Santa Clara County Recorder Mechanics Lien Filing

You can file your mechanic liens in person at the Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder’s office located at:

70 West Hedding Street, East Wing, 1st Floor
San Jose, CA 95110
Phone: (408) 299-5688
Email: ClerkRecorder@rec.sccgov.org

Office Hours: Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

You can also send your lien documents by mail to this address:

Clerk-Recorder’s Office

ATTN: Recording
East Wing, First floor
70 West Hedding Street
San Jose, CA 95110

The Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder does not publicly disclose information on recording backlog.
However, note that documents are being mailed back approximately six to eight weeks after recording.
You may go to the Official Records search site and view the “About this Site” section and find instructions how to check the mailing date for your recorded document.

If the property is located in Santa Clara County, then yes, you will want to record your lien with the Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder’s office.

All documents presented for recording must comply with the Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder’s general requirements. They are as follows:

1. The property must be located in Santa Clara County. (CC 1169)
2. The document must be authorized or required by law to be recorded. (Govt. Code § 27201)
3. The document must be submitted with the proper fees and applicable taxes. (Govt. Codes § 6103, 27201, 27261)
4. The document must be in compliance with state and local laws.
5. The document, including the notary seal, must be legible and photographically reproducible. (Govt. Codes § 27201, 27361.6, 27361.7, 8207)
6. Unless otherwise required to do so by a state or Federal law, a document shall not be presented for recording if it displays more than the last four digits of a social security number. (CC 1798.89)
7. All re-recordings require the document to be re-signed and re-acknowledged except for those identified under Govt. Codes § 27201(c).

All documents must comply with the 8 1/2″ by 11″ standard page size and not to exceed 8 1/2″ by 14″. An additional fee will be charged for each page that is not 8 1/2″ by 11″.

If you record a document in person, the Santa Clara Clerk-Recorder’s Office will compute all fees for you.
The Recorder accepts cash, check, money order, and credit card (with $6.00 processing fee). Cards accepted includes Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.​

If you wish to record a document by mail, mail your document and payment to this address:

Clerk-Recorder’s Office

ATTN: Recording
East Wing, First floor
70 West Hedding Street
San Jose, CA 95110

If you record by mail and are unsure of the total amount owed, you may send a check with a “Not to Exceed” notation with a specific maximum amount. Write this notation below the written dollar amount line on the check. The Clerk-Recorder’s Office will enter the correct amount owed and process the payment.

If paying by check, please make all checks (cashier’s check or money order) payable to: SCC – The Clerk-Recorder’s Office​

The Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder’s basic recording fee is $25.00 for the first page and $3.00 for each additional page.

Additional Recording Fees

Non-Standard size document penalty: $3.00 for each page that is not 8 1/2″ by 11″

Release of Lien by Federal Agency – Flat Rate: $25.00

Penalty Print – more than 9 lines per vertical inch or 22 characters per horizontal inch (per page containing small print): $1.00 per page

Additional Indexing Fee: $1.00 per group of 10 names after initial 10 names

Additional Recording References: $1.00 for each additional reference after initial reference

Copy Fees

Official Copy: $10.00 for the first page and $3.00 for each additional page
Certification Fee (in addition to applicable copy fees): $2.00 per document
Conformed Copy: $5.00

You can obtain a recorded copy of your lien in person, by mail, by fax or by e-mail.

In Person

You can visit the Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder’s office in person located at:

70 W. Hedding Street, First Floor, East Wing
San Jose, CA 95110

Business Hours: 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM PST (Monday – Friday)
Phone: (408) 299-5688​

By Mail

Mail request to:

Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder’s Office
ATTN: Business Division
70 W. Hedding Street, First Floor, East Wing
San Jose, CA 95110

By Fax

Where to Fax?

(408) 280 – 1768

By E-mail

Where to Email?

Clerkrecorder@rec.sccgov.org​

Real estate records for Santa Clara County since 1850 are available after they have been recorded. These records will only be available for purchase in person or by mail.

In Person

Facilities for researching official documents and maps are available at the Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder’s office main office. Note that document contents may only be viewed at the main office, not on-line.

The Clerk-Recorder’s Office is located at:

70 W. Hedding Street, First Floor, East Wing
San Jose, CA 95110

By Mail

Mail request to:

Santa Clara County Clerk-Recorder’s Office
ATTN: Business Division
70 W. Hedding Street, First Floor, East Wing
San Jose, CA 95110

Determining whether you do or do not have a mechanics lien right can be tricky. Generally speaking, every state gives those who have furnished labor and/or materials to a construction project the right to file a mechanics lien if unpaid for the furnishing. The same is true in California. However, there are some state-specific limitations as to who is qualified to file a mechanics lien that is important when considering whether you have the right to file a mechanics lien in Santa Clara County, California.

Great and detailed information about this is available on our California Mechanics Lien Resources Page.

The fee to file a California Preliminary Notice in Santa Clara County is $125.00.