Los Angeles County, California Recording Fees
Recording a deed in Los Angeles County costs about $25 and a mortgage about $72 (a 2-page deed ($15 + $3 = $18, plus the $7 Fraud Notification Fee; exempt from the DA Fraud Fee and SB2 fee because it is subject to Documentary Transfer Tax) and a 16-page deed of trust ($15 + 15 x $3 = $60, plus the $7 Fraud Notification Fee and the $5 DA Fraud Fee; assumed SB2-exempt as recorded concurrently with the DTT-subject deed)), per the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's fee schedule. Base fee is $15 for the first page and $3 for each additional page (Gov. Code Sec. 27361 et seq.), for most documents including a deed or deed of trust. Several flat per-title add-on fees can apply depending on document type and exemption status; the ones a routine purchase-and-financing closing is likely to actually owe are itemized above.
Fee schedule
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Deed, first page | $15 |
| Deed, each additional page | $3 |
| Mortgage, first page | $15 |
| Mortgage, each additional page | $3 |
| Fraud Notification Fee per title, applies to a Deed, Quitclaim Deed, Deed of Trust, Notice of Default and Notice of Sale (Gov. Code Sec. 27297.6, 27387.1) | $7 |
| District Attorney Fraud Fee per title, on every real estate instrument except any 'Deed' subject to Documentary Transfer Tax (Gov. Code Sec. 27388); applies to a Deed of Trust | $5 |
| SB 2 Building Homes and Jobs Act Fee per title, capped at $225 per single transaction; exempt for a deed subject to Documentary Transfer Tax and for documents (such as a purchase-money Deed of Trust) recorded concurrently with a transfer subject to that tax (Gov. Code Sec. 27388.1) | $75 |
County transfer tax
Los Angeles County itself levies only the base countywide Documentary Transfer Tax ($0.55 per $500 of value under Rev. & Tax. Code Sec. 11911), which is already the state/county-uniform rate captured in data/transfer/california.json's state block. Los Angeles County does not add a separate county-level surtax on top of that base rate; the City of Los Angeles (and several other cities) instead levy their own additional city documentary transfer taxes, already captured in data/transfer/california.json's local[] array (Measure ULA etc.) for the city, not the county. California transfer tax →
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to record a deed in Los Angeles County?
$15 for the first page and $3 for each additional page, about $25 for a typical deed, per the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's fee schedule.
And the mortgage?
$15 for the first page and $3 per additional page, about $72 for a typical mortgage or deed of trust. The buyer pays this at closing.
Sources
Figures are computed from the documents above and rounded to the dollar. All sources.
Los Angeles County closing costs → Los Angeles County home buyer guide →
Fees as published by the recorder; e-recording and courier charges may apply. General information, not legal advice.
Los Angeles County overview