Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 2, 2026.
Los Altos, California, in Santa Clara County, has about 31,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). The title to a parcel in Los Altos is in the deed records of the County Recorder and its taxable value is set by the County Assessor; what is built on it is a matter for the city. This guide says who keeps each record and where the page for each office is.
This guide covers deeds, assessed values, city permits and records, evictions and court cases, records requests and common questions.
Related guides: Los Altos public records, Santa Clara County property records, Los Altos arrest records, Los Altos warrants, Los Altos inmate search, Los Altos criminal records, California arrest records and California inmate search.
Deeds, Mortgages and Liens in Los Altos
Deeds, mortgages, liens and easements that affect title to land in Los Altos are recorded by the County Recorder, which indexes them by name and sells copies.
SearchSystems opened and checked the County Recorder's page at clerkrecorder.santaclaracounty.gov/official-records (page title: Official records | Office of the County Clerk-Recorder | County of Santa Clara), a site that blocks automated checks (HTTP 403), so open it in a browser.
Assessed Values and the Tax Roll in Los Altos
What a parcel in Los Altos is taxed on is the business of the County Assessor, which also keeps the parcel maps. Under Proposition 13 a property's assessed value is set when it changes hands and can rise no more than 2 percent a year after that, so a home owned for decades is often assessed far below its market value.
SearchSystems opened and checked the County Assessor's page at asr.santaclaracounty.gov/online-services/property-search/searching-... (page title: Property Maps and Records | Office of the Assessor | County of Santa Clara), a site that blocks automated checks (HTTP 403), so open it in a browser.
Permits and City Records in Los Altos
Building permits, zoning and code cases are the city's own. For Los Altos, SearchSystems opened and checked the city hall page at losaltosca.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/City-Hall-18 (page title: Facilities, City Hall), phone 650-947-2700, Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 25, 2026.
The city clerk's page SearchSystems verified is at losaltosca.gov/166/City-Clerk (page title: City Clerk | Los Altos, CA), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 25, 2026.
Evictions and Court Cases About Land in Los Altos
Court cases about land from Los Altos, evictions among them, are filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at santaclara.courts.ca.gov/online-services/case-information-online.
Asking a County Office for a Record
Under the California Public Records Act a county office must answer a request within 10 days, with up to 14 more days in unusual circumstances, and it may charge the direct cost of copying only, not staff time. The county records request page SearchSystems verified is at santaclara.nextrequest.com (page title: Public RecordsNextRequest | Modern FOIA & Public Records Request Software).
Frequently Asked Questions
Who records deeds in Los Altos?
The County Recorder.
Who sets the assessed value of a property in Los Altos?
The County Assessor.
Where are evictions from Los Altos filed?
In the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara. The file is public unless the court seals it.
How is property assessed in California?
Under Proposition 13 a property's assessed value is set when it changes hands and can rise no more than 2 percent a year after that, so a home owned for decades is often assessed far below its market value.
Is this the official Los Altos website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.