CALIFORNIA SENATE BILL 255
County Recorder Notification Program
What is Senate Bill 255? Starting January 1, 2027, every county in California will be required to create a notification system to help protect property owners from fraud. Under this new law, when someone records a deed, quitclaim deed, mortgage, or deed of trust, the county must send a mailed notice to the people who signed the document within 30 days. This notice will go to the address where property tax bills are typically sent. Counties will also have the option to offer electronic notifications, like email alerts, in addition to the mailed notice—but they’re not required to.
The bill would create an exemption from these requirements for the recordation of certain documents where a state or local government is the grantee.
In addition to any other recording fee, the board of supervisors may authorize the county recorder to collect a fee from the party filing a deed, quitclaim deed, mortgage, or deed of trust for the cost of implementing the program pursuant to this section. The fee shall not exceed the reasonable costs of services of the county to comply with SB 255. The county recorder may require that any deed, quitclaim deed, mortgage, or deed of trust include the assessor’s parcel number (APN) for the property listed in the document on the first page. If the property includes more than one parcel, all parcel numbers must be included. The recorder is allowed to rely on the parcel numbers provided when processing the document.
Los Angeles County will be exempt because it already has a statutory authorization for a recorder notification program.
Why it matters This law is designed to help prevent real estate fraud, like when scammers try to illegally transfer ownership of your property without your knowledge. It adds a layer of protection by making sure property owners are alerted to any new recordings, helping catch fraudulent activity early—like forged signatures or unauthorized transfers—before it causes serious harm.
https://www.clta.org/uploads/1/5/2/2/152207072/2025_summary.pdf As shown on page 14 of the 2025 CLTA Summary of Legislation
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Find more important Senate Bill 255 details here: https://legiscan.com/CA/text/SB255/id/3186742
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