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San Francisco County, California public records

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

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. Voter records
  12. Historical records
  13. Good to know about San Francisco County records
  14. Office addresses, phones and hours
  15. Records that are not online: public records requests
  16. Questions people ask
  17. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  18. Sources

San Francisco County has a combined city-county government: the Census Bureau lists the City and County of San Francisco as its government.1

Where to get each record

RecordOfficeSearch onlineFee
Deeds and land recordsOffice of the Assessor-Recorder3Search deeds2Free search, fee for copiesOnline: $1.81 per document; in person/mail/drop box: $9.70 first page, $0.39 each additional page2
Property values and ownersOffice of the Assessor-Recorder4Property search4—
Property tax billsOffice of the Treasurer & Tax Collector3Tax bill search5—
Court casesSuperior Court of California, County of San Francisco - Civil Records Division6—Copies $0.50 per page; certification $40; search over 10 minutes $15; off-site file retrieval $6 standard ($38 next day, $56 two-hour rush)7
Marriage recordsOffice of the Assessor-Recorder3—$19 per copy (public marriage certificate)8
Divorce recordsSuperior Court of California, County of San Francisco - Civil Records Division6——
Birth certificatesOffice of the County Clerk10—$31 (search of a birth record, includes certified copy if found); $31 each additional copy9
Death certificatesOffice of the County Clerk10—$26 (search of a death record, includes certified copy if found); DPH: $26 per copy9
Probate and willsSuperior Court - Probate Court12—$0.50 per page; certification $4011
Business names (DBA)Office of the County Clerk10—$69 filing and indexing a fictitious name statement (effective July 1, 2026)9

Deeds and land records

Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in San Francisco County are recorded by the Office of the Assessor-Recorder (Recorder Division).3

Online search
recorder.sfgov.org2Free search, fee for copies
Cost
Free to view (preview needs a registered account with ID verification); official copy download $1.81 per document plus a $2 card service fee2
Years online
1990 to present; earlier records searchable only at City Hall Room 1902
Copy fee
Online: $1.81 per document; in person/mail/drop box: $9.70 first page, $0.39 each additional page2
Certified copy fee
Additional $1.00 per document for certification (on top of copy fee)2
How to order
Online through Records Manager; in person at City Hall Room 190 kiosks (viewing free); by mail or 24/7 drop box on Grove Street with the Recorded document request form2
Recording fee
$14.00 first page (8.5x11), $3.00 each additional page; SB2 Building Homes & Jobs Act fee $75 per parcel per title, max $225 per transaction13

How deeds work in California

Property values, owners and tax bills

The Office of the Assessor-Recorder sets property values4; the Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector bills and collects the tax3.

Property search
sf.gov/asr-community-portal (Assessor-Recorder community portal; property assessment information)4
Tax bill search
sanfrancisco-ca.county-taxes.com/… (Property Tax Payment Portal, linked by the Treasurer & Tax Collector)5
Parcel map (GIS)
sfplanninggis.org/pim (SF Planning Property Information Map)4
Appealing a value
Assessment Appeals Board, City Hall Room 405, (415) 554-6778, [email protected]; regular filing period July 2 - September 15; free Informal Review for single-family owners January 2 - March 3114
Tax due dates
1st installment due December 10; 2nd installment due April 1015
Assessment data
Property assessment data sets from fiscal year 2007 to 20264

How property tax works in California

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

CourtCasesRecords kept byCase search
Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco (unified trial court)Civil (limited and unlimited), probate/wills, family law, criminal, traffic6Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco - Civil Records Division (Civic Center Courthouse) Case Query (free): civil, family law, probate and small claims cases filed 1987 to present by case number or name; criminal case search and weekly cumulative criminal index16Free search
Fees
Copies $0.50 per page; certification $40; search over 10 minutes $15; off-site file retrieval $6 standard ($38 next day, $56 two-hour rush)7
Criminal certificate
Certificate of the Record (certifies conviction and sentencing disposition): $40 per court number17
Vital not at court
The court does not keep birth, death or marriage certificates; contact the County Clerk6

Criminal records and background checks

Which court
Criminal Clerk's Office, Hall of Justice, 850 Bryant St., Room 101; records requests via GovQA, pickup in person or by mail17
Rap sheet
Without a case number, first get a local RAP sheet from SFPD Identification Bureau, Room 475, Hall of Justice17

How California courts keep their files

Marriage records

Public marriage certificates: Office of the Assessor-Recorder (City Hall Room 190); confidential marriage certificates: Office of the County Clerk8

Fee
$19 per copy (public marriage certificate)8
Confidential fee
$19 search of a confidential marriage record (includes certified copy if found); $19 each additional copy9
Marriage license
Marriage licenses: Office of the County Clerk; public or confidential license $129 (effective July 1, 2026)9
Online
recorder-marriage.sfgov.org (certified or informational copy of a public marriage certificate; domestic shipping only)8

California marriage records, statewide

Divorce records

Superior Court family law case files (Civil Records Division, 400 McAllister St., Room 103)6

California divorce records: decree or state record

Birth certificates

Born in San Francisco after 1906 and over 3 years old: Office of the County Clerk; under 3 years old: Department of Public Health Office of Vital Records18

Fee
$31 (search of a birth record, includes certified copy if found); $31 each additional copy9
Who may order
Authorized copy: the registrant, child, spouse, parent, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, domestic partner, or court-order/POA/executor/agency; anyone may get an informational copy19
Online
County Clerk online orders are pickup only: countyclerk.sfgov.org/Portal18
Online ordering
VitalChek (third-party) for mail delivery18

Ordering a California birth certificate

Death certificates

Died in San Francisco more than 3 years ago and after 1906: Office of the County Clerk; within the last 3 years: DPH Office of Vital Records20

Fee
$26 (search of a death record, includes certified copy if found); DPH: $26 per copy9
Who may order
Authorized copy: child, spouse, parent, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, domestic partner, next of kin, funeral home, court order, POA, executor or agency; DPH: anyone may get an informational copy21

Ordering a California death certificate

Probate records and wills

Superior Court Probate Court; probate case files at the Civil Records Division, 400 McAllister St., Room 10322

Copy fee
$0.50 per page; certification $4011

Finding a will or probate case in California

Business names (DBA)

Kept by the Office of the County Clerk (City Administrator).10

Assumed names (DBA)
Fictitious Business Names are filed with the County Clerk; search the FBN index at countyclerk.sfgov.org/Fbn/FbnSearch23
Fee
$69 filing and indexing a fictitious name statement (effective July 1, 2026)9

Voter records

Kept by the Department of Elections.24

Good to know
Department of Elections, City Hall Room 4824

Historical records

Earliest vital
County Clerk birth and death certificates cover events after 190618
Pre online deeds
Recorded documents before January 1, 1990 are searchable only at City Hall Room 1902

Good to know about San Francisco County records

  • San Francisco is a consolidated city and county with a single elected Assessor-Recorder: the same office assesses property and records deeds.3
  • Public marriage certificates are issued by the Assessor-Recorder, not the County Clerk; the County Clerk issues licenses and confidential marriage copies.4
  • In November 2024 the Recorder launched what it calls the first-in-the-state Easy Access for Recorded Documents service, letting registered users preview records free online.2
  • The Recorder's online search covers records from 1990; it cannot search by street address (use name, document number or block/lot).2
  • The County Clerk issues birth and death certificates for events after 1906 and older than 3 years; the Department of Public Health handles the most recent 3 years.20
  • The Assessor-Recorder offers a service to strike unlawful discriminatory (racial) covenants from recorded documents.4

Office addresses, phones and hours

Office of the Assessor-Recorder (Recorder Division)

Address
City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 190, San Francisco, CA 941024
Mail
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 190, San Francisco, California 9410225
Hours
Office 8:00 am-5:00 pm; in-person document recording 8:00 am-4:00 pm4

Office of the Assessor-Recorder

Address
City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 190, San Francisco, CA 941024
Hours
8:00 am-5:00 pm4

Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector

Address
City Hall, Room 14026
Hours
8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday; walk-ins for assistance until 4 p.m.; cashier payments until 5 p.m.26

Office of the County Clerk (City Administrator)

Address
City Hall, Room 160, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 9410218
Mail
Office of the County Clerk, City Hall, Room 160, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA 94102 (vital record mail orders)18
Hours
Monday-Friday processing 8:00 am-4:00 pm; information only 4:00-5:00 pm10

Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco - Civil Records Division (Civic Center Courthouse)

Address
400 McAllister St., Room 103, San Francisco, CA 94102-45146
Hours
Public viewing room Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; drop box 12:30-4 p.m.6

Superior Court - Criminal Clerk's Office (Hall of Justice)

Address
850 Bryant St., Room 101, Hall of Justice, San Francisco, CA 9410328
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (closed 12:30-5:00 pm)17

Superior Court - Probate Court (Probate Clerk's Office, Room 103)

Address
400 McAllister St., Room 103, San Francisco22
Phone
(415) 551-3892 (Room 103 filing windows)22

Superior Court - Unified Family Court

Department of Public Health, Office of Vital Records (births and deaths in the last 3 years)

Address
Office of Vital Records, City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 160, San Francisco, CA 9410221

Department of Elections

Address
1 Dr. Carlton B Goodlett Place, City Hall, Room 48, San Francisco, CA 94102-463524
Hours
8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.24

San Francisco Sheriff's Office

Phone
(415) 558-4443 (Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.)29

SF Planning Property Information Map (linked by the Assessor-Recorder)

Records that are not online: public records requests

Request page
sf.gov/public-records-request (Assessor-Recorder requests under the Sunshine Ordinance and R&T Code 408/408.1)30
Where to send it
[email protected] (Assessor-Recorder)30

How to write a public records request

Questions people ask

How do I get a copy of a deed in San Francisco County?

The Office of the Assessor-Recorder (Recorder Division) keeps deed records. To order copies: Online through Records Manager; in person at City Hall Room 190 kiosks (viewing free); by mail or 24/7 drop box on Grove Street with the Recorded document request form. Plain copies: Online: $1.81 per document; in person/mail/drop box: $9.70 first page, $0.39 each additional page. Certified copies: Additional $1.00 per document for certification (on top of copy fee).32

Can I search San Francisco County land records online for free?

Yes, searching is free; copies cost extra. Free to view (preview needs a registered account with ID verification); official copy download $1.81 per document plus a $2 card service fee. The official search: recorder.sfgov.org2

How much is a birth certificate in San Francisco County?

$31 (search of a birth record, includes certified copy if found); $31 each additional copy.9

Where do I get a divorce decree in San Francisco County?

Superior Court family law case files (Civil Records Division, 400 McAllister St., Room 103).6

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

Use the property search of the Office of the Assessor-Recorder: sf.gov/asr-community-portal4

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 San Francisco 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, Merced County, Monterey County, Napa County, Nevada County, Orange County, Placer County, Riverside County, Sacramento County, San Bernardino County, San Diego 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 31 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. Get copies of recorded documentsCity and County of San Francisco
  3. Listing of County Assessors, Auditors and Auditor-Controllers, Clerks of the Board, and Tax CollectorsCalifornia State Board of Equalization
  4. Assessor-Recorder (agency page)City and County of San Francisco
  5. Property Tax PaymentOffice of the Treasurer & Tax Collector, City and County of San Francisco
  6. Civil RecordsSuperior Court of California, County of San Francisco
  7. Criminal Records FeesSuperior Court of California, County of San Francisco
  8. Get a copy of your marriage certificateCity and County of San Francisco
  9. Fees for County Clerk ServicesCity and County of San Francisco
  10. Office of the County ClerkCity and County of San Francisco
  11. Statewide Civil Fee Schedule, Effective January 1, 2026Judicial Council of California (as posted by the San Francisco Superior Court)
  12. Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco (home)Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco
  13. Fees to record a document in San FranciscoCity and County of San Francisco
  14. Assessment Appeals BoardCity and County of San Francisco
  15. Important dates if you own propertyCity and County of San Francisco
  16. Case InformationSuperior Court of California, County of San Francisco
  17. Obtain Criminal RecordsSuperior Court of California, County of San Francisco
  18. Get a birth certificate for someone over 3City and County of San Francisco
  19. Get a birth certificate for someone under 3City and County of San Francisco
  20. Get a San Francisco death certificate more than 3 years agoCity and County of San Francisco
  21. Get a death certificate for someone who died in the last 3 yearsCity and County of San Francisco
  22. Wills and Decedents' EstatesSuperior Court of California, County of San Francisco
  23. File a Fictitious Business Name (FBN)City and County of San Francisco
  24. County Elections OfficesCalifornia Secretary of State
  25. Recording a documentCity and County of San Francisco
  26. Treasurer & Tax Collector (home)Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector, City and County of San Francisco
  27. Office of the County Clerk (location)City and County of San Francisco
  28. Hall of JusticeSuperior Court of California, County of San Francisco
  29. Sheriff's OfficeCity and County of San Francisco
  30. Assessor-Recorder Public Records RequestCity and County of San Francisco
  31. County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureau