Tulare County Recorder and Deed Transfer Guide for Home Sellers

Last updated November 13, 2026. Reviewed by the Cash Home Buyers CA team. Fees and rules come from the Tulare County Assessor/Clerk-Recorder; sources are listed at the end.

When you sell a house in Tulare County, the deed to the buyer is recorded by the Tulare County Assessor/Clerk-Recorder in Visalia, and the documentary transfer tax is collected at recording. The county also announced a change that affects anyone recording a deed: starting January 1, 2027, the office will require an Assessor’s Parcel Number on every deed, deed of trust and mortgage.

Escrow normally handles all of this, but the notes below help if you prepared the deed yourself.

Tulare County Recorder at a glance

How much is the transfer tax in Tulare County?

Tulare County’s FAQ says the tax rate is $0.55 for each $500, or fractional part, of the value of the real property, less any loans assumed by the buyer. It is paid when the document transferring the property is recorded.

Every document that sells real property must carry a tax declaration on the first page. The county provides a transfer tax table and a calculator online, and the calculator needs a minimum value of $100. On a $300,000 house with no assumed loan the tax is $330.

The county also confirms that exemptions exist for specific kinds of transfer, but it does not give legal advice on whether one fits.

What will recording a deed cost in Tulare County?

The county’s fee schedule is built from state law. A single-title document normally pays $21.00 on the first page. A deed recorded in connection with a transfer subject to documentary transfer tax, and any documents recorded with it, pays the lower $14.00 first-page fee. Each added page costs $3.00.

Documents with the wrong paper size, format or quality pay an added $3.00 per page. Some real estate documents also carry a housing fee of up to $75.00 per document, capped at $225.00 per transaction.

The county warns that documents submitted with the wrong fee are returned unrecorded, so calculate carefully or ask escrow.

The new parcel number rule starting January 1, 2027

Under a new state law, SB 255, county recorders must mail a notice to property owners within 30 days after a deed, quitclaim deed, deed of trust or mortgage is recorded, starting January 1, 2027.

To prepare, Tulare County will require an Assessor’s Parcel Number on all deeds, deeds of trust and mortgages beginning on that date. Until now the office accepted these documents with a complete legal description alone.

A document submitted after January 1, 2027 without a parcel number does not meet recording requirements and cannot be processed until one is added. If you are selling in late 2026 and the deed will be recorded in 2027, include the parcel number now.

How do you record a document in Tulare County?

• In person at 5951 S. Mooney Blvd., Visalia. The office takes cash, checks and credit cards, with checks payable to the Tulare County Assessor/Clerk-Recorder.
• By mail to the same address. Mail accepts checks and money orders only, and the county is not responsible for mail delivery.
• Electronically, for authorized submitters such as title companies, lenders and government agencies.

A completed Preliminary Change of Ownership report must come with any document that changes ownership of real property. Page size, margins, return address space and legibility rules are on the county’s document recording requirements page.

How to sell a house in Tulare County when the title needs work

A sale closes only when the chain of recorded deeds is clean. If an owner has died, the seller must show authority, such as a court order or a trustee’s certification, before the deed can be recorded. If an old deed was signed and never recorded, record it first. A cash buyer can often close faster than a buyer who needs a lender, since there is no underwriting timeline.

1. Get the vesting deed and the parcel number.
2. Check for liens. Loans, tax liens and judgments are paid from escrow.
3. Decide who pays the transfer tax. Put it in the contract.
4. Let escrow submit before 3:30 p.m. That is the end of filing and recording hours.

See how we buy houses in Tulare County, or read our Tulare County property tax guide, our Tulare County probate guide and the California transfer tax report.

Have a Tulare County house with a title problem? Call (424) 435-2326 or request a cash offer. There is no cost and no obligation.

Tulare County Recorder FAQ

How much is the transfer tax in Tulare County?

It is $0.55 for each $500, or fractional part, of value, less any loans the buyer assumes. It is paid when the deed is recorded.

Where is the Tulare County Recorder?

At 5951 S. Mooney Blvd., Visalia, CA 93277. Filing and recording hours are 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Does Tulare County require a parcel number on a deed?

Starting January 1, 2027, yes. The office will require an Assessor’s Parcel Number on all deeds, deeds of trust and mortgages.

What happens if I leave out the change of ownership report?

The county charges a $20.00 penalty on a document evidencing a change in ownership that is submitted without a completed report.

Sources

• Tulare County: Recorder Fee Schedule
• Tulare County: Documentary Transfer Tax FAQ
• Tulare County: Recording a Document

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Fees and rules can change; confirm them with the Tulare County Clerk-Recorder.