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.
Novato, California, in Marin County, has about 52,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). The title to a parcel in Novato 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, directory links and common questions.
Related guides: Novato public records, Marin County property records, Novato arrest records, Novato warrants, Novato inmate search, Novato criminal records, California arrest records and California inmate search.
Deeds, Mortgages and Liens in Novato
Who owns a parcel in Novato and what it sold for are in the deed records of the County Recorder, with every lien or mortgage against the land.
SearchSystems opened and checked the County Recorder's page at apps.marincounty.gov/RecordersIndexSearch (page title: Search Recorder's Official Records | County of Marin Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk), a site that blocks automated checks (HTTP 403), so open it in a browser.
Assessed Values and the Tax Roll in Novato
What a parcel in Novato 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 apps.marincounty.gov/TaxRollSearch (page title: Search Assessor records and maps | County of Marin Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk), a site that blocks automated checks (HTTP 403), so open it in a browser.
Permits and City Records in Novato
Building permits, zoning and code cases are the city's own. For Novato, SearchSystems opened and checked the city hall page at novato.gov/government/contact-city-hall (page title: Contact City Hall | City of Novato, CA), phone 866.523.8386, 922 Machin Avenue Novato, CA 94945, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 25, 2026.
The city clerk's page SearchSystems verified is at novato.gov/government/city-clerk/public-records-act-request (page title: Public Records | City of Novato, CA), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 25, 2026.
Evictions and Court Cases About Land in Novato
Court cases about land from Novato, evictions among them, are filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Marin.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at marin.courts.ca.gov/divisions/court-records-exhibits, phone (415) 444-7080.
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 marincountyca.nextrequest.com (page title: Open Public RecordsNextRequest | Modern FOIA & Public Records Request Software).
More Official Property and Land Records Pages for Marin County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Marin County and California. These property pages from its Marin County listing were opened again on October 2, 2026 and each one still answers:
- Geocortex Viewer for HTML5 (marinmap.org)
Frequently Asked Questions
Who records deeds in Novato?
The County Recorder.
Who sets the assessed value of a property in Novato?
The County Assessor.
Where are evictions from Novato filed?
In the Superior Court of California, County of Marin. 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 Novato 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.