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.
Santa Cruz County, California, has about 262,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). The title to a parcel in Santa Cruz 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: Santa Cruz County public records, Santa Cruz County arrest records, Santa Cruz County warrants, Santa Cruz County inmate search, Santa Cruz County criminal records, California arrest records and California inmate search.
Deeds, Mortgages and Liens in Santa Cruz County
Who owns a parcel in Santa Cruz County 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 recorder.santacruzcountyca.gov (page title: Santa Cruz County Recorder's Office), phone (831) 454-2800, 701 Ocean Street, Room 230, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
Assessed Values and the Tax Roll in Santa Cruz County
The County Assessor sets the value each parcel in Santa Cruz 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 assessor.santacruzcountyca.gov, 701 Ocean Street, Room 130, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, Monday-Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
More Official Property and Land Records Pages for Santa Cruz County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Santa Cruz County and California. These property pages and recorded document pages from its Santa Cruz County listing were opened again on October 2, 2026 and each one still answers:
- amiregistered.co.santa-cruz.ca.us (amiregistered.co.santa-cruz.ca.us)
- Santa Cruz County Recorder's Office (santacruzcountyca-web.tylerhost.net)
Permits and City Records in the Cities of Santa Cruz County
Building permits, zoning and code cases inside a city are the city's own records. The cities in Santa Cruz County with a SearchSystems guide to their offices, with the city page SearchSystems verified:
- Watsonville: the city hall page SearchSystems verified is at watsonville.gov/facilities/facility/details/City-Hall-Main-Street-10, phone 831-768-3455 (verified September 25, 2026).
- Scotts Valley: the city hall page SearchSystems verified is at scottsvalley.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04052023-775, phone 831-440-5600 (verified September 25, 2026).
Evictions and Court Cases About Land in Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz, and the file is public unless sealed.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at santacruz.courts.ca.gov/divisions/records-information.
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 santacruzcounty-ca.nextrequest.com (page title: Request Public RecordsNextRequest | Modern FOIA & Public Records Request Software).
Frequently Asked Questions
Who records deeds in Santa Cruz County?
The County Recorder, at recorder.santacruzcountyca.gov, phone (831) 454-2800. Deeds, mortgages and liens on land in Santa Cruz County are filed there, and the County Assessor (assessor.santacruzcountyca.gov) has the assessment records.
Who sets the assessed value of a property in Santa Cruz County?
The County Assessor, whose page SearchSystems verified is at assessor.santacruzcountyca.gov.
Where are evictions from Santa Cruz County filed?
In the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Cruz. 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 Santa Cruz 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.