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 9, 2026.
Merced County, California, has about 297,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). The title to a parcel in Merced 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, city permits, evictions and court cases, records requests and common questions.
Related guides: Merced County public records, Merced County arrest records, Merced County warrants, Merced County inmate search, Merced County criminal records, California arrest records and California inmate search.
Deeds, Mortgages and Liens in Merced County
Deeds, mortgages, liens and easements that affect title to land in Merced 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 countyofmerced.com/4339/Search-Legal-Records (page title: Search Legal Records | Merced County, CA), Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Assessed Values and the Tax Roll in Merced County
What a parcel in Merced County 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 countyofmerced.com/2316/Parcel-Information (page title: Parcel Information | Merced County, CA), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Permits and City Records in the Cities of Merced County
Building permits, zoning and code cases inside a city are the city's own records. The cities in Merced County with a SearchSystems guide to their offices, with the city page SearchSystems verified:
- Los Banos: the city hall page SearchSystems verified is at losbanos.org/city-government/departments, phone (209) 827-7000 (verified September 25, 2026).
- Dos Palos: the city hall page SearchSystems verified is at dospalos.gov/resident/faq, phone (209) 392-2174 (verified September 26, 2026).
Evictions and Court Cases About Land in Merced County
Court cases about land from Merced County, evictions among them, are filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Merced.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at merced.courts.ca.gov/online-services/case-records-search.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who records deeds in Merced County?
The County Recorder, at countyofmerced.com/4339/Search-Legal-Records. Deeds, mortgages and liens on land in Merced County are filed there, and the County Assessor (countyofmerced.com/2316/Parcel-Information) has the assessment records.
Who sets the assessed value of a property in Merced County?
The County Assessor, whose page SearchSystems verified is at countyofmerced.com/2316/Parcel-Information.
Where are evictions from Merced County filed?
In the Superior Court of California, County of Merced. 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 Merced 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.