Welcome to Clerk, Recorder, Assessor and Elections Offices!
Our mission is to help you at significant times throughout your life - from birth to death - when you purchase a new home, open a business, want to get married in a civil ceremony, or need a passport for that once-in-a-lifetime trip - just to name a few. Make history without leaving your doorstep! Be a Permanent Vote by Mail Voter Vote By Mail Information
	Joseph E. Holland Elected - March 5, 2002 Biography

NEWS:

 $1.00 Fee Increase to Redact Social Security Information
California Government Code section 27361 (d) establishes a $1.00 recording fee to redact Social Security information from the Recorders Official Records retroactive to 1980. The County's Board of Supervisors will consider adopting the $1.00 fee increase on 4/22/2008, effective May 1st, 2008. This fee will be applicable for all official records. To see Recorder's Fee Schedule, click here.

 Informal Assessment Reviews for January 1, 2008
Proposition 8 and Section 51 of the California Revenue and Taxation Code provides that the assessed value of any property shall not exceed its full market value on January 1. If you believe that your assessed value is higher than your property's market value please contact the Assessor's office nearest you in either Santa Maria, Lompoc or Santa Barbara and ask to speak with an appraiser. If after speaking with a representative from the Assessor's staff you find that you continue to disagree with the valuation, you may wish to complete a Request for Informal Review form. Please complete this form and include any evidence that the full market value of your property on January 1st, 2008 should be less than your assessed value. You will be notified of the results of the review no later than July 2008. Any changes will be reflected on the fiscal year July 2008 to June 2009 tax bills that will be issued in October of 2008.

 Commissioner of Civil Marriages for Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara County Clerk Recorder is designated as the Commissioner of Civil Marriages for Santa Barbara County. As the Commissioner of Civil Marriages, the Clerk Recorder may appoint individuals as Deputy Civil Marriage Commissioners in order to marry specific couples (pursuant to California Family Code Section 401(a) & (b) and County Code Sec. 2-10.7, pursuant to Government Code 26861). This means that your friend or family member may be appointed as a Deputy Civil Marriage Commissioner for a Day and perform your marriage. Click here for more information.

ASSESSOR Division

  Real Estate Services

The Real Estate Services page is an effort to have a number of tools and information available in one location for the real estate sector in our community, whether youre a realtor, title company, or the general public. Our goal is to develop this page from your input, so please let us know what you would like to see in this section.

Send Feedback

 Business Property eFiling

The e-Filing system will be available on an annual basis between February and May 7.

Property Tax Programs

The Assessors Office has various programs to reduce your property tax bill. You may qualify for a Homeowners Exemption (property tax relief). If you are a veteran, senior, disabled, low-income, living in the home as a principal residence, or using the property for non-profit or other charitable purpose, the Assessors Office can help you learn if you qualify for these or other forms of tax relief. Consult our web page and call (805) 568-2550.

Highlighted Programs: The following propositions were adopted by California voters to allow property owners to transfer Prop. 13 factored base year values or to exclude certain events from reassessment. Find out how to qualify for these tax-savings benefits by clicking on the links below:

• Property Owners At Least 55 - Years Old (within county) Prop. 60
• Parent-Child Transfer  Prop. 58
• Grandparent-Grandchild Transfer  Prop. 193

Click here for an overview of the property tax highlights in Santa Barbara County.

ELECTIONS Division

If you turned 18, moved, or changed your name since the last election, you need to re-register. If you want to make your life easier request a permanent absentee ballot. There is no longer any excuse not to vote.

Register to Vote

Vote By Mail

Statewide Direct Primary Election

Laws effective July 1st, 2003, protect your birth and death records from identity theft. You will need a notarized certificate of identity in order to get a copy of your records. If you are getting married, you both need to bring official, photo identification to apply for a certificate good for 90 days. Whatever legally recorded documents you need business names, oaths, and others, we are here to help.