Mendocino County Recorder: Search Deeds, Records and Copies
If you landed here looking for a Mendocino County deed, lien, deed of trust, reconveyance, recorded map or ownership document, the key is to start with the Recorder’s official index rather than a generic property-search website.
This guide takes you from the first name search to the document number you need, explains how to obtain the actual recorded document, shows what to do with records older than 1951, and walks through the practical requirements for submitting a document for recording.
Official Public Records index from January 1, 1951 forward.
Pre-1951 indexes back to 1859 are available in handwritten volumes at the office.
501 Low Gap Road, Room 1020, Ukiah, CA 95482.
(707) 234-6823 for Recorder contact and general record questions.
Verify recording and copy charges immediately before submitting or ordering.
Which Mendocino County office or record do you really need?
People frequently search for the “Mendocino County Recorder” when the information they need is actually controlled by another county division. Choosing the right office first can save a failed search.
Use the County Recorder’s Official Public Records index.
Follow the deed-search stepsLocate the recording number first, then order from the Recorder.
See copy ordering stepsUse the Assessor rather than the recorded-document index.
Choose the correct property officeUse the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s public access system.
Open the tax routeReview the Recorder requirements, PCOR rules and current fees first.
Prepare a recordingResearch the handwritten index volumes maintained at the Recorder office.
Research historical recordsHow to search Mendocino County deeds and recorded documents online
Mendocino County uses an official EagleWeb index for public recorded-document searches. The online index covers documents recorded from January 1, 1951 to the present. It is primarily a document index: your goal is to identify the correct recording and capture its document number, recording date, parties and document type.
Open Mendocino County EagleWeb
Open EagleWeb login
How to search grantor and grantee names without missing the deed
The Recorder’s search help contains several techniques that are particularly useful when a simple owner-name search produces too many results—or no result at all.
Use the correct search mode
In a Basic name search, enter a person’s surname first. The sequence matters. An Advanced search is more flexible because the order of words does not matter in the same way.
When spelling is uncertain, EagleWeb supports the wildcard character *. A shortened search such as Ander* can help locate Anderson, Andersen or another indexed variation.
Advanced searches also support operators. A + can require a word to appear, while a - can exclude a word. Use these carefully when a business or family name returns a long result list.
| What you know | Best first search | What to do next |
|---|---|---|
| Document number | Search the document number directly. | Confirm parties and recording date, then order or view the document. |
| Current or former owner | Grantor/Grantee name search. | Filter by approximate year and deed type if results are broad. |
| Approximate sale year | Owner name plus a date range. | Look for Grant Deed, Quitclaim Deed or another transfer instrument. |
| Only a street address | First use an official property/tax lookup. | Identify an owner or parcel, then search that party name in EagleWeb. |
| Business or trust name | Try exact name, shortened name and spelling variations. | For older entries, also test common abbreviations. |
| Nothing but parcel location | Use county Assessor or tax resources first. | Bring the resulting owner/APN clues back to the recorded-document index. |
How to order a Mendocino County deed or recorded-document copy
Finding an index entry is only the first half of many searches. If you need the deed’s legal description, vesting language, signatures, transfer statements, recorded easements or other terms, obtain the actual document.
Check the official Recorder fee schedule
The current county schedule lists $5 for the first page of an official record or small map and $1 for each additional page of the same document.
The Recorder schedule currently lists an additional $1 certification charge per document. Confirm whether the agency receiving your copy requires certification.
Different copy charges apply to large ledgers and large maps, so identify the type of record before estimating the total.
How to find Mendocino County records recorded before 1951
The online index does not represent the beginning of Mendocino County’s land records. The County Recorder states that records before 1951, going back to 1859, are indexed in handwritten volumes that can be examined in the Ukiah office at no cost.
Start online with EagleWeb. Search principal party names, document number, type and approximate date.
Use the historical handwritten index volumes maintained at the Recorder’s office. Bring names and an approximate year range to make the search more manageable.
What to bring for an older-record search
The Recorder also maintains a cumulative map index for subdivision maps, parcel maps, surveys and assessment districts. If your research is about a map rather than a deed, tell staff that specifically.
How to prepare a deed or other document for the Mendocino County Recorder
Recording a document is different from searching for one. The Recorder’s job is to examine presented documents for statutory recording requirements, collect applicable recording charges and transfer taxes, preserve the instrument and index it. Recorder staff cannot choose a legal form for you or advise you how to complete it.
Open official Recorder resources
Open the county PCOR form
Review Mendocino County SB2 information
Check current recording fees
Mendocino County Recorder fees to know before recording or ordering
The following amounts are from the county’s current Recorder fee page. Recording costs can be document-specific, and state or county changes can occur, so use this as a planning reference and confirm the amount immediately before submission.
| Service or charge | Current listed amount | Practical meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Regular recording — first 8½ × 11 page | $13 | Base first-page charge shown on the county Recorder fee schedule. |
| Each additional page | $3 | Added for additional pages in the recorded instrument. |
| Additional title in a combined document | $13 | A document containing multiple separately indexed titles can incur additional base charges. |
| Additional indexed reference | $1 | May apply when additional referenced documents require indexing. |
| Transfer recorded without required PCOR | $20 | Additional fee listed for a title-transfer document lacking the required Preliminary Change of Ownership Report. |
| SB2 / Building Homes and Jobs fee | $75 when applicable | Potential additional charge; exemptions exist and should be documented correctly. |
| Official record / small map copy — first page | $5 | Current listed first-page copy charge. |
| Additional page of same official record | $1 | Added for each subsequent page of that document. |
| Certification | $1 per document | Additional charge to certify a copy. |
How to trace ownership history through Mendocino County recorded deeds
If your goal is more than finding one deed, the grantor/grantee index can help reconstruct a sequence of recorded transfers. This is useful for preliminary research, but it is not the same thing as a professional title examination.
Mendocino County Recorder vs. Assessor, Tax Collector and Planning
One of the most common reasons a county-record search feels difficult is that no single office maintains every type of property information. Use this routing table before spending time in the wrong portal.
| Your question | Correct office | What to use |
|---|---|---|
| Who is named in a recorded deed? | County Recorder | Official Public Records index |
| I need a deed, lien, reconveyance or recorded map. | County Recorder | Public Records guide |
| What is the parcel’s assessed value? | County Assessor | Assessor services and parcel tools |
| What property taxes are due or paid? | Treasurer-Tax Collector | Property tax public access |
| What is the zoning or allowed land use? | Planning & Building Services | Planning Division tools |
| I need a court judgment, lawsuit or court file. | Mendocino County Superior Court | Court records requests |
Why your Mendocino County deed search may return no result
The Recorder index is organized around recorded documents and principal-party names. Identify an owner or parcel through an Assessor/tax resource first.
Try prior surnames, middle initials, trust names, business entities and spelling variations.
For pre-2018 records, test older abbreviations. For records before 1951, use the handwritten office indexes rather than EagleWeb.
Documents may record days, months or years after the event you are thinking of. Broaden the range before assuming the record does not exist.
If Grantor produces nothing, try Grantee or the combined Grantor/Grantee field.
A mortgage payoff may appear as a reconveyance; a transfer may be a quitclaim deed, trustee’s deed or another instrument rather than a generic “deed.”
Mendocino County Recorder office address, hours and contact details
Room 1020
Ukiah, CA 95482
- Recorder phone: (707) 234-6823
- Department email: acr@mendocinocounty.gov
- General hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
- Copy processing: County department page says copy orders are processed until 4:45 p.m.
- Search EagleWeb first and bring the document number.
- For a recording, confirm the exact current fee.
- Bring the PCOR when required for a transfer.
- Check whether an SB2 fee or exemption applies.
- Check the Recorder page for temporary counter restrictions.
- Do not expect staff to select or legally interpret a deed form for you.
Mendocino County Recorder FAQs
What is the official Mendocino County Recorder deed search?
The official online recorded-document search is the Mendocino County Clerk-Recorder EagleWeb system at recorder.mendocinocounty.gov. It provides an index of recorded documents from January 1, 1951 forward.
Can I search Mendocino County deeds by street address?
The Recorder’s index is primarily searched by grantor/grantee name, document number, document type and date information rather than as an address-first property-search system. If you only know the address, use an official county Assessor or property-tax resource to identify the owner or parcel first, then search the relevant name in EagleWeb.
How far back do Mendocino County deed records go?
The online Recorder index covers 1951 to the present. The county says older records going back to 1859 are indexed in handwritten volumes that can be examined in the Recorder’s Ukiah office.
Can I see the actual Mendocino County deed image online?
The county explains that recorded-document images are not displayed publicly online. Use the online index to identify the document, then view it at the Recorder’s office or request a copy.
How do I order a copy of a Mendocino County deed?
First find the document number in EagleWeb. The county’s Public Records page lists (707) 234-6824 for ordering document or map copies, while the Recorder’s general number is (707) 234-6823. Have the recording number and document details ready.
How much does a deed copy cost?
The current Recorder fee page lists $5 for the first page of an official record or small map and $1 for each additional page of the same document. Certification is currently listed at $1 per document. Verify the fee schedule before ordering because fees can change.
What is the Mendocino County Recorder’s address?
The office is at 501 Low Gap Road, Room 1020, Ukiah, California 95482. General department hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., although temporary recording-counter restrictions may apply.
Why can I not find an old bank, company or trust in the index?
Mendocino County notes that older index entries used many abbreviations because of historical electronic-space limitations. For a pre-2018 search, test shortened versions of words such as Bank, Company and Trustee as well as the full entity name.
Does the Recorder show current assessed value or tax balances?
No. The Recorder maintains recorded instruments. Assessed value and parcel assessment functions belong to the Mendocino County Assessor, while tax bills and payments belong to the Treasurer-Tax Collector.
Can Recorder staff tell me which deed form I should use?
No. Mendocino County expressly states that Recorder staff cannot provide legal advice, including advice about which form you need or how to complete it. For legal consequences or ownership questions, use a qualified professional.
Use the Recorder index first, then obtain the document you actually need
For most Mendocino County deed and land-record questions, the practical workflow is simple: search the official Recorder index, verify the names and recording date, capture the document number, and then obtain the underlying record if the contents matter.
If the search starts with only an address, do not force the Recorder portal to behave like a property database. Use an official Assessor or tax resource to identify the parcel or likely owner, then return to EagleWeb. For historical records before 1951, move the research to the handwritten index volumes at the Ukiah office.
If you are recording a new deed, confirm the document’s legal preparation outside the Recorder’s office, prepare the PCOR when required, review SB2 treatment, check the current fee schedule and verify counter hours before submitting.