San Diego County · Buying & selling
Buying or selling a home in San Diego County
Unincorporated San Diego County charges its own documentary transfer tax on property sales, at one rate for every sale. Seller disclosures and property tax limits come from state law.
Key points
- Transfer tax: County rule: the tax is $0.55 per $500 of value ($1.10 per $1,000), only when the value, not counting remaining liens, exceeds $100.
- Disclosure statement: State law: single-family sellers must give a Transfer Disclosure Statement; a buyer getting it after the offer may cancel within 3 or 5 days.
- Hazard zones: State law: sellers must disclose flood, very high fire hazard, earthquake fault and seismic hazard zones when known or locally mapped.
- Property tax: State law: the general property tax is at most 1% of full cash value plus voter-approved debt; base value rises at most 2% yearly.
- Homeowner exemption: State law: $7,000 of assessed value is exempt when the home is the owner's principal residence.
Each rule below is marked San Diego County code or CA state law and links to the section it comes from (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.
San Diego County's code applies in the unincorporated areas of the county. Cities in San Diego County have their own codes and their own pages.
Transfer tax
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| Rate per $1,000 |
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| Rate depends on price |
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CA state law Underneath, California law still applies. County documentary transfer tax: A county may tax a sale over $100 at $0.55 for each $500 of value ($1.10 per $1,000), not counting liens that remain on the property (Rev. & Tax. Code § 11911(a)). City share of the tax: A city may impose half the county rate ($0.55 per $1,000); the county then credits the city tax against its own, so the combined standard rate stays $1.10 per $1,000 (Rev. & Tax. Code § 11931). California rules for buying and selling — the full state rule →
Seller disclosures
CA state law California law sets this statewide. Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS) — who must give it: Sellers of single-family residential property must give the buyer a Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement (sale, exchange, installment contract, lease-option or ground lease with improvements) (Civ. Code §§ 1102(a), 1102.2). Natural Hazard Disclosure Statement (NHD): Sellers must disclose if the property is in a special flood hazard area, dam inundation area, very high fire hazard severity zone, earthquake fault zone, seismic hazard zone, or wildland fire area (Civ. Code § 1103(c)). California seller disclosure rules — the full state rule →
Property tax after you buy
CA state law California law sets this statewide. 1% property tax limit (Prop 13): The general property tax on real property may not exceed 1% of its full cash value; voter-approved bond debt is levied on top (Cal. Const. art. XIII A, § 1(a), (b)). 2% annual cap on assessed value: The base year value rises each year by the California CPI change, but never more than 2% (Rev. & Tax. Code § 51(a)(1)(D)). California property tax rules — the full state rule →
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
What is the transfer tax when you sell a home in San Diego County?
County rule: the tax is $0.55 per $500 of value ($1.10 per $1,000), only when the value, not counting remaining liens, exceeds $100.
General information, not legal advice.
Ask about a specific San Diego County property
Ask GoCodebook how these rules apply to your address and get an answer that cites the section.
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