California Lien Search
California lien search
Quick answer. A California lien search might be a county recorder search, a Secretary of State UCC or state-tax-lien row, or an FTB question. A bizfile “active” status does not clear any of those.
Official office
California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division entity index
Phone: (916) 653-6814
1500 11th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
Public search is online. Phone support is offered on business days.
Steps
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Pick recorder, SOS, or FTB
Land, central tax lien, or a tax account. Say which.
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Open bizfile UCC only for central filings
Use the file-type filter.
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Search the county for the property
Address and owner. Read later releases.
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Do not compute lien deadlines
California mechanic’s lien timing is statutory. Cite the instrument and send the reader to the code.
Name the California office before you search
Mechanic’s liens and deeds of trust sit in county land records. The Secretary of State’s UCC system also holds certain judgment liens, attachment liens, and state and federal tax liens that statutes file there. Filter the type. FTB lien payoff and release status belong to FTB, not to a stale notice amount.
County pages link the recorder or clerk we have on file. Search the owner and the parcel. A false mechanic’s lien has statutory consequences. We do not advise whether a filing was false.
Common mistakes
- Using entity status as a lien clear.
- Missing the SOS tax-lien file type.
- Searching the wrong county.
- Treating a notice amount as a payoff.
Questions
Where do I search a California property lien?
At the county recorder where the land is.
What is an FTB tax lien?
A Franchise Tax Board claim for state tax. It is not the Secretary of State status flag.
Are mechanic’s liens in bizfile?
No. They are recorded against the real property in the county.