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Contra Costa County, California public records

In Contra Costa County, deeds are recorded by the Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder - Recorder Division; property values come from the Contra Costa County Assessor; court files are kept by the Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa - Court Records.

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Where to get each record
  2. Deeds and land records
  3. Property values, owners and tax bills
  4. Court records: which clerk keeps which case
  5. Marriage records
  6. Divorce records
  7. Birth certificates
  8. Death certificates
  9. Business names (DBA)
  10. Voter records
  11. Historical records
  12. Good to know about Contra Costa County records
  13. Office addresses, phones and hours
  14. Records that are not online: public records requests
  15. Questions people ask
  16. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  17. Sources

Where to get each record

RecordOfficeSearch onlineFee
Deeds and land recordsContra Costa County Clerk-Recorder - Recorder Division2Search deeds2$5.00 first page, $2.00 each additional page (plain copy of recorded document)3
Property values and ownersContra Costa County Assessor4Property search5—
Property tax billsContra Costa County Treasurer-Tax Collector4Tax bill search6—
Court casesSuperior Court of California, County of Contra Costa - Court Records7Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa8Copies 50 cents per page; certification $40.00 plus $0.50 per page; certified divorce judgment $15.00 including copies9
Marriage recordsContra Costa County Clerk-Recorder - County Clerk Division2——
Divorce recordsSuperior Court of California, County of Contra Costa - Court Records7—Certified copy fee: Certified divorce judgment $15.00 including copies (Superior Court Records)9
Birth certificatesContra Costa County Clerk-Recorder2—Certified birth certificate $38.00 (new fee; prior $36.00); government birth certificate $24.003
Death certificatesContra Costa County Clerk-Recorder2—Certified death certificate $30.00 (new fee; prior $28.00)3
Probate and willsSuperior Court of California, County of Contra Costa - Court Records7——
Business names (DBA)Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder - County Clerk Division2—Fictitious business name statement $55.00 (one owner, one name); each additional owner or name $5.003

Deeds and land records

Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in Contra Costa County are recorded by the Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder - Recorder Division.2

Who runs it
RecorderWorks10
Years online
Online index back to 1986 (records held back to 1849)11
Copy fee
$5.00 first page, $2.00 each additional page (plain copy of recorded document)3
Certified copy fee
$6.00 certification plus plain copy fee (complete document only)3
Recording fee
$14.00 first page ($17.00 for titles subject to the real estate fraud fee); $3.00 each additional page; plus SB2 tax $75-$225 per transaction unless exempt12
Transfer tax
Countywide documentary transfer tax $0.55 per $500; plus Richmond and El Cerrito city transfer taxes12
How to order
Copies may be requested online (RecorderWorks); give the recording date, instrument number and document name11

How deeds work in California

Property values, owners and tax bills

The Contra Costa County Assessor sets property values4; the Contra Costa County Treasurer-Tax Collector bills and collects the tax4.

How property tax works in California

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

CourtCasesRecords kept byCase search
Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa (unified trial court)Felony, misdemeanor, civil, family/divorce, probate, small claims, trafficSuperior Court of California, County of Contra Costa - Court Records (Non-Criminal: civil, family, probate, adoption)kiosk-cacontracosta.tylertech.cloud/Portal8
Fees
Copies 50 cents per page; certification $40.00 plus $0.50 per page; certified divorce judgment $15.00 including copies9

Criminal records and background checks

Name search
Form CR-147 Criminal Records Search Request; copies via CR-11413

How California courts keep their files

Marriage records

Kept by the Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder - County Clerk Division.2

Marriage license fee
Public marriage license $95.00; confidential marriage license $100.003
Certified copy
Certified public or confidential marriage certificate $23.00 (new fee; prior $21.00)3

California marriage records, statewide

Divorce records

Kept by the Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa - Court Records (Non-Criminal: civil, family, probate, adoption).7

Certified copy fee
Certified divorce judgment $15.00 including copies (Superior Court Records)9

California divorce records: decree or state record

Birth certificates

Kept by the Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder (birth, death and public marriage certificates).2

Fee
Certified birth certificate $38.00 (new fee; prior $36.00); government birth certificate $24.003

Ordering a California birth certificate

Death certificates

Kept by the Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder (birth, death and public marriage certificates).2

Fee
Certified death certificate $30.00 (new fee; prior $28.00)3

Ordering a California death certificate

Business names (DBA)

Kept by the Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder - County Clerk Division.2

Fee
Fictitious business name statement $55.00 (one owner, one name); each additional owner or name $5.003

Voter records

Kept by the Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections - Elections Division.14

Historical records

Mapping prejudice
contracostavote.gov/…2

Good to know about Contra Costa County records

  • Contra Costa was one of California's 27 original counties (1850).15
  • One elected official serves as County Clerk, Recorder and Registrar of Voters.14
  • The Superior Court is scanning about 12 million pages of paper case files ahead of a new case document system, which may delay records requests.8
  • Richmond and El Cerrito levy city transfer taxes on top of the countywide documentary transfer tax.12

Office addresses, phones and hours

Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder - Recorder Division

Address
555 Escobar Street, Martinez, CA 9455315
Mail
P.O. Box 271, Martinez, CA 94553 (department mailing address per SOS)14
Phone
925-335-7900 (Recorder/County Clerk)15
Hours
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (SOS listing for the department)14

Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder - County Clerk Division

Address
555 Escobar Street, Martinez, CA 9455315
Mail
P.O. Box 271, Martinez, CA 9455314
Hours
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.14

Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder (birth, death and public marriage certificates)

Address
555 Escobar Street, Martinez, CA 9455315

Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections - Elections Division

Address
555 Escobar Street, Martinez, CA 9455314
Mail
P.O. Box 271, Martinez, CA 9455314
Hours
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.14

Contra Costa County Assessor

Address
2530 Arnold Dr, Suite 100, Martinez, CA 945535
Phone
925-313-7400 (fax 925-313-7488)5
Hours
Monday through Friday 8:00am to 4:00pm5

Contra Costa County Treasurer-Tax Collector

Address
Finance Building, 625 Court Street, Room 100, Martinez, CA 945536
Mail
Contra Costa County Treasurer-Tax Collector, P.O. Box 631, Martinez, CA 945536
Phone
(925) 608-9500; fax (925) 608-95986
Hours
Walk-in Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.; call center Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.6

Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa - Court Records (Criminal)

Address
725 Court Street, Room 103, Martinez, CA 94553 (also Richmond, 100 - 37th Street)13

Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa - Court Records (Non-Criminal: civil, family, probate, adoption)

Address
725 Court Street, Room 103, Martinez, CA 945539
Mail
Court Records, 725 Court Street (P.O. Box 911), Martinez, CA 945539
Phone
(925) 608-1000 (phones answered 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM)9
Hours
8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday (excluding court holidays)9

Records that are not online: public records requests

Where to send it
Clerk-Recorder: [email protected]; Elections: [email protected] (Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department only)2

How to write a public records request

Questions people ask

How do I get a copy of a deed in Contra Costa County?

The Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder - Recorder Division keeps deed records. To order copies: Copies may be requested online (RecorderWorks); give the recording date, instrument number and document name. Plain copies: $5.00 first page, $2.00 each additional page (plain copy of recorded document). Certified copies: $6.00 certification plus plain copy fee (complete document only).2113

How much is a birth certificate in Contra Costa County?

Certified birth certificate $38.00 (new fee; prior $36.00); government birth certificate $24.00.3

How much does a marriage license cost in Contra Costa County?

Public marriage license $95.00; confidential marriage license $100.00.3

How do I look up who owns a property in Contra Costa County?

Use the property search of the Contra Costa County Assessor: contracosta.ca.gov/6919/Review-Your-Value5

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Contra Costa County office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Other counties in California with a full guide: Alameda County, Butte County, El Dorado County, Fresno County, Humboldt County, Imperial County, Kern County, Kings County, Lake County, Los Angeles County, Madera County, Marin County, Mendocino County, Merced County, Monterey County, Napa County, Nevada County, Orange County, Placer County, Riverside County, Sacramento County, San Bernardino County, San Diego County, San Francisco County, San Joaquin County, San Luis Obispo County, San Mateo County, Santa Barbara County, Santa Clara County, Santa Cruz County, Shasta County, Solano County, Sonoma County, Stanislaus County, Sutter County, Tulare County, Ventura County, Yolo County, Yuba County. Every county in the state: California county list.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 16 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
  2. Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections (home)Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Department
  3. Contra Costa County Clerk Division Fee Schedule (Effective January 1, 2026) - positional extractContra Costa County Clerk-Recorder
  4. Listing of County Assessors, Auditors and Auditor-Controllers, Clerks of the Board, and Tax CollectorsCalifornia State Board of Equalization
  5. AssessorContra Costa County Assessor
  6. Treasurer - Tax CollectorContra Costa County Treasurer-Tax Collector
  7. Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa (home)Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa
  8. Court Records (Non-Criminal Cases)Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa
  9. Court Records (Non-Criminal Cases) - locationSuperior Court of California, County of Contra Costa
  10. Search Property Documents Disclaimer PageContra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections
  11. Recording InformationContra Costa County Clerk-Recorder
  12. Contra Costa County Recorder Division Fee Schedule (Effective January 1, 2025) - positional extractContra Costa County Clerk-Recorder
  13. Court Records (Criminal Cases)Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa
  14. County Elections OfficesCalifornia Secretary of State
  15. Clerk About Us - Including 2026 NEW Fee ScheduleContra Costa County Clerk-Recorder
  16. County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureau