Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder

The Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder issues marriage licenses, provides birth, death, and marriage certificates, records property documents, and handles certain professional registrations. This article explains which services the office provides, how to search or request records, what to prepare before submitting documents, and how office locations, recording deadlines, and payment requirements can affect your visit.

Which Records Does the Office Handle?

The Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder maintains the county’s official archive of legally recordable documents, including deeds, deeds of trust, reconveyances, assignments, and liens. It also issues and registers marriage licenses, performs civil marriage ceremonies, files environmental impact reports, and registers several types of professionals.

For vital records, the correct office depends on where the event occurred or where the marriage license was issued. Sacramento County can issue birth certificates for births within the county and death certificates for deaths within the county, with records dating to 1850. Marriage certificates are available for licenses issued in Sacramento County since 1850.

Court records belong to a separate system. Divorce decrees and court orders are available through the Sacramento Superior Court’s Civil Division. Wills and other probate records are handled by the court’s Probate Unit. A search of the Recorder’s document index does not replace a request for these court records.

Office Locations and Service Hours

The Clerk/Recorder operates a Main Office and a Satellite Office–South. Their hours and recording services differ, so choose a location based on the transaction you need to complete. Addresses and telephone numbers appear at the end of this article.

Main Office and Thursday Evening Services

The Main Office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Same-day document recording operates from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Documents must meet all recording requirements to qualify for same-day recording. Documents deposited after 3:00 p.m. are recorded the next business day, and payment must be cash or check.

Limited extended services are available on Thursdays from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., excluding holidays, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Eve. These evening hours cover certified birth, death, and marriage record copies, along with marriage licenses and wedding ceremonies by appointment only. They are not a general extension of every daytime service.

South Office Recording Delays

The Satellite Office–South is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Same-day document recording is not available there. Documents accepted at this location are recorded at the Main Office in two business days. Recording fees at the South office must be paid by cash or check.

Consult the official office hours and holiday schedule before traveling. The county states that its schedule is subject to change without notice.

Recorded Document Searches and Copies

What the Online Index Shows

The online index of recorded documents allows public searches of Sacramento County recordings dating to 1849. It helps identify documents for further research or copy orders, but it does not display the actual documents.

The county describes searches by party name and year of recording. Have the relevant person’s or entity’s name and the recording year available when beginning your search. Once you identify a document, record its book and page numbers for use when ordering a copy.

The index and document-viewing service have different stated date ranges. The index reaches back to 1849, while the county’s recorded-document copy page describes documents recorded since 1850 as available for viewing at either office.

Certified and Uncertified Document Copies

Copies of recorded documents can be ordered by mailing or faxing a completed order form, visiting an office, or contacting the Clerk/Recorder by telephone. The official recorded-document copy instructions provide access to the order form and explain the available request methods.

A certified copy costs $9 for the first page and $1 for each additional page. An uncertified copy costs $8 for the first page and $1 for each additional page. The fee schedule also provides for self-service, uncertified copies purchased in person at $1 per page.

Determine which type of copy you need before ordering. Certification affects the price, and the online index alone does not provide the document’s contents. For a divorce decree, court order, or probate record, contact the appropriate Superior Court division instead.

Preparing Documents for Recording

Recording requirements cover signatures, page layout, document titles, and references to earlier recordings. Review the county’s rules for recorded documents before submitting paperwork, particularly when preparing a document yourself or correcting a previous recording.

Signatures, Titles, and Page Layout

Documents presented for recording generally require original signatures unless otherwise provided by law. A certified copy is also acceptable. The first page must reserve at least the top 2½ inches for recording information. The left 3½ inches of that reserved space is used for the recording requester’s name and the name and address to which the recorded document should be returned.

Documents must have margins of at least ½ inch on both vertical sides, except within the reserved recording-information space. The document’s title or titles must appear on the first page immediately below the Recorder’s reserved area. Only titles captioned in that location will be indexed.

If the document does not meet the first-page format, attach a compliant lead sheet. Standard recording fees apply to that added page. The standard page size is 8½ by 11 inches, and the maximum recordable size is 8½ by 14 inches. If any page differs from the standard size, a $3 surcharge applies to every page or sheet in the document.

References and Re-recording Corrections

A document that modifies, releases, or cancels a previously recorded document must identify that earlier recording by Recorder identification number or book and page. This reference connects the new document with the recording it affects.

Re-recording generally requires the document to be signed again and re-acknowledged or re-verified as a new document, subject to the exceptions described in the county’s rules. One exception concerns specified minor corrections supported by a corrective affidavit.

The county identifies minor corrections as an incorrect or missing return address, an incorrect or missing printed or typed name near a signature, an incorrect or missing documentary transfer tax amount, or clarification of illegible text. The corrective affidavit must be attached to the original recorded document, identify the corrected information, be certified under penalty of perjury by the submitting party, and be acknowledged as required. Every re-recorded document also needs a compliant cover sheet stating the reason for re-recording.

Recording Fees and Payment Restrictions

The basic recording fee for a standard 8½-by-11-inch document is $20 for the first page or title, plus $3 for each additional page. Each additional title carries another $20 fee. These amounts do not necessarily represent the full charge for a particular document.

Some documents are subject to a $75 Building Homes and Jobs Act fee unless an exemption applies. The county lists a $95 first-page or title charge for documents subject to that fee. Other charges may apply for nonstandard pages, additional indexing, involuntary lien notifications, or transfer taxes.

Review the official Clerk/Recorder fee schedule for the transaction you are submitting. A preliminary 20-day notice, for example, has a listed fee of $32. Fees for filing, recording, certification, and professional registration are separate categories and should not be treated as interchangeable.

If you supply a copy of a document being recorded, the county will conform that copy with the date accepted for recording at no charge. Copies submitted by mail can also be conformed and returned without a conformance fee when a self-addressed stamped envelope is included.

Birth and Death Certificate Requests

Birth and death certificate requests depend on the event’s location, rather than the requester’s current residence. Sacramento County issues these certificates only for events that occurred within the county since 1850.

Newborn birth certificates generally become available approximately four weeks after birth. The county recommends calling to verify availability before visiting. Death certificates generally become available approximately four weeks after the date of death.

Authorized Copies and Informational Copies

Both authorized and informational copies are certified copies of the record held by the office. Their permitted uses differ. An authorized copy can establish the identity of the person named on the certificate. An informational copy cannot be used for identity purposes and carries a statement explaining that restriction.

Authorized copies are restricted to people who qualify under state law. Depending on the record, eligible requesters include the person named on a birth certificate, parents or legal guardians, specified relatives, parties entitled by court order, government representatives conducting official business, and qualifying attorneys or representatives. Eligible funeral-establishment personnel may also request authorized death certificates within the scope described by the county.

Requesters of authorized copies must sign a statement under penalty of perjury confirming their eligibility. Informational copies are available to all requesters. Choose the copy type based on both your eligibility and the purpose for which you need the document.

Applications, Identification, and Processing

The fee is $34 per birth certificate and $26 per death certificate. The county’s birth certificate instructions and death certificate instructions provide the relevant applications and request procedures.

For an in-person request, complete an application and present valid government-issued photo identification when requesting an authorized copy. The county advises allowing 20 minutes after receipt of the completed application and payment to receive the certificate.

For mailed requests, complete and print the application. Authorized-copy requests require completion of page 2 and a notarized sworn statement. Send the application, any required notarized statement, and payment to the vital-record mailing address in the final office list. This is different from the office’s general mailing address. The county advises allowing five to seven business days from receipt of the application and payment to receive certificates.

Fax requests also require the completed application and, for authorized copies, the notarized sworn statement. The county lists five to seven business days for fulfillment of regular-mail fax orders and two business days for expedited orders after receipt of the application and payment. Expedited delivery costs an additional $19.

A fee-exempt birth certificate may be available to a person, child, or youth whose homeless status is verified. The birth certificate page provides information about that option. The fee schedule also states that when a vital record cannot be located, a Certificate of Search is issued and the charge equals the applicable copy fee.

Marriage Licenses and Civil Ceremonies

A marriage license is obtained before the marriage; a marriage certificate is a copy of the marriage record. These are separate services with separate fees. The Clerk/Recorder encourages appointments for marriage licenses and can also arrange a civil marriage ceremony.

Application and In-person Requirements

The official marriage license application instructions recommend reviewing eligibility requirements and name-change information before applying. Completing the application online can save time during the office visit. A completed online application is stored for up to 60 days.

Both prospective spouses must appear together in person to obtain the license. You must complete the application and present valid identification providing photo and age verification. The county identifies a driver’s license, passport, military identification, and Resident Alien Card as acceptable examples.

Do not arrive more than 20 minutes before a scheduled appointment because of office occupancy limitations. Completing an online application does not replace the requirement for both applicants to appear at the office.

License Validity and Marriage Fees

A marriage license is valid for 90 days from issuance. If the marriage does not take place within that period, the license becomes void, and you must reapply and purchase another license. The 60-day online application storage period and the 90-day license validity period are separate deadlines.

A regular marriage license costs $97 during regular hours and $106 after regular hours. A confidential marriage license costs $98 during regular hours and $106 after regular hours. The fee for performing a civil marriage ceremony is $49. Providing a witness for a civil ceremony costs $27.

Marriage Certificate Copies and Restrictions

Sacramento County can issue marriage certificates for licenses issued in the county since 1850. For a license issued in another California county, the county directs requesters to the California Department of Public Health’s Office of Vital Records. The place where the license was issued determines whether Sacramento County holds the certificate.

For public marriage records, authorized copies are limited to qualifying requesters, including either party to the marriage, a parent or legal guardian, specified relatives, qualifying government representatives or attorneys, and parties entitled by court order. Applicants who do not qualify receive informational copies.

Confidential marriage records have stricter access rules. Authorized copies may be issued only to a party to the confidential marriage or by court order. Informational copies of confidential marriage records cannot be issued.

The fee is $19 per copy for either a public or confidential marriage certificate. The official marriage certificate request instructions provide applications for in-person, mail, and fax requests. In-person authorized-copy requests require valid government-issued photo identification. Mail and fax requests for authorized copies require the application’s sworn statement to be notarized.

The county advises allowing 20 minutes after receipt of a completed in-person application and payment. For mailed applications, allow five to seven business days from receipt of the application and payment to receive certificates. Fax orders have stated fulfillment periods of five to seven business days for regular mail or two business days for expedited orders, with an additional $19 expedited-delivery charge.

Notary Oaths and Professional Registrations

The Clerk/Recorder registers notaries public, process servers, professional photocopiers, legal document assistants, and unlawful detainer assistants. A notary appointment comes from the California Secretary of State; filing the oath and bond with the County Clerk is a separate requirement.

Notary Filing Deadline and Documents

A newly commissioned notary has 30 calendar days from the beginning of the term shown on the commission certificate to file an oath of office and surety bond. Filing must occur in the county of the notary’s principal place of business identified in the Secretary of State application. The commission does not take effect until the oath and official bond are filed.

The county states that extensions are not allowed. Missing the deadline renders the commission void, and the person may not act as a notary until obtaining a new appointment and qualifying that commission.

For an in-person filing, bring the original commission certificate, an original $15,000 notary bond signed by you as principal, two unsigned oath forms, and valid photo identification. Filing the oath and bond costs $25; recording the bond costs $20 for the first page and $3 for each additional page, including a lead page.

For filing by mail, first take the oath before a commissioned and registered notary in Sacramento County. Immediately afterward, send the commission certificate photocopy, original signed bond, two completed oath forms bearing original signatures, and filing and recording fees by certified mail to the Clerk Desk at the Main Office. When filing at the South office or after 3:00 p.m. at the Main Office, the bond recording fee must be paid by separate check or cash.

Department and Office Contacts

Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder
Main Office: 3636 American River Drive, Suite 110, Sacramento, CA 95864
Satellite Office–South: 8239 E. Stockton Boulevard, Sacramento, CA 95828
Birth, Death, and Marriage Certificate Mailing Address: 8239 East Stockton Boulevard, Suite A, Sacramento, CA 95828
General Information: (916) 874-6334
Toll Free Outside the 916 Area Code Within California: (800) 313-7133
TDD/TTY: 1-800-735-2929
California Relay Service: 711
Vital Record Applications Fax: (916) 874-0947
Notary Filing Questions: (916) 874-1645

Sacramento Superior Court, Civil Division
(916) 874-5522

Sacramento Superior Court, Probate Unit
(916) 875-3400