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Merced County, California public records

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

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. Probate records and wills
  10. Business names (DBA)
  11. Other records at the county
  12. Good to know about Merced County records
  13. Office addresses, phones and hours
  14. Questions people ask
  15. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  16. Sources

Where to get each record

RecordOfficeSearch onlineFee
Deeds and land recordsMerced County Assessor-Clerk-Recorder – Clerk-Recorder's Office5Search deeds23Free search$3 first page, $1 each additional page of each document (Gov. Code 27366); maps $5 first page, $2 each additional4
Property values and ownersMerced County Assessor6Property search7—
Property tax billsMerced County Treasurer-Tax Collector8Tax bill search9—
Court casesSuperior Court of California, County of Merced – Civil Division10Superior Court of California, County of Merced11Copies $0.50 per page; certification $40 per document; record search over 10 minutes $15; off-site retrieval $1512
Marriage recordsMerced County Recorder's Office – Vital Records5—$17 certified copy (government use $12)4
Divorce recordsSuperior Court of California, County of Merced – Civil Division10——
Birth certificatesMerced County Recorder's Office – Vital Records5—$29 certified copy (government use $22)4
Death certificatesMerced County Recorder's Office – Vital Records5—$24 certified copy4
Probate and willsSuperior Court of California, County of Merced – Probate Unit of the Clerk's Office13——
Business names (DBA)Merced County Clerk16Search business names14$35.00 first business name and registrant; $7.00 each additional name or registrant; $2.50 card surcharge15

Deeds and land records

Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in Merced County are recorded by the Merced County Assessor-Clerk-Recorder – Clerk-Recorder's Office.5

Online search
web2.co.merced.ca.us/RWInternet2Free search
Cost
Free to view; copies cost (build a cart and submit by mail with payment)3
Years online
Grantor/Grantee index of documents recorded since 1963; earlier records searched in person in Merced3
Copy fee
$3 first page, $1 each additional page of each document (Gov. Code 27366); maps $5 first page, $2 each additional4
Certified copy fee
$2 certification per document (plus copy fees)4
Recording fee
$14 first page (8.5x11), $3 each additional page; Real Estate Fraud Prosecution fee $3 on listed documents; UCC-1/UCC-3 $10 (1-2 pages) / $20 (3+ pages); $75 housing fee listed17
How to order
To get copies give document type, document number (or book/page), recording year, one party name, and return name/address18
Recording cutoff
Recording cut-off 3:30 PM5
Fraud alerts
Recording Notification Service through ParcelQuest emails you when a potentially fraudulent document affecting a registered property or name is recorded5

How deeds work in California

Property values, owners and tax bills

The Merced County Assessor (Assessor / Clerk / Recorder) sets property values6; the Merced County Treasurer-Tax Collector bills and collects the tax8.

Property search
Assessor online parcel maps: apps.co.merced.ca.us/…; ownership/assessment data viewable at the Assessor's Public Counter (indexed by owner, parcel number and address)7
Tax bill search
View or print tax bills: common3.mptsweb.com/MBC/merced/tax/search (linked from the Treasurer-Tax Collector's Property Search page)9
Parcel map (GIS)
Assessor Online Maps apps.co.merced.ca.us/…6
Appealing a value
Assessment Appeals Board; $30.00 non-refundable fee per application; regular assessments filed July 2 - November 30; supplemental/escape within 60 days of the bill19
Data purchase
Assessment, characteristics, ownership and transfer data available for purchase; fees per Service Charge Schedule7

How property tax works in California

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

CourtCasesRecords kept byCase search
Superior Court of California, County of Merced (unified trial court)Civil (limited, unlimited, small claims), criminal, family law, probate, juvenile, trafficSuperior Court of California, County of Merced – Civil Divisionjpportal.mercedcourt.org/MERCEDPUBLIC Public Portal (registration required); documents online only for limited civil, unlimited civil and small claims; Tyler charges a minimum $1.00 per document purchased11Fee charged
Not online
Not available online: adoption, criminal, family law, juvenile, paternity, probate, mental health and traffic; get non-confidential records at the Clerk's Office11
Fees
Copies $0.50 per page; certification $40 per document; record search over 10 minutes $15; off-site retrieval $1512
Mail requests
Mail requests need a check or money order, a self-addressed stamped envelope and the Record/Search/Copy Request form12
Fee schedule
2026 statewide civil fee schedule: courts.ca.gov/…20

Criminal records and background checks

Which court
Criminal case information is not online; request at the Superior Court Clerk's Office or by mail with the Record/Search/Copy Request form11

How California courts keep their files

Marriage records

Kept by the Merced County Recorder's Office – Vital Records (birth, death, marriage certificates).5

Copies
Public marriage certificates about 1850-present from the Recorder; confidential marriages through the County Clerk; certified copy $1721
Fee
$17 certified copy (government use $12)4
State
Confidential marriage records only from the county clerk where the license was issued22

California marriage records, statewide

Divorce records

Kept by the Superior Court of California, County of Merced – Civil Division.10

Online
Family law case information is not available online in Merced11

California divorce records: decree or state record

Birth certificates

Kept by the Merced County Recorder's Office – Vital Records (birth, death, marriage certificates).5

Coverage
Merced County births from about 1870 to present21
Fee
$29 certified copy (government use $22)4
How to request
Mail a notarized application with payment (cash or money order payable to Merced County Recorder) or request in the office; online orders only via VitalChek (+$12.95)21
Restrictions
Only authorized individuals get identity-establishing certified copies; others receive Certified Informational Copies21

Ordering a California birth certificate

Death certificates

Kept by the Merced County Recorder's Office – Vital Records (birth, death, marriage certificates).5

Coverage
Merced County deaths from about 1890 to present21
Fee
$24 certified copy4

Ordering a California death certificate

Probate records and wills

Kept by the Superior Court of California, County of Merced – Probate Unit of the Clerk's Office.13

Which court
Superior Court Probate Department: decedents' estates, trusts, guardianships, conservatorships, minor's compromises13
Search fee
Search of estate documents: same $15 fee as other searches over 10 minutes12

Finding a will or probate case in California

Business names (DBA)

Kept by the Merced County Clerk (part of the Assessor-Clerk-Recorder's office).16

How to request
File a Fictitious Business Name Statement in person (kiosk, photo ID) or by mail (wet-ink signature); publish within 45 days once a week for four weeks15
Fee
$35.00 first business name and registrant; $7.00 each additional name or registrant; $2.50 card surcharge15

Other records at the county

Military discharges (DD-214)

What the office says
Certified copies of DD Form 214 from the Recorder (notarized application)21

Good to know about Merced County records

  • The Recorder's Office was consolidated with the Auditor in 1875 and 1955; on January 5, 2009 the Board of Supervisors moved recording to the Assessor's Office (now the Assessor-Clerk-Recorder)2
  • Online official-records index starts January 1, 1963; earlier records are searched in person5
  • Marriage records from about 1850, births from about 1870, deaths from about 189021
  • 2026 pilot: Clerk-Recorder services at the Merced County Spring Fair office in Los Banos on the first Wednesday of each month, July-December5
  • Restrictive Covenant Modification documents can be recorded to remove unlawful covenants (Gov. Code 12956.2)5

Office addresses, phones and hours

Merced County Assessor-Clerk-Recorder – Clerk-Recorder's Office

Address
2222 M St., Main Floor, Merced, CA 9534018
Mail
Recorder's Office, 2222 M St., Main Floor, Merced, CA 9534021
Hours
Monday – Friday: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm (no appointment required)15

Merced County Clerk (part of the Assessor-Clerk-Recorder's office)

Address
2222 M St., Main Floor, Merced, CA 9534018
Hours
Monday – Friday: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm (no appointment required)15

Merced County Assessor (Assessor / Clerk / Recorder)

Address
Assessor's Public Counter, Second Floor, 2222 M Street, Merced, CA 953407

Merced County Treasurer-Tax Collector

Address
2222 M St., 1st Floor, Merced, CA 953408
Phone
Tax Collector (209) 385-7592; Treasurer (209) 385-7307; fax (209) 725-39058
Hours
Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm8

Superior Court of California, County of Merced – Clerk's Office (Criminal Division)

Address
New Courthouse, 2260 N St, Merced, CA 95340 (courtrooms 1-7); Old Courthouse, 627 W 21st Street (courtrooms 8-10); Los Banos Division, Robert M. Falasco Justice Center, 1159 "G" St., Los Banos, CA 9363523
Phone
Criminal (209) 725-4113; fax (209) 725-411423
Hours
Clerk's Office 8:00 am - 3:00 pm for filings, Monday-Friday13

Superior Court of California, County of Merced – Civil Division

Address
2260 N St, Merced, CA 9534023
Phone
Civil (209) 725-4111; Family Law (209) 725-411723
Hours
8:00 am - 3:00 pm for filings13

Superior Court of California, County of Merced – Probate Unit of the Clerk's Office

Address
Probate cases are heard in the Merced Courthouse13
Hours
8:00 am - 3:00 pm for filings13

Merced County Registrar of Voters

Address
2222 M Street, Merced, CA 9534024
Phone
(209) 385-7541; fax (209) 385-738724
Hours
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.24

Merced County Recorder's Office – Vital Records (birth, death, marriage certificates)

Address
2222 M St., Main Floor, Merced, CA 9534018
Mail
Recorder’s Office, 2222 M St., Main Floor, Merced, CA 9534021
Hours
Monday – Friday: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm (no appointment required)15

Questions people ask

How do I get a copy of a deed in Merced County?

The Merced County Assessor-Clerk-Recorder – Clerk-Recorder's Office keeps deed records. To order copies: To get copies give document type, document number (or book/page), recording year, one party name, and return name/address. Plain copies: $3 first page, $1 each additional page of each document (Gov. Code 27366); maps $5 first page, $2 each additional. Certified copies: $2 certification per document (plus copy fees).5184

Can I search Merced County land records online for free?

Yes. Free to view; copies cost (build a cart and submit by mail with payment). The official search: web2.co.merced.ca.us/RWInternet32

How much is a birth certificate in Merced County?

$29 certified copy (government use $22).4

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

Use the property search of the Merced County Assessor (Assessor / Clerk / Recorder): apps.co.merced.ca.us/…7

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 Merced 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, Contra Costa 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, 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 25 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. About the Recorder's OfficeCounty of Mercedarchived copy
  3. RecorderWorks Grantor/Grantee SearchMerced County Assessor-Clerk-Recorder
  4. Copy FeesCounty of Mercedarchived copy
  5. Clerk-RecorderCounty of Mercedarchived copy
  6. Assessment InformationCounty of Mercedarchived copy
  7. Assessor Public InformationCounty of Mercedarchived copy
  8. Tax CollectorCounty of Mercedarchived copy
  9. Property Search (Treasurer-Tax Collector)County of Mercedarchived copy
  10. Superior Court of California, County of Merced (home)Superior Court of California, County of Merced
  11. Case Records SearchSuperior Court of California, County of Merced
  12. Records SearchSuperior Court of California, County of Merced
  13. ProbateSuperior Court of California, County of Merced
  14. Merced County Clerk-Recorder Online Services portalCounty of Merced
  15. Fictitious Business NameCounty of Mercedarchived copy
  16. County Clerk (redirects to Clerk-Recorder)County of Mercedarchived copy
  17. Recording & Filing FeesCounty of Mercedarchived copy
  18. Recording InformationCounty of Mercedarchived copy
  19. Assessment AppealsCounty of Mercedarchived copy
  20. Fee & Bail SchedulesSuperior Court of California, County of Merced
  21. Birth, Death, Military & Marriage CertificateCounty of Mercedarchived copy
  22. County Registrar and Recorder DirectoryCalifornia Department of Public Health - Vital Records
  23. Court Information and ServicesSuperior Court of California, County of Merced
  24. County Elections OfficesCalifornia Secretary of State
  25. County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureau