Los Angeles County Recording Fees Go Up January 1, 2027: What Buyers and Sellers Should Know

Brandon Arlington is a Realtor® with Rooster Homes in Los Feliz, Los Angeles, helping buyers and sellers understand what changes at the closing table before they get there. Here is what is changing, who it touches, and what to do if you close near the new year.

What is a recording fee?

When a home sale closes, the county records the documents that make it official, such as the grant deed that moves ownership and the deed of trust for the buyer's loan. Recording puts them in the public record. The county charges a fee for each document, based on how many pages it has.

Those fees show up on your closing statement along with the other escrow and title costs.

What changes on January 1, 2027?

The law, AB 2224, was signed on September 18, 2026. It applies statewide, and Los Angeles County's recorder will follow it for documents recorded on or after January 1, 2027.

Which fees are going away?

The same law removes four fees the Recorder's Office charges today:

• The penalty print fee, for documents with print spacing that does not meet the standard
• The non-conforming page fee, for pages that are not the standard size
• The referencing fee
• The indexing fee

For most residential closings, these fees rarely came up, because title and escrow prepare documents to the standard format.

What about government releases of lien?

When a city, county, state or district agency releases a lien it recorded, the fee is set at twice the base first-page fee that was in effect when the original lien was recorded. That gives three levels:

This matters most for probate and trust sales, where an older lien sometimes has to be cleared before the house can close.

How much will this add to my closing?

For a typical sale, not much. Each document costs $5 more for its first page and $1 more for each page after that. A two-page grant deed goes up by about $6. A longer loan document with 20 pages goes up by about $24.

Your total depends on how many documents your sale records and how long each one is. Your escrow officer's estimate will show the exact figure.

One note on the county's fee sheet: today it shows a $15 "base fee" for the first page, because it bundles the $10 state base with other per-document charges. The new law raises the $10 state piece. Watch for the county's updated schedule before January 1.

Who does this affect?

• Buyers closing in January 2027 or later. Your deed and loan documents record under the new fees.
• Sellers closing in January 2027 or later. Any documents you record, such as the release of your old loan, follow the new fees too.
• Probate and trust sales. Older government liens have their own release fee, set by the year the lien was recorded.
• Anyone refinancing. A refinance records a new deed of trust, so the same page fees apply.

Your purchase agreement and escrow instructions set which side pays which recording fee.

Step by step: if you close near the new year

1. Check your closing date. Documents recorded on or after January 1, 2027 follow the new fees.
2. Ask escrow for an updated estimate if your closing could slip into January.
3. Count your documents. Grant deed, deed of trust, and any releases or reconveyances each record separately.
4. For probate or trust sales, ask about older liens early. Clearing them takes time, and the release fee depends on when they were recorded.
5. Keep your plan. A few dollars per document is not a reason to rush or delay a closing.

Common mistakes

1. Using a 2026 estimate for a January closing. Ask for a fresh one.
2. Reading the county's $15 "base fee" as the new rate. It is today's bundled figure, not the 2027 total.
3. Moving a closing date to save a few dollars. The timeline, the rate lock and the move matter far more.
4. Waiting on an old lien. Start clearing it as soon as it shows up in the title report.

Frequently asked questions

When do the new recording fees start?

January 1, 2027. Documents recorded on or after that date follow the new fees.

How much is the increase?

The state base fee for the first page goes from $10 to $15, and each additional page goes from $3 to $4.

Is this only in Los Angeles County?

No. AB 2224 is a state law, so it applies to county recorders across California. This post focuses on Los Angeles County, where we work.

Who pays recording fees in a home sale?

Your purchase agreement and escrow instructions decide which side pays each fee. Your escrow officer's estimate shows it line by line.

Should I move my closing date because of this?

In almost every case, no. The increase is a few dollars per document. Your rate lock, your move and your timeline matter much more.

Where can I get the one-page summary?

Download the fee summary here (PDF). It lists every change in one place.

Next steps

Buying in Los Angeles? Start with our buyer guide, search homes for sale, or meet our partner lender.

Selling in Los Angeles? Get a home evaluation or read How to Sell a Home in Los Feliz.

Related reading

• FAQ: Buying or Selling a Home in Los Feliz
• Los Feliz real estate glossary

Brandon Arlington, Realtor®, DRE #01956375. Rooster Homes, DRE #02051216. Fee details from Assembly Bill 2224 (Chapter 292, Statutes of 2026) and a summary prepared by Lawyers Title. This article explains public rules in plain language and is not legal or tax advice.