deedplatState guides / California / Kern County
Kern County property data
Where Kern County's property records live, how its tax and foreclosure sales work, and what Deedplat puts on one map, including Bakersfield.
- 11Cities and towns
Where the records are
The county offices an investor deals with in Kern County, and what each one puts online.
Deeds and mortgages
Kern County Assessor-Recorder, Official Records. The free Official Documents Search lets anyone search the recorded index by grantor or grantee name, document number, date or document type, and copies must be ordered in person or by mail at $3 for the first page and $0.50 for each added page.
Owners and values
Kern County Assessor-Recorder. The Assessor-Recorder's website links to an online Assessor property search, assessment data and parcel maps.
Tax sales
Kern County Treasurer-Tax Collector. Tax sale rules are on the Treasurer-Tax Collector's site, and the parcel list is posted on GovEase about 30 days before the online auction, where bidders must register.
Foreclosure sales
Notices of Trustee's Sale at the Kern County Recorder. Notices of Default and Notices of Trustee's Sale can be found free in the Official Documents Search by choosing the document class.
Parcel maps
Kern County Interactive County Map (GIS) and Assessor's Parcel Maps. The free public GIS viewer maps parcels countywide, and the Assessor also posts digitized parcel maps, with GIS data sets sold separately.
How property is sold here
Kern County follows California's rules, with its own calendar and offices. Read the California guide for how the state works.
Tax sales
California sells the property itself, not tax liens. Kern County offers property that has been tax-defaulted for five years or more at an online auction on GovEase, and the next sale is scheduled for September 14 to 16, 2026. The list goes up on GovEase about 30 days before the sale, bids rise in at least $100 steps from the posted minimum, the owner's right to redeem ends at 5 p.m. on the last business day before the sale, and the county sells property only at public sale.
Foreclosure sales
Most California foreclosures are nonjudicial trustee sales run by the lender's trustee, not the Sheriff. Notices of Default and Notices of Trustee's Sale are recorded with the Kern County Recorder and can be searched free online by document class.
Assessed values
Under Proposition 13 the Kern County Assessor-Recorder reassesses a property to market value when it changes owners or has new construction, and otherwise the base year value is only adjusted each year within the state limit.
Transfer tax
Kern County charges a documentary transfer tax of $0.55 per $500 of value, which is $1.10 per $1,000, and the same rate is added to the price at tax sales.
Worth knowing
Recorded document copies are not sold by phone, fax, email or online; order them in person or by mail at the Hall of Records, 1655 Chester Avenue, Bakersfield.
Worth knowing
The Recorder says it records 1,000 to 2,000 documents on an average day, so name or document number searches work better than browsing by date.
Worth knowing
Tax sale buyers get a tax deed, but the county warns most title companies will not insure that title for at least one year after the deed is recorded.
Every town in Kern County
The cities, towns and townships inside the county line.
- Arvin city
- Bakersfield city
- California City city
- Delano city
- Maricopa city
- McFarland city
- Ridgecrest city
- Shafter city
- Taft city
- Tehachapi city
- Wasco city
Questions
Where are deeds recorded in Kern County?
Deeds are recorded by the Kern County Assessor-Recorder at the Hall of Records, 1655 Chester Avenue, Bakersfield. Recording costs $13 for the first page and $3 for each added page, plus other per-document fees such as the $75 Building Homes and Jobs Act fee.
When is the Kern County tax sale?
The next Kern County tax-defaulted property auction is scheduled online on GovEase for September 14 to 16, 2026. The parcel list is posted about 30 days before the sale.
How do I find who owns a property in Kern County?
Search the Official Documents Search by name to find recorded deeds, or use the Assessor-Recorder's property search and the county's interactive parcel map.
Are Kern County property records online?
Yes. The recorded document index is free to search online, and parcel maps are online, but copies of recorded documents must be ordered in person or by mail.
Sources for this guide
Office hours, fees and sale dates change. We checked these sources in October 2026; confirm with the county before you act.
- recorderonline.co.kern.ca.us/cgi-bin/odsmnu1.html/input
- recorderonline.co.kern.ca.us/cgi-bin/Osearchc.mbr/input
- recorderonline.co.kern.ca.us/cgi-bin/osearchd.mbr/input
- kerncounty.com/government/departments/assessor-recorder/records
- kerncounty.com/government/departments/assessor-recorder/records/request-copies-of-recorded
- kerncounty.com/home/showpublisheddocument/22653/639034776264770000
- kerncounty.com/government/departments/assessor-recorder/property/mapping-gis
- kerncounty.com/government/departments/assessor-recorder/forms
- kcttc.co.kern.ca.us/
- kcttc.co.kern.ca.us/index.cfm?fuseaction=kcttcinternet.showGeneralTaxSaleInfo
- kcttc.co.kern.ca.us/Forms/taxsalebrochure.pdf
- maps.kerncounty.com/H5/index.html?viewer=KCPublic
Every parcel in Kern County, on one map
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