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Privacy & Our Data
Assessor’s Records
If you have a disability and the format of any material on our website interferes with your ability to access some information contained on our site, please email the County of Ventura webmaster. The Webmaster will refer your request to the appropriate Department or program for assistance. To enable us to respond in a manner that will be of most help to you, please indicate the nature of the accessibility need, your preferred format (electronic format, large print, etc.) the web address of the requested material, and your full contact information so we can reach you if questions arise while fulfilling your request.
Public Records:
Much of the information gathered and kept by the Assessor is considered a public document and is available for viewing at our self-service public information computers. Staff is also available to provide assistance at our General Information counter, Monday through Friday, during office hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. This public information is available for purchase in various formats. View Information and Service Fees.
Among such public records are:
Assessment Rolls (Secured and Unsecured) include:
- Assessor’s Parcel Number
- Owner’s Name (as of January 1st lien date)
- Property Address
- Mailing Address
- Assessed Land, Building, Fixture, and Business Property Values (as of January 1st lien date)
- Homeowner’s and Other Exemption Values
- Total Assessed Value (as of January 1st lien date)
- Tax Rate Area Code
- Zoning Code
- Land Use Code
- Recorder’s Book and Page Reference
Assessor’s Parcel Maps:
Property Characteristics (such as building size, lot size, bedroom and bath count, etc., ref. R&T 408.3, 409).
- Limited residential building characteristic information is available on the Assessor’s Parcel Viewer.
- Certain types of residential building characteristics (such as duplexes, 4-plexes, manufactured homes, etc.) as well as commercial building characteristics may not be maintained in an electronic format and are available for purchase only.
Information Available by Telephone and E-mail:
Assessor’s staff will provide general information for up to 3 parcels per telephone call or e-mail. You will need to provide the property address or parcel number to obtain information by telephone or e-mail.
Ownership name searches by “name only” and building characteristics information is not available by telephone or e-mail. Searches by ownership only can be viewed (in person) at our self -service public information computers.
Telephone: 805-654-2181, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m or E-mail Us
Viewing Records at the Assessor’s Office:
Property ownership, assessed valuation, Assessor’s maps, and other public information may be viewed using the self-service computers located at the Assessor’s Office, 800 South Victoria Avenue, Hall of Administration, Ventura, CA 93003-1270, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Most of the Assessor’s public records may be viewed for no charge. A fee is charged for building characteristic information. A property owner may view all information pertaining to his/her own property at no charge.
Parcel Viewer:
Assessment and parcel information including building characteristics for most residential properties is available on the Assessor’s Parcel Viewer. Due to privacy concerns the Assessor’s ownership information is not available on the Internet.
Building (Structure) Details:
The Assessor’s Office maintains building detail characteristics information for assessment purposes. Building detail information such as number of bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, etc, is not part of the public Assessment Roll, and is available for purchase only. The actual drawing (footprint) is a confidential document made available only to an owner or the owner’s agent (with an original letter of authorization signed by the property owner). Limited residential building characteristic information is available on the Assessor’s Parcel Viewer.
Confidential Non-Public Records:
The Assessor also keeps many records that are confidential under the law. Examples of documents that are not open to public inspection include:
- Property Appraisal Records
- Property Building Records (except for property characteristics)
- Change in Ownership Statements
- Preliminary Change in Ownership Reports
- Homeowners’ Exemption Claims
- Exclusion Forms (which contain Social Security Numbers)
- Business Property Statements
- Property statements and correspondence of any sort requested from owners by the Assessor
- Property Sales Data (Market Comparables) collected by the Assessor
The law also specifies that certain law enforcement, certain governmental investigative agencies, and certain agencies of the State of California also have access to Assessor’s records (ref R&T 408).
If you wish to explore Assessor’s record confidentiality in more detail, recommended reading would include Revenue and Taxation Code Sections 162, 218.5, 327, 408-408.3, 409, 481, 531, 601-602, Property Tax Rule 135(e), and Government Code Sections 6250-6254, also known as the Public Records Act.
Access to Owners’ Confidential Records:
The owner of any property (with photo identification) or that owner’s agent (with an original letter of authorization signed by the property owner and bearing an original signature of the property owner) may view all public and confidential information pertaining to his/her own property at no charge.
Legal description for a property:
The legal description for a property is located on the deed. Deeds and legal descriptions are not available online. The information is available through the Ventura County Clerk-Recorder’s office at 800 South Victoria Avenue, Hall of Administration, Ventura, CA 93003, Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Deed and Recording Information:
The Clerk-Recorder’s office provides an online index of documents recorded in Ventura County from 1974 to current. You will not be able to view the actual document. You can however view what documents have been recorded. To access the online index use AiLIS Public Inquiry to view the recorded documents index online.
Additional Assessment and Tax Bill Information Available on the Internet:
Treasurer and Tax Collector’s Office offers a “Web Tax Inquiry System”, an online property tax system.
You will need your Assessor’s Parcel Number or the property address to access tax bill information. Web Tax Inquiry provides:
- The most recent secured annual property tax bill and any bill(s) issued and/or due in the most recent fiscal year and prior year delinquencies.
- Direct levies and special assessments subject to foreclosure with description, amount and a link to contact information.
- An on-line link to a private vendor to make on-line credit card and e-check payments on current year property tax bills. (A vendor fee is added to your payment.)
California State Board of Equalization oversees the practices of all 58 County Assessors and maintains comprehensive property tax information. Some of the resources available at the California State Board of Equalization website include:
- Property Tax Laws
- A Practical Index to Property Tax Laws and Resources
- Appraisal Handbooks
- Advisory Letters to Assessors
