State directory · California
California runs on a different model: a state-mandated mailed notice (SB 255), with a few counties offering true opt-in alerts on top. Each verified county below is labeled exactly as it is.
the County Recorder (in some counties, a combined Clerk-Recorder)
14 verified
SB 255 Recorder Notification Programs in every county by January 1, 2027 — a mailed notice, not an email alert
Free
California must be described precisely, because most coverage gets it wrong. SB 255 (Gov. Code § 27297.7) requires every county recorder to mail a notice to the parties who executed a recorded document, within 30 days — there is no enrollment and no email. Los Angeles County is exempt because it already runs real notification programs, and a handful of counties offer true opt-in alerts on top of the state minimum. The table below marks each verified California county exactly as it is: a true alert, or the mail-notice program.
Every row below was verified against an official county, court, or state source in October 2026. If a signup page has moved, tell us at help@doogex.com — corrections are folded into our quarterly re-check.
| County / district | Status | Service | Run by | How you are notified | Signup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda | Mail notice | Recorder Notification Program (SB 255) The District Attorney's real estate fraud page says the county alerts owners of recording activity on their property and to use the phone number in the notice - consistent with a mailed notice, not an opt-in email service. No opt-in enrollment verified. Plus SB 255. SB 255 (Gov. Code 27297.7) requires every California county to run a Recorder Notification Program by Jan. 1, 2027: the recorder mails a notice within 30 days of recording a deed, quitclaim deed, mortgage or deed of trust to the parties who executed it. It is automatic mail - not an opt-in email alert and there is nothing to sign up for. | Alameda County Clerk-Recorder | mail (automatic - no sign-up) | — |
| Contra Costa | Free alert | Real Estate Recording Notification Alert Both layers: since 2011 the Recorder automatically mails a bilingual letter with a copy of the document when title is affected, AND the official Fraud Protection page says the linked Real Estate Fraud Notification Alert page lets you sign up for notification if a document is recorded with your name or parcel number. Classified alert because a real opt-in exists in addition to the mail letter. | Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder (with District Attorney) | sign-up notification, plus automatic mail letter | Official page ↗ |
| El Dorado | Free alert | Property Monitoring Service Launched Dec. 18, 2025. Free tier monitors title/public records, listings and dark web, with email notifications, a monthly analysis and a risk assessment. A paid EquityProtect premium upsell exists for medium/high-risk owners - the county-linked free monitoring is the DeedWatch entry; flag the upsell honestly in any listing copy. | El Dorado County Recorder-Clerk | Official page ↗ | |
| Fresno | Free alert | Property Owner's Protection Alert (POPA) Free opt-in email service with 5,000+ subscribers, per the county. Enroll through the Recorder's self-service pages, linked from fresnocountyca.gov. | Fresno County Assessor-Recorder | — | |
| Kern | Mail notice | Recorder Notification Program (SB 255) No opt-in email alert verified on official county sources. Coverage is the SB 255 mail program, launching by Jan. 1, 2027. Note: a widely syndicated SB 255 board-adoption story with a $6 fee is about Kings County, not Kern - it was not used for Kern. SB 255 (Gov. Code 27297.7) requires every California county to run a Recorder Notification Program by Jan. 1, 2027: the recorder mails a notice within 30 days of recording a deed, quitclaim deed, mortgage or deed of trust to the parties who executed it. It is automatic mail - not an opt-in email alert and there is nothing to sign up for. | Kern County Assessor-Recorder | mail (automatic - no sign-up) | — |
| Los Angeles | Free alert | Homeowner Alert / Property Owner e-Notification Two distinct things: (1) the Registrar-Recorder's Homeowner Notification Program automatically mails copies of recorded documents (grant/quitclaim deeds and deeds of trust within 30 days; notices of default/sale faster) - no sign-up; (2) the Assessor's opt-in e-Notification, now branded Homeowner Alert, adds email/text within about 48 hours after you create an Assessor portal profile and add your AIN. LA is exempt from SB 255 because it already runs its own program. | Los Angeles County Assessor (with Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk) | email or text | Official page ↗ |
| Orange | Mail notice | Real Property Fraud Prevention Courtesy Notice Courtesy notices are automatically mailed when grant deeds, quitclaim deeds, trustee's deeds or notices of default are recorded, with a copy of the first page. No opt-in email alert was verified on the official Clerk-Recorder site - the Real Estate Fraud Alert page instead advises checking the Grantor/Grantee Index yourself. Plus the SB 255 mail program. SB 255 (Gov. Code 27297.7) requires every California county to run a Recorder Notification Program by Jan. 1, 2027: the recorder mails a notice within 30 days of recording a deed, quitclaim deed, mortgage or deed of trust to the parties who executed it. It is automatic mail - not an opt-in email alert and there is nothing to sign up for. | Orange County Clerk-Recorder | mail (automatic - no sign-up) | Official page ↗ |
| Riverside | Mail notice | Recording Notification Service (courtesy mail notice) County program mails a courtesy notice to the property owner after a deed or similar ownership instrument is recorded, with instructions for the DA real estate fraud unit. No opt-in email alert verified. Plus the SB 255 mail program. SB 255 (Gov. Code 27297.7) requires every California county to run a Recorder Notification Program by Jan. 1, 2027: the recorder mails a notice within 30 days of recording a deed, quitclaim deed, mortgage or deed of trust to the parties who executed it. It is automatic mail - not an opt-in email alert and there is nothing to sign up for. | Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder | mail (automatic - no sign-up) | — |
| Sacramento | Mail notice | Recorder Notification Program (SB 255) No opt-in email alert verified on official county sources. Coverage is the SB 255 mail program, launching by Jan. 1, 2027. SB 255 (Gov. Code 27297.7) requires every California county to run a Recorder Notification Program by Jan. 1, 2027: the recorder mails a notice within 30 days of recording a deed, quitclaim deed, mortgage or deed of trust to the parties who executed it. It is automatic mail - not an opt-in email alert and there is nothing to sign up for. | Sacramento County Clerk/Recorder | mail (automatic - no sign-up) | — |
| San Bernardino | Mail notice | Real Estate Fraud Prevention Courtesy Notification Program Since 2017 the county mails an informational letter plus the first two pages of the recorded document to the original title holder for deeds, deeds of trust, foreclosures and loan modifications. No opt-in email alert verified. Plus the SB 255 mail program. SB 255 (Gov. Code 27297.7) requires every California county to run a Recorder Notification Program by Jan. 1, 2027: the recorder mails a notice within 30 days of recording a deed, quitclaim deed, mortgage or deed of trust to the parties who executed it. It is automatic mail - not an opt-in email alert and there is nothing to sign up for. | San Bernardino County Assessor-Recorder-Clerk (with District Attorney) | mail (automatic - no sign-up) | Official page ↗ |
| San Diego | Free alert | Owner Alert Free opt-in Recording Notification Service: email within about 48 hours when a document is recorded on a registered name or APN. Enrollment portal address as published in county-district-attorney reporting in The Star-News. | San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk | Official page ↗ | |
| San Francisco | Mail notice | Recorder Notification Program (SB 255) No opt-in email alert verified on official sf.gov / Assessor-Recorder sources. Coverage is the SB 255 mail program, launching by Jan. 1, 2027. SB 255 (Gov. Code 27297.7) requires every California county to run a Recorder Notification Program by Jan. 1, 2027: the recorder mails a notice within 30 days of recording a deed, quitclaim deed, mortgage or deed of trust to the parties who executed it. It is automatic mail - not an opt-in email alert and there is nothing to sign up for. | City and County of San Francisco Assessor-Recorder | mail (automatic - no sign-up) | — |
| Santa Clara | Mail notice | Recorder Notification Program (SB 255) No opt-in email alert verified on official county sources; the DA Real Estate Fraud Unit takes written complaints only. Coverage is the SB 255 mail program. SB 255 (Gov. Code 27297.7) requires every California county to run a Recorder Notification Program by Jan. 1, 2027: the recorder mails a notice within 30 days of recording a deed, quitclaim deed, mortgage or deed of trust to the parties who executed it. It is automatic mail - not an opt-in email alert and there is nothing to sign up for. | Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder | mail (automatic - no sign-up) | — |
| Ventura | Free alert | Fraud Notify Free opt-in email alert: register your name in the self-service portal and opt in; you are emailed when a document recorded with your name is filed. The county also separately mails fraud-prevention notices for quitclaim deeds, transfer-on-death deeds and notices of default (since 2013). | Ventura County Clerk-Recorder | Official page ↗ |
Swipe sideways to see the whole table →
SB 255 notices are mailed within 30 days after a covered recording — there is nothing to sign up for, and it is not an email alert. Our SB 255 guide explains the law, the Los Angeles exemption, and why California owners should add the deed self-check on top.
The County Recorder (in some counties, a combined Clerk-Recorder). That office — not a title company and not any website — is the only authority on its own records and its own alert program.
Yes. Every service in the table above is a government program offered at no charge by the recording office or its chosen platform. If a page ever asks you to pay to enroll in a county alert, you are on the wrong page — come back to the official link here.
No. DeedWatch is a directory and a guide. You enroll with the California office or its platform directly, and that program — not us — sends the alerts. We never see your recordings.
Use the deed self-check routine: pull your own record on a set schedule, keep your tax mailing address current, and know the first steps if a filing ever surprises you. The Setup Kit writes the whole routine out, county by county.
The Setup Kit covers what a directory listing can't: enrolling every version of your name, every property in every county, the deed self-check, and the first-72-hours playbook. One $39 payment — the California alert itself stays free.