Frequently Asked Questions
The Assessor is responsible for locating, describing, and identifying ownership of all property within the County of San Bernardino; establishing an assessed value for all properties subject to taxation; listing all assessed values on the assessment roll; and applying all legal exemptions.
The county assessor’s office is one of just four required offices by the California state constitution.
The recorder’s office is responsible for providing constructive notice of private acts and creating and maintaining custody of permanent records for all documents filed and recorded in San Bernardino County.
In addition to providing public access to information regarding land and land ownership, the recorder’s office is also the local registrar of marriages and maintains copies of all certificates of marriage, births and deaths which occur in San Bernardino County.
The official records are open for public inspection and copies may be purchased from the recorder’s office.
The County Clerk Provides the Following Services:
- Files fictitious business name statements.
- Files statements of abandonment of use of fictitious business name.
- Files withdrawal from partnership operating under a fictitious business name.
- Issues public marriage licenses.
- Issues confidential marriage licenses.
- Performs civil marriage ceremonies (by appointment only).
- Provides certified copies of confidential marriage licenses (with proper identification).
- Registers notary public oaths and commissions.
- Authenticates notary public signatures.
- Registers process servers, unlawful detainer assistants, professional photocopiers, & legal document assistants.
- Receives negative declarations, notices of determination, and notices of exemption.
- Receives admitted surety insurer statements.
- Files surety insurer powers of attorney.
- Files Grand Jury final reports.
There are 299 Assessor staff members, 64 Clerk-Recorder staff, 25 IT staff to keep information as protected as possible, give administrative service leaders to head various departments within the office, and 8 executive staff members to guide the officeholder and ensure access for taxpayers.
Proposition 13, adopted by California voters in 1978, mandates a property tax rate of one percent, requires that properties be assessed at market value at the time of sale, and allows assessments to rise by no more than 2 percent per year until the next sale. This means that as long as property values increase by more than 2 percent per year, homeowners gain from remaining in the same house because their taxes are lower than they would be on a different house of the same value. Proposition 13 thus gives rise to a lock-in effect for owner-occupiers that strengthens over time. It also affects the rental market, both directly because it applies to landlords and indirectly because it reduces the turnover of owner-occupied homes.
Josie Gonzales will protect Prop 13 from politicians who seek to change this important law.
The 2024 San Bernardino County Assessment Roll contains 827,060 parcels valued at $340,668,769,645.
This is a special election in November 2024. The winner will serve two years until 2026. It is first past the post. Winner is whomever receives the most votes.
The reason for the election is the sudden and tragic passing of our last elected county assessor Bob Dutton.
The current operating budget is approximately $39,684,969.
With over 827,000 parcels in San Bernardino County, the current value is over $340,000,000,000 which sets a record high.
The City of Ontario leads the incorporated cities with $43,000,000, followed by the City of Rancho Cucamonga at $36,000,000 and the City of Fontana at $33,000,000.
