pre-1974 record
Use Gateway historical research and archives when appropriate.
I received a suspicious property notice
Verify the recording and use Riverside County fraud resources.
Recorder, Assessor or Tax Collector?
Route the task to the correct Riverside County office.
Riverside County property-to-document workflow
Address → APN → Recorder Search → Document → Verify → Copy
1
Address
Start with property location.
2
APN
Find parcel identifier.
3
Search
Use Recorder index.
4
Document
Identify deed/lien/release.
5
Verify
Match legal information.
6
Copy
Purchase only if needed.
Official Riverside County starting points
Which Official Website Should You Open?
ADV
Recorder Advanced Search
Combine document, party, date and legal-search criteria.
Open Advanced Search
FILE
Document Recording Services
In-person, mail, drop-box and electronic filing information.
Open Recording Services
The correct workflow when all you have is a street address
How to Find Riverside County Recorder Records from an Address
1
First destination: Riverside County Assessor Property Search
Use the address to find the APN/PIN.
Find the Property APN
Open the Assessor Property Search.
Select the property-address search.
Enter only the street number and street name first.
Riverside County gives the example format 123 Main.
Do not overfill the address.
Avoid city, ZIP, unnecessary punctuation and extra wording during
the first search.
Open the correct parcel result.
Save the APN / assessment number.
If the system requests the assessment-number format, use the first
nine digits without the dash and final check digit.
Open Recorder Advanced Search.
Use the Parcel # / legal-search criteria where appropriate.
Riverside’s Advanced Search help specifically supports legal searching
against Parcel # fields.
Add a date or document type when you know it.
Verify every result.
Not every historical document necessarily has the parcel information
indexed in the way you expect.
Why there is no “owner name” step here:
Riverside County states that property ownership information can be
viewed at Assessor offices but is not displayed publicly through the
Assessor’s online system.
If Parcel # searching returns nothing:
do not conclude that no deed exists. Use a known current/prior owner
in the Recorder Name Search, obtain owner information through a public
Assessor office, or use a title professional that maintains an
address-indexed title database.
Riverside’s name-search formatting matters
How to Search Recorder Records by Person or Business Name
Use Last First MI
Example: James M Smith becomes Smith James M.
Try last name + first initial
Riverside recommends this when a precise name search returns nothing.
Enter organization names as spelled
Example used by the county: Riverside Bank.
Exact-match names use no punctuation
Keep the exact-search string simple.
Enter the person or organization.
Add Recording Date Start and End when known.
Select the relevant document type if useful.
Review multiple results.
Same-name people can have unrelated Riverside County recordings.
Open the likely index entry.
Compare document title, date and parties.
Save the document number before ordering a copy.
Riverside has unusually useful search operators
Recorder Advanced Search: Fix Misspellings and Difficult Names
If a simple exact search fails, Riverside’s current Recorder system
supports several advanced query operators.
Franklin +Benjamin
Requires Benjamin while still searching the other entered term.
Franklin -Benjamin
Excludes results containing Benjamin.
Franklayn$
Useful when the spelling may be wrong but the pronunciation is similar.
Frankl?n
Allows uncertainty about one character in the name.
Frank* Ben*
Searches for names beginning with those character groups.
ROAM~
Returns similar spellings; proximity syntax can also help with middle names.
“MICKEY MOUSE”
Groups words for a more exact multi-word query.
Use legal-search fields
Riverside’s advanced help supports Parcel # and Legal Remarks searching.
Search strategy:
begin simple. Add advanced operators only after the normal name/date
search fails. Overcomplicated searches can hide useful results.
Best identifier when you already have it
Search by Riverside County Recorder Document Number
If an escrow statement, title report, deed, mortgage, lien notice or
another recorded instrument gives you a document number, use that
identifier before performing a broad name search.
Select Document Number Search.
Enter the recording reference exactly.
Open the result.
Verify the document type, parties and recording date.
Add it to the copy cart only after confirming it is correct.
Riverside’s online copy system says the customer is responsible for
determining that the selected document is correct before copies are
produced; once copies are made, the county does not issue a refund
merely because the wrong document was selected.
Find the ownership deed without confusing it with financing records
How to Find a Riverside County Deed
Find the APN from the property address.
Collect the approximate purchase date.
Closing papers, tax records or known transaction history can narrow
the Recorder search.
If you know the buyer’s name, search that party using Last First MI.
If you do not know the owner, try Advanced Search using Parcel #.
Filter around the purchase date.
Look for a deed-type document.
Grant Deed, Quitclaim Deed, Interspousal Transfer Deed and other
conveyance documents can appear depending on the transaction.
Do not mistake a Deed of Trust for the ownership deed.
A Deed of Trust is commonly a financing/security instrument.
Compare grantor, grantee and legal/property information.
Save the document number.
Order the actual instrument if you need to read or certify it.
Recorder index ≠ guaranteed title.
A correct-looking deed is useful evidence but is not by itself a
complete title examination. Purchases, probate, trusts, foreclosure,
easements and lien-priority questions can require a California title
company or real-estate attorney.
Search first, order second
How to Get a Riverside County Deed Copy or Certified Copy
$8
First Page
Current official-record regular copy fee.
$1
Additional Page
Each additional page of the same official record.
$2
Certification
Certification of the complete regular copy.
Find the correct document in the Recorder index.
Open the result and verify it.
Add the document to the official shopping cart.
Choose the copy type.
Select regular or certified depending on what the receiving organization requires.
Provide your name and shipping information.
Complete payment on the official payment page.
Save your order confirmation.
Certification:
Riverside County describes a certified recorded-document copy as
carrying Recorder certification so it can be used where an officially
certified copy is required.
You can still request a deed when you do not know the document number
How to Request a Riverside County Recorded Document by Mail
Complete the Official Records copy application.
Include the document number when you know it.
If you do not know it, attach a research letter.
State the document title/type.
Example: Grant Deed, Deed of Trust, Reconveyance or Lien.
Provide complete party names.
Provide an estimated recording date.
Add the parcel number if known.
Include payment.
If the exact amount is uncertain, Riverside permits an appropriately
prepared NTE — Not To Exceed — check.
Older-record research limitation:
for a document recorded before 1976, Riverside County says a staff
mail search is limited to a two-year period after the estimated
recording year you provide. Give the best approximate date possible.
Different Riverside research channels have different historical coverage
How Far Back Do Riverside County Recorder Records Go Online?
Research route
Coverage
Best use
Web Recorder Index
Jan. 1, 1974 forward
Current online name/document/date searches.
Regional Office Computers
Copy page states records back to 1975
In-person research at regular public-service locations.
Gateway Riverside
1974 and earlier research
Older Recorder documents outside ordinary branch research coverage.
County Archives
Historical county collections
Historical deeds, mortgage indexes, property records, maps and related archives.
No web result does not prove no historic document exists.
Older Riverside County records can require Gateway or archival research.
Deeper historical-property research
Robert J. Fitch Riverside County Archives
Riverside County Archives maintains historical government collections
that can supplement Recorder research. Its catalog includes historical
deeds, property ownership records, mortgages, releases of mortgages,
grantor/grantee indexes, survey/map materials and other county records.
Archives research is useful for historical context. When a court,
lender or agency requires an official certified Recorder copy,
obtain that certified document through the Recorder’s copy process.
Paid mortgage ≠ new ownership deed
Paid Off Your Riverside County Mortgage? Search for Reconveyance
Riverside County’s own assessment guidance explains that a
deed of reconveyance documents repayment of a loan
and does not itself represent a change of ownership.
Open Official Records Search.
Find the original Deed of Trust.
Save its document number, recording date and lender/trustee information.
Search a later date range.
Look for Reconveyance, Release of Deed of Trust or similar release records.
Compare the later document to the original security instrument.
Order the actual release if you need formal proof.
Riverside County states that a deed of reconveyance after mortgage
payoff is not itself a reassessable ownership transfer because the
beneficial ownership has not changed merely from paying off the loan.
The county gives a specific lien-search route
How to Check Liens in Riverside County
Riverside County states that liens are public records and can be
searched through its Record Index Search.
Find the property owner name.
The online Recorder lien search is primarily party-name based.
Open Official Records Search.
Enter the owner in Last First MI format.
Add a useful date range.
Review lien-related document types.
Save the lien document number.
Search later records for a Release of Lien or other release.
Read the underlying documents when legal status matters.
Riverside County notes that many title companies purchase Recorder
records and index them by address. For a complete title/lien search,
an address-indexed title-company system can therefore be more practical
than a do-it-yourself name search.
If a lien is wrong, the Recorder does not simply delete it on request.
Riverside County advises beginning with the creditor/person or entity
that recorded the lien and obtaining legal help when necessary.
California recording requirements
How to Record a Deed in Riverside County
Determine the correct legal document.
The Recorder cannot choose or prepare a deed for you.
Make sure the property is in Riverside County.
Prepare a legible recordable instrument.
Include the person requesting recording.
Include “Recording Requested By and Mail To.”
Provide the return name and address.
Use original signatures where required.
Complete the required acknowledgment/notarization.
Include APN and Tax Rate Area on conveyances when required.
Complete the Documentary Transfer Tax declaration and affidavit.
Include the Preliminary Change of Ownership Report when required.
Calculate all recording fees and statutory surcharges.
Submit electronically through an approved submitter, by mail or in person.
Recording gives public notice of the document; it does not guarantee
that your transaction is legally effective or produces the ownership,
estate or tax result you intended. Get professional help for complex transfers.
Recorder rejection-prevention checklist
General Riverside County Recording Requirements
Riverside County property
The real property affected by the recordable instrument must be in
Riverside County when jurisdiction requires it.
Legally recordable document
The document must be authorized or required by law to be recorded.
Proper fees and taxes
Include Recorder charges, transfer tax and applicable statutory fees.
Recording requester
Identify who is requesting recordation.
Return information
Provide the name and address for return of the recorded document.
Readable document
Text and notary seal must reproduce legibly.
Original signatures
Required unless a qualifying certified public record is being recorded.
Proper acknowledgment
California’s applicable acknowledgment rules must be satisfied.
APN and TRA
Required on conveyances under Riverside County’s published requirements.
Protect Social Security numbers
A document generally should not display more than the final four digits
unless another law requires the full number.
Preliminary Change of Ownership Report
Do You Need a PCOR with a Riverside County Deed?
Riverside County’s recording instructions state that a
Preliminary Change of Ownership Report is required
for property transfers subject to the California PCOR rules.
PCOR
Preliminary Change of Ownership Report
Official Riverside County PCOR information and form.
Open PCOR Information
Missing-PCOR cost:
Riverside County currently charges an additional
$20 when a required completed PCOR is not filed
with the transfer instrument.
The PCOR helps the Assessor evaluate the ownership change and possible
reassessment. Riverside County states that the PCOR is not open for
public inspection.
Documentary Transfer Tax
Riverside County Documentary Transfer Tax
Most Riverside County taxable conveyances
$0.55 for each $500 or fractional part of taxable real-property value,
excluding qualifying liens/encumbrances already of record.
Property in the City of Riverside
Riverside County’s current guidance states a combined rate of
$1.10 per $500 or fractional portion.
Determine whether the transfer is taxable or exempt.
Complete the Documentary Transfer Tax declaration.
Complete the DTT Affidavit.
Riverside requires the affidavit for covered transfer documents
when tax is being paid or an exemption is claimed.
If exempt, state the valid exemption reason.
Do not merely leave the tax line blank.
Check the property jurisdiction.
City of Riverside transactions have a different published rate.
Include the DTT with the recording package.
Riverside County states that even an exempt deed generally still needs
the DTT Affidavit explaining why Documentary Transfer Tax does not apply.
DTT
Documentary Transfer Tax / Exemption
Official Riverside County transfer-tax guidance.
Open DTT Guidance
Current Recorder schedule — ACR 156 Rev. 01/2026
Riverside County Recorder Fees
$14
First Recording Page
Basic first-page charge.
$3
Additional Page
Basic fee for each additional page.
$14
Additional Title
Per additional document title.
$75
SB2 Fee
Per applicable title/parcel, subject to statutory rules and maximum.
$2
AB 1466 Fee
Restrictive Covenant Modification Program fee per applicable title/parcel.
$10
Real Estate Fraud Fee
Applies to listed document titles when statutory exemption does not apply.
$20
Missing PCOR
Added where a completed required PCOR is not submitted.
$10
Survey Monument Fund
Applies to certain ownership-transferring deeds meeting the county’s criteria.
$3
Nonconforming Page
Each page when any page is not 8.5 × 11 inches.
Do not calculate a deed fee as $14 + page count only.
SB2, AB 1466, fraud, transfer tax, survey-monument, additional-title,
indexing and other charges can change the final amount.
Building Homes and Jobs Act fee
Why Some Riverside County Recordings Have a $75 SB2 Charge
Riverside County’s 2026 fee schedule lists a
$75 Building Homes and Jobs Act fee per applicable title/parcel,
subject to California’s statutory rules and a maximum of $225 for the
transaction as provided by law.
Whether SB2 applies depends on the document and transaction.
Riverside County’s recording instructions provide a Recorder coversheet
for an applicable SB2 exemption. Do not claim an exemption without a valid basis.
Three primary filing routes
How to Submit a Recordable Document
In Person
Prepare the complete instrument, calculate fees and visit a
Riverside County office offering Document Recording Services.
Appointments are encouraged.
By Mail
Send the completed document and payment to the Recorder’s
P.O. Box.
Use an NTE check when you genuinely cannot determine the exact fee.
Electronically
Riverside County accepts qualifying electronic recordings through
approved submitters.
This is not the same as simply emailing a PDF to the Recorder.
The Recorder cannot provide notary service and cannot prepare your
deed or other legal instrument.
Recording a Document by Mail
Prepare the complete recordable document.
Attach PCOR, DTT affidavit and other required forms.
Calculate the fee.
Prepare a check or money order payable to Riverside County Recorder.
Do not mail cash.
Do not use a temporary check or altered money order.
Send through the correct address.
Riverside County currently asks customers to allow approximately
6-8 weeks to receive the original recorded document
back by mail after processing.
Riverside uses proactive courtesy notices
Riverside County Real Estate Fraud Notices
Riverside County began sending
Courtesy Notices when certain documents such as deeds,
deeds of trust and similar property instruments are recorded.
The purpose is to give the property owner an opportunity to notice an
unexpected transaction.
Read the Courtesy Notice carefully.
Decide whether you recognize the transaction.
A legitimate purchase, refinance, trust transfer or other authorized
transaction can generate a notice.
If you do not recognize it, open the official Recorder search yourself.
Search the document number or party names.
Order the actual document when necessary.
Report suspected real-estate fraud through the county’s official resources.
Correction does not always mean editing the original document
Correcting a Previously Recorded Document
A previously recorded public instrument normally is not simply edited
in place. California has specific re-recording and corrective-affidavit
rules.
Identify exactly what is wrong.
Determine whether the issue qualifies for a statutory correction
or requires a newly executed instrument.
Reference the earlier recording correctly.
Prepare the required cover sheet for a re-recorded instrument.
State the reason for re-recording.
Complete execution/acknowledgment requirements.
A spelling, return-address or indexing correction is not the same thing
as changing the substantive legal rights created by a deed.
Use a real-estate attorney or title professional for substantive title errors.
Parcel map and recorded deed answer different questions
RivCoView and Riverside County Assessor Maps
Riverside County maintains more than 21,000 Assessor map sheets.
RivCoView provides property/recent-sales context and links to Assessor
map PDFs.
MAP
Riverside County Assessor Maps
Parcel numbers, lot boundaries, dimensions, acreage and recorded map references.
Open Assessor Map Resources
Do not treat an Assessor map as a boundary survey.
Riverside County says these maps are compiled for assessment purposes.
Use recorded surveys, title information and a licensed surveyor when
exact legal boundaries matter.
One combined ACR department still has different functions
Recorder vs Assessor vs Treasurer-Tax Collector
Your task
Correct office
What to do
Deed / lien / reconveyance
Recorder
Search official records, record documents and obtain copies.
APN / parcel map / assessed value
Assessor
Search assessment records, parcel maps and valuation information.
Owner information by address
Assessor public counter
Riverside states ownership information is available publicly in
Assessor offices but is not displayed online.
Property-tax bill / payment
Treasurer-Tax Collector
Review current bills, balances and payments.
Clear title
Title company / attorney
Perform a professional title examination.
Exact boundary / encroachment
Licensed surveyor
Perform legal boundary/survey work rather than relying on Assessor map lines.
You may not need to drive to Gateway for ordinary current records
Other Riverside County ACR Locations
Riverside Downtown
4080 Lemon Street, 1st Floor, Riverside, CA 92501.
Current listed hours: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Palm Desert
38-686 El Cerrito Road, Palm Desert, CA 92211.
Current listed hours: 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Temecula
41002 County Center Drive, Suite 230, Temecula, CA 92591-6027.
Current listed hours: 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Blythe
270 N Broadway, Blythe, CA 92225.
Current listed public hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Before Calling the Riverside County Recorder
Have the strongest identifiers available so staff do not have to
reconstruct your search from a street address alone.
- document number;
- APN / assessment number;
- property address;
- grantor or grantee name;
- approximate recording date;
- document type;
- book/page or map reference, when available;
- whether you need research, a regular copy, certified copy or recording help.
Riverside-specific search and filing shortcuts
Local Tips That Prevent Failed Searches and Unnecessary Fees
Address search = APN, not online owner lookup.
Riverside does not display Assessor ownership names online.
Use Parcel # in Recorder Advanced Search.
This can bridge an address-derived APN into the land-record index.
Search people Last First MI.
Follow the Recorder’s indexing format instead of natural-name order.
Use a first initial when the exact name fails.
Riverside specifically recommends this broader search technique.
Try the $ sounds-like operator.
It is unusually useful for uncertain spelling.
Use * for partial names.
Helpful for long business, trust and personal names.
Use document number whenever you have it.
It is safer than repeatedly guessing a person’s name.
Pre-1974? Go beyond the normal web search.
Gateway Riverside handles earlier research.
Do not confuse a Deed of Trust with a deed.
One generally secures financing; the other may transfer ownership.
Paid off the loan? Search Reconveyance.
Do not wait for a new ownership deed.
Submit PCOR with the deed.
Missing a required PCOR currently adds $20.
Check City of Riverside DTT separately.
Its published transfer-tax rate differs from the general county rate.
Use the live Fee Calculator.
A one-page deed can carry charges beyond the $14 basic first-page fee.
Recorder staff cannot notarize or draft your deed.
Arrange both document preparation and notarization before filing.
Recorded-document research for a buyer or new owner
Riverside County Property Record Checklist
Correct APN
Confirm the parcel from the Assessor search.
Most recent deed
Review transfer parties and legal description.
Deeds of trust
Identify recorded financing interests.
Reconveyances
Check whether earlier secured loans were released.
Liens and releases
Search both sides of the recording history.
Easements
Follow referenced documents and map information.
Parcel maps
Use RivCoView/Assessor maps for parcel context.
Property taxes
Check bills separately through the Treasurer-Tax Collector.
Professional title search
Use title professionals where ownership/lien certainty matters.
Survey when boundaries matter
Do not build or resolve an encroachment from an Assessor map alone.
County-CAD.us Research Standards
Report an Outdated Government Link
Tell County-CAD.us when Riverside County changes a portal,
fee or office procedure.
Contact County-CAD.us
Independent Website Disclaimer
Understand the limits of independent public-record guidance.
Read Disclaimer
Primary official research
Official Sources Used for This Riverside County Recorder Guide
Riverside County Official Records Search
Used for current search types, copy ordering and Recorder document access.
Open Official Records Search
Recorder Advanced Search
Used for 1974-forward index coverage, Last First MI formatting,
wildcard operators and Parcel # legal searching.
Open Advanced Search
Obtaining Record Copies
Used for copy prices, certification, mail-request details and
older-record research routing.
Open Copy Instructions
Recording Requirements
Used for signatures, acknowledgment, APN/TRA, return address,
DTT, PCOR and other filing requirements.
Open Recording Requirements
Document Recording Services
Used for mail, drop-box, in-person, NTE check, document return,
translation and map-filing information.
Open Recording Services
2026 ACR Fee Schedule
Used for current Recorder base fees, SB2, AB 1466, copy fees,
fraud fee, PCOR fee and other Recorder charges.
Open 2026 Fee PDF
Assessor Property Search
Used for APN/PIN and property-address search instructions.
Open Property Search
Riverside County Recorder FAQs
Used for lien search, reconveyance, name/title changes,
DTT and PCOR details.
Open Official FAQs
Riverside County Locations
Used for Gateway and regional office addresses, services and hours.
Open Office Directory
Editorial verification: August 14, 2026.
Search coverage, fee schedules, officeholders, public hours,
statutory charges and online portal behavior can change. Confirm the
final action through Riverside County’s live official resources before
recording, paying or relying on a document for a legal transaction.
10 Riverside County Recorder questions
Riverside County Recorder FAQs
1. How do I search Riverside County deeds online?
Open the Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder Official
Records Search. Search by name, document number, recording date,
document type or use Advanced Search. Individual names should normally
be entered Last First MI, such as Smith James M. Verify the document
title, parties, date and property information before ordering a copy.
2. How do I find a Riverside County deed if I only know the address?
Start with the Riverside County Assessor Property Search and enter
the street number and street name to identify the APN. Then open
Recorder Advanced Search and use the parcel/legal-search fields
together with any known date or document information. Riverside County
does not display Assessor ownership names online, so if the parcel
search does not identify the deed, use a known owner name, visit an
Assessor public office for ownership information or use a title professional.
3. How far back does the Riverside County online Recorder index go?
The current Riverside County online Recorder search states that
Recorder documents are indexed beginning January 1, 1974. The county’s
copy-research instructions say regular office computers provide records
back to 1975 and that research for 1974 and earlier can be completed
at the Riverside Gateway location.
4. How much does a Riverside County deed copy cost?
The current 2026 Recorder schedule lists an official-record regular
copy at $8 for the first page and $1 for each additional page.
Certification of the complete regular copy is $2. Identify and verify
the exact document before ordering because the online system warns
that copies are not refundable merely because the wrong record was selected.
5. How much does it cost to record a deed in Riverside County?
Riverside County’s January 2026 fee schedule lists a basic recording
charge of $14 for the first page, $3 for each additional page and
$14 for each additional title. The final cost can be higher because
SB2, AB 1466, Real Estate Fraud, survey-monument, PCOR, transfer-tax,
indexing and other statutory charges may apply. Use the Recorder’s
live Fee Calculator for the specific document.
6. What is Riverside County Documentary Transfer Tax?
Riverside County currently states that taxable conveyances generally
pay $0.55 for each $500 or fractional portion of taxable real-property
value after applicable recorded liens or encumbrances. Property located
in the City of Riverside is currently listed at $1.10 per $500.
A Documentary Transfer Tax declaration and applicable DTT Affidavit
must be completed for covered transactions, including qualifying
exempt transfers.
7. Do I need a PCOR when recording a Riverside County deed?
A Preliminary Change of Ownership Report is required for property
transfers covered by California’s PCOR rules. Riverside County
currently charges an additional $20 when a required completed and
signed PCOR is not filed with the ownership-transfer document.
The Assessor uses the information to evaluate the transfer and
possible reassessment.
8. What should I search after paying off my Riverside County mortgage?
Search later recorded documents for a Deed of Reconveyance,
Reconveyance, Release of Deed of Trust or other instrument connected
to the original Deed of Trust. Paying off a loan does not normally
produce a new ownership deed. Riverside County states that a
reconveyance documenting loan payoff is not itself a change in ownership.
9. How do I check a lien in Riverside County?
Use the Recorder Official Records Search with the property owner’s
name and an appropriate date range. Review lien-related records,
save the document number and then search later dates for a Release
of Lien or other release. If a lien is incorrect, Riverside County
advises contacting the creditor or party responsible for the lien;
the Recorder cannot simply remove a recorded public document on request.
10. Where is the Riverside County Recorder’s main office?
The main Riverside Gateway Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder office is
at 2724 Gateway Drive, Riverside, CA 92507. The County Clerk-Recorder
phone number is 951-486-7000 and the toll-free number is 800-696-9144.
Current Gateway public hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Recorder
also operates services through several regional Riverside County locations.