Santa Barbara County, California Recording Fees
Recording a deed in Santa Barbara County costs about $17 and a mortgage about $59 (a 2-page deed ($14 + $3) and a 16-page deed of trust ($14 + 15 x $3); the SB2 fee is additional and applies once per document on most non-exempt deeds), per the Santa Barbara County Clerk-Recorder's fee schedule, effective 2026-01-01. Santa Barbara County's fee schedule effective January 1, 2026: $14.00 base fee per document where all pages measure 8.5x11 inches, and $3.00 for each additional page. The SB2 fee ($75/document, capped at $225/transaction) applies to most real estate instruments unless the transfer qualifies for an owner-occupancy exemption.
Fee schedule
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Deed, first page | $14 |
| Deed, each additional page | $3 |
| Mortgage, first page | $14 |
| Mortgage, each additional page | $3 |
| SB2 Building Homes and Jobs Act fee per document, capped at $225 per transaction on a single-parcel deed subject to the documentary transfer tax; exemptions apply for owner-occupied residential transfers | $75 |
County transfer tax
No evidence found of the City of Santa Barbara, Goleta, Lompoc or Santa Maria levying its own city documentary transfer tax on top of the base California county rate (unlike Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley and San Jose); the base $0.55 per $500 county documentary transfer tax already captured in data/transfer/california.json is the whole rate here. California transfer tax →
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to record a deed in Santa Barbara County?
$14 for the first page and $3 for each additional page, about $17 for a typical deed, per the Santa Barbara County Clerk-Recorder's fee schedule.
And the mortgage?
$14 for the first page and $3 per additional page, about $59 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.
Santa Barbara County closing costs → Santa Barbara County home buyer guide →
Fees as published by the recorder; e-recording and courier charges may apply. General information, not legal advice.
Santa Barbara County overview