California City & County Transfer Taxes

Documentary transfer taxes are collected by counties and cities when documents are recorded in association with the transfer of real property. In California, the standard county transfer tax rate is $1.10 per $1,000 of the sale price. However, many cities impose additional transfer taxes on top of the county rate — and some cities have adopted tiered structures with significantly higher rates for high-value transactions.

Los Angeles County: The county rate is $1.10 per $1,000. The City of Los Angeles imposes an additional tax: 0.45% on sales up to $5 million, 4.45% on sales between $5 million and $10 million, and 5.95% on sales over $10 million (effective April 1, 2023). Redondo Beach charges $2.20 per $1,000. Santa Monica charges $3.00 per $1,000 up to $5 million, $6.00 per $1,000 for $5 million to $8 million, and $56.00 per $1,000 for amounts $8 million and above.

Culver City imposes a tiered transfer tax: 0.45% on amounts up to $1,499,999; 1.5% from $1.5 million to $2,999,999; 3% from $3 million to $9,999,999; and 4% on amounts $10 million and above.

Other notable California cities with additional transfer taxes include: Alameda ($12.00 per $1,000), Berkeley ($15.00 up to $1.8 million, $25.00 above), Oakland (tiered from $10.00 to $25.00 per $1,000), San Francisco (tiered from $5.00 to $60.00 per $1,000), and San Jose ($3.30 per $1,000 plus additional tiers above $2 million).

All transfer tax rates are subject to change and individual contractual negotiation. Team Goeglein at Fidelity National Title includes accurate transfer tax calculations on every net sheet and closing estimate for South Bay and Westside LA transactions. Contact Matt Goeglein or Xavier de la Piedra IV for a complimentary net sheet on any property.