SB 255 California Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

County recorders: notification.

Summary

Existing law establishes the office of county recorder and requires the county recorder to accept for recordation any instrument, paper, or notice that is authorized or required to be recorded, subject to the collection of specified fees. Existing law requires the county recorder to maintain various indices of specified documents and records. Existing law authorizes the county recorder, following adoption of an authorizing resolution by the board of supervisors, within 30 days of recordation of a deed, quitclaim, or deed of trust, to notify by mail the party or parties executing the document. Existing law authorizes the recorder to require, as a condition of recording, that a deed, quitclaim, or deed of trust indicate the assessor's identification number or numbers that fully contain the real property described in the legal description, in accordance with a specified format. Existing law also authorizes the Los Angeles County Recorder, until January 1, 2030, and subject to authorization by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, to provide notice by mail to the party or parties subject to a notice of default or notice of sale of a property within a prescribed timeframe following recordation. This bill would require, on or before January 1, 2027, each county within the state to establish a recorder notification program and the board of supervisors of each county to adopt an authorizing resolution for these purposes. Pursuant to the program and following the adoption of an authorizing resolution, the county recorder, or a designee authorized by the county board of supervisors, would be required, within 30 days of recordation of a deed, quitclaim deed, mortgage, or deed of trust, to notify the parties executing the document by mail in accordance with certain procedures. The bill would also authorize the county recorder, in addition to the mailed notice, to establish an electronic notification program. The bill would create an exemption from these requirements for the recordation of certain documents where a state or local government is the grantee. The bill would also authorize the county recorder to collect a fee from the party filing the deed, quitclaim deed, mortgage, or deed of trust in an amount that does not exceed the reasonable costs of services of the county to comply with these provisions. The bill would create an exception from these requirements for the above-described notification program for the County of Los Angeles. By imposing new duties on county officials and employees, the bill would create a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Jul 2025

Senate Passage

Aug 2025

Assembly Passage

Sep 2025

Signed into Law

Oct 2025

Introduced Feb 3, 2025 Signed Oct 6, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 6 comparisons

What changed between versions

10/06/25 - Chaptered → SB255 · 1 edit

MINOR

No substantive policy changes were made between these two versions. The diff reflects a change in document format from the official chaptered legislative document (with page numbers and formal state header) to the California Legislature website's web-based bill text display, which adds navigation elements, search tools, and metadata fields. All statutory language, including the digest, Sections 1 through 3, and all subsections of Section 27297.7, is identical in both versions.

TECHNICAL

The document was reformatted from the official chaptered version (with state header, page numbers, and formal layout) to the California Legislature website's web-based display format, which includes navigation menus, search fields, bill metadata (vote type, appropriation status, fiscal committee flag, local program flag), and version history links. No statutory text was altered.

03/24/25 - Amended Senate → 06/09/25 - Amended Assembly · 6 edits · Jun 9, 2025

MODERATE

The Assembly simplified SB 255 by removing two additional code sections (27297.8 and 27387.2) that had been added in the Senate version, consolidating all requirements into a single section (27297.7). The primary notification method is now clearly mail-only (with electronic as an optional add-on), and new specificity was added requiring assessor's parcel numbers to appear on the first page of recorded documents and that notices be sent to the tax bill mailing address.

Scope change

The bill's scope narrowed from three new or amended code sections to a single section (27297.7). The removed Section 27297.8 had offered an alternative notification pathway with electronic communication as a co-equal method; the Assembly version makes mail the sole required method with electronic notification only as an optional supplement.

SCOPE

Removed the addition of Section 27297.8, which had provided an alternative notification framework allowing notice by mail or electronic communication (with party agreement) and covering deeds, quitclaim deeds, and deeds of trust but not mortgages.

The bill's operative description changed from 'add Sections 27297.8 and 27387.2 and repeal and add Section 27297.7' to simply 'repeal and add Section 27297.7,' reflecting the consolidation into a single section.

FISCAL

Removed the addition of Section 27387.2, which had been a separate fee authorization for the program under the now-removed Section 27297.8. Fee authority is now solely in Section 27297.7(f).

Expanded the fee cap language from 'reasonable regulatory costs to the county to comply with this section' to 'reasonable regulatory costs to the county costs of services of the county to provide a recorder notification program and to comply with this section,' potentially broadening what costs can be recovered through the fee.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement that if assessor's identification numbers are required, they must be listed on the first page of the document, and the recorder may rely on those numbers as indicated.

Added specificity that notification must be sent to the address for mailing tax bills that was established prior to recording of the document.

02/03/25 - Introduced → 03/24/25 - Amended Senate · 7 edits · Mar 24, 2025

MODERATE

The amended version significantly expands SB 255 by adding a new Section 27297.7 that requires all counties to establish a recorder notification program by January 1, 2027, adds mortgages to the list of covered documents, authorizes electronic notification programs, and includes liability protections for county recorders. It also modifies fee provisions to require board of supervisors authorization and a 120-day public notice period before fees can be charged, and exempts counties already operating under an existing program (Section 27297.6).

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include mortgages as covered documents, added a specific compliance deadline (January 1, 2027), authorized electronic notification as an additional channel, and carved out an exemption for counties already operating under Section 27297.6 (which the digest identifies as relevant to Los Angeles County).

SCOPE

New Section 27297.7 added requiring each county to establish a recorder notification program by January 1, 2027, with notification sent to the tax bill mailing address established prior to recording.

Mortgages are now included alongside deeds, quitclaim deeds, and deeds of trust as documents triggering the notification requirement throughout the bill.

REQUIREMENT

County recorders may now establish an electronic notification program in addition to the required mailed notice.

Contracts for processing or mailing notices must be awarded by competitive bid, with written bids solicited in a newspaper of general circulation and publicly opened.

ENFORCEMENT

New liability protection: failure of the county recorder to provide notice shall not result in liability against the recorder or the county. Returned undeliverable notices need not be retained.

FISCAL

Fee collection now requires board of supervisors authorization and a 120-day public notice period before fees can be charged to filers.

ELIGIBILITY

Counties that already operate a notification program under Section 27297.6 are exempt from the new requirements.

Floor votes · Senate May 8, 2025 · Assembly Jul 17, 2025

How they voted

36–0

Passed · 4 other

Total votes 40

May 8, 2025

D Democratic30

27 Yea 3

90% Yea

R Republican10

9 Yea 1

90% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Oct 6, 2025

Signed into law

Approved by the Governor.

legislature

Sep 11, 2025

Upper · Passed

Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2928.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

upper

Sep 3, 2025

Introduced

In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

upper

Sep 2, 2025

Lower · Passed

Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 2818.) Ordered to the Senate.

lower

Aug 27, 2025

Lower · Passed

Read third time and amended.

lower

Aug 21, 2025

Upper · Passed

Action rescinded whereby bill was read third time, passed, and ordered to Senate.

upper

Jul 17, 2025

Introduced

In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

upper

Jul 17, 2025

Lower · Passed

Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 75. Noes 0. Page 2595.) Ordered to the Senate.

lower

Jul 9, 2025

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass. Ordered to consent calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (July 9).

lower

Jun 24, 2025

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (June 24). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

Jun 18, 2025

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 10. Noes 0.) (June 18). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

lower

Jun 9, 2025

Lower · Passed

From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.

lower

May 29, 2025

Committee

Referred to Coms. on L. GOV. and JUD.

lower

May 8, 2025

Upper · Passed

Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 36. Noes 0. Page 1050.) Ordered to the Assembly.

upper

May 5, 2025

Upper · Passed

From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8 and ordered to consent calendar.

upper

Apr 23, 2025

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To consent calendar. (Ayes 13. Noes 0. Page 833.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

upper

Apr 3, 2025

Upper · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 637.) (April 2). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

upper

Mar 24, 2025

Upper · Passed

From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on L. GOV.

upper

Mar 13, 2025

Upper · Passed

March 19 hearing postponed by committee.

upper

Feb 14, 2025

Committee

Referred to Coms. on L. GOV. and JUD.

upper

Feb 3, 2025

Introduced

Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors