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 on September 23, 2026.
Kern County, California, has about 923,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). The title to a parcel in Kern County 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 or the county. This guide says who keeps each record and where the page for each office is.
This guide covers deeds, assessed values, directory links, city permits, evictions and court cases, records requests and common questions.
Related guides: Kern County public records, Kern County arrest records, Kern County warrants, Kern County inmate search, Kern County criminal records, California arrest records and California inmate search.
Deeds, Mortgages and Liens in Kern County
Deeds, mortgages, liens and easements that affect title to land in Kern County are recorded by the County Recorder, which indexes them by name and sells copies.
SearchSystems opened and checked the County Recorder's page at recorderonline.co.kern.ca.us/cgi-bin/odsmnu1.html/input (page title: Official Document Search Menu), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Assessed Values and the Tax Roll in Kern County
The County Assessor sets the value each parcel in Kern County is taxed on and 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 kerncounty.com/government/departments/assessor-recorder/property/as... (page title: Assessor's Parcel Map Search | Kern County, CA), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
More Official Property and Land Records Pages for Kern County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Kern County and California. These property pages from its Kern County listing were opened again on October 2, 2026 and each one still answers:
- Property, Assessor-Recorder (kerncounty.com)
Permits and City Records in the Cities of Kern County
Building permits, zoning and code cases inside a city are the city's own records. The cities in Kern County with a SearchSystems guide to their offices, with the city page SearchSystems verified:
- Bakersfield: the city hall page SearchSystems verified is at bakersfieldcity.us (verified September 26, 2026).
- Delano: the city hall page SearchSystems verified is at cityofdelano.org/m/directory, phone (661) 720-2228 (verified September 25, 2026).
- Ridgecrest: the city hall page SearchSystems verified is at ridgecrest-ca.gov/m/directory/department?did=32, phone 760-499-5000 (verified September 25, 2026).
- Wasco: the city clerk's page SearchSystems verified is at cityofwasco.org/221/City-Clerk, phone 661-758-7214 (verified September 25, 2026).
- Shafter: the city hall page SearchSystems verified is at shafterca.gov/27/City-Departments, phone 661-746-5001 (verified September 25, 2026).
- McFarland: the city hall page SearchSystems verified is at mcfarlandcity.org, phone 661-792-3091 (verified September 25, 2026).
- Tehachapi: the city hall page SearchSystems verified is at liveuptehachapi.com/8/City-Hall (verified September 25, 2026).
Evictions and Court Cases About Land in Kern County
An eviction, a foreclosure, a lien dispute or a quiet title suit is a court case in the Superior Court of California, County of Kern, and the file is public unless sealed.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at kern.courts.ca.gov/self-help/court-records.
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 kerncountyca.nextrequest.com (page title: Open Public RecordsNextRequest | Modern FOIA & Public Records Request Software).
Frequently Asked Questions
Who records deeds in Kern County?
The County Recorder, at recorderonline.co.kern.ca.us. Deeds, mortgages and liens on land in Kern County are filed there, and the County Assessor (kerncounty.com) has the assessment records.
Who sets the assessed value of a property in Kern County?
The County Assessor, whose page SearchSystems verified is at kerncounty.com.
Where are evictions from Kern County filed?
In the Superior Court of California, County of Kern. 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 Kern County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.