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San Francisco County, California · Personal and public records

Record or find a deed in San Francisco County

Recording requirements and document copies

1 provider · 3 official links (1 online) · 6 reviewed requirements · sources checked October 15, 2026

In San Francisco County, 1 county department publishes 3 official links for this service, 1 of them online. Reviewed requirements cover availability notices (3), eligibility (2) and documents (1). 1 provider publishes reviewed fee items and 1 provider lists forms on its guide.

These are the San Francisco County providers with a reviewed service link for this task. Other offices may also help, and a provider may serve only part of the county: check each service area. Fees and forms stay on each office’s guide, where their sources are cited.
County government

Assessor-Recorder

Recorded-document copies — online and counter options (opens in a new tab)Official instructions

City and County instructions for recorded-document searches, free previews, regular copies and certified copies. Online records start in 1990; preview registration, guest purchasing, certification and non-online prices have separate rules.

Availability · Earlier recorded documents — before 1990
Search documents from before January 1, 1990 at City Hall. The online Records Manager is described as covering 1990 onward.
Source & saved evidence

City and County of San Francisco — Assessor-Recorder · San Francisco — copies instructions (current official service page) (opens in a new tab)

County Recorder — Earlier recorded documents — before 1990

Documents recorded prior to January 1, 1990 can only be searched in our office at City Hall.

Agent source review: October 15, 2026 · Snapshot f3f85aad03341532

Availability · Certified-copy delivery
Certified copies are not available for instant online download. Do not treat regular-copy download as certified-copy delivery.
Source & saved evidence

City and County of San Francisco — Assessor-Recorder · San Francisco — copies instructions (current official service page) (opens in a new tab)

County Recorder — Certified-copy delivery

Certified copies are not available for instant download online.

Agent source review: October 15, 2026 · Snapshot f3f85aad03341532

Before you start · 2 requirements & conditions
Eligibility & access · Free preview registration versus guest purchase
Free document previews require a registered account and ID verification. You can instead continue as a guest to purchase records; these are different access options.
Source & saved evidence

City and County of San Francisco — Assessor-Recorder · San Francisco — copies instructions (current official service page) (opens in a new tab)

County Recorder — Free preview registration versus guest purchase

To preview records, you need to become a registered user, which includes ID verification. Once you are in the Records Manager tool and have found your document, you will be prompted to log-in to or create a registered user account. If you don’t want to register, you can continue as a guest and purchase records.

Agent source review: October 15, 2026 · Snapshot f3f85aad03341532

Information & documents · Recorder search identifiers — address search unavailable
Search by name, document number, document type or APN/block and lot. The Recorder search does not support property-address searches.
Source & saved evidence

City and County of San Francisco — Assessor-Recorder · San Francisco — copies instructions (current official service page) (opens in a new tab)

County Recorder — Recorder search identifiers — address search unavailable

Search for recorded documents by name, document number, document type, or by using the Assessor's Parcel Number (APN, which is also known as the Assessor's Block and Lot Number). Please note that this search tool does not allow searches by property address.

Agent source review: October 15, 2026 · Snapshot f3f85aad03341532

Source & saved evidence

City and County of San Francisco — Assessor-Recorder · San Francisco — copies instructions (current official service page) (opens in a new tab)

County Recorder — Recorded-document copies — online and counter options

You can purchase regular or certified copies of records and also view records for free online.

Agent source review: October 15, 2026 · Snapshot f3f85aad03341532

Open the Records Manager — index and copies (opens in a new tab)Online service

Official Recorder search and copy-ordering gateway. Free previews require registered-user ID verification; guest copy purchases are a separate option.

Source & saved evidence

City and County of San Francisco — Assessor-Recorder · San Francisco — copies instructions (current official service page) (opens in a new tab)

County Recorder — Open the Records Manager — index and copies

Records Manager

Agent source review: October 15, 2026 · Snapshot f3f85aad03341532

Record a document — City Hall and mail instructions (opens in a new tab)Official instructions

Separate instructions for presenting documents at City Hall or by mail, with requirements and approved-entity eRecording information.

Availability · In-person document recording window
The document-recording window is 8 a.m.–4 p.m.; the general office’s later closing time is a separate schedule.
Source & saved evidence

City and County of San Francisco — Assessor-Recorder · San Francisco — recording instructions (current official service page) (opens in a new tab)

County Recorder — In-person document recording window

our recording window is open from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Agent source review: October 15, 2026 · Snapshot eee6143145bc4bcf

Before you start · 1 requirement & conditions
Eligibility & access · Electronic recording — approved entities and agents
The county’s eRecording process requires qualifying entities, insurance requirements and an MOU with the office and a partner agent. It is not the public Records Manager copy-order workflow.
Source & saved evidence

City and County of San Francisco — Assessor-Recorder · San Francisco — recording instructions (current official service page) (opens in a new tab)

County Recorder — Electronic recording — approved entities and agents

Entities that are interested in signing up for e-recording must demonstrate the minimum insurance requirements and enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with our office and one of our 9 partner e-recording agents.

Agent source review: October 15, 2026 · Snapshot eee6143145bc4bcf

Source & saved evidence

City and County of San Francisco — Assessor-Recorder · San Francisco — recording instructions (current official service page) (opens in a new tab)

County Recorder — Record a document — City Hall and mail instructions

Recording a document

Agent source review: October 15, 2026 · Snapshot eee6143145bc4bcf

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