Los Angeles County closing costs
The county-specific transfer tax and deed recording fees for Los Angeles County, California - the local details that change your total beyond the statewide rate.
- Effective transfer tax
- 0.11%
- ≈ $440 on a $400,000 home
- City transfer tax
- 4.5%
- where the city levies its own
- Typical lender + 3rd-party fees
- $11,709
- median of 34,184 purchase loans · HMDA 2023
Los Angeles County compared with California counties
In the verified California county records we have, Los Angeles County's effective transfer-tax rate ranks #2 of 18 by highest rate. At $400,000, the county-specific transfer tax is $440, which is the same as the state-level calculation before city surtaxes.
- County rank
- #2 of 18
- within verified California county pages
- Tax at $400,000
- $440
- state baseline $440
- HMDA fee sample
- 34,184
- purchase loans in 2023
Los Angeles County transfer-tax data: official source linked on this page, reviewed 2026-Q2.
Transfer tax in Los Angeles County
Seller customarily pays. Within the City of LA, the combined transfer tax burden is among the highest in the country for high-value homes.
Recording fees in Los Angeles County
First page $25, plus $3 per additional page; SB2 affordable-housing fee of $75 per title may apply (capped per transaction). The City of Los Angeles also imposes a 4.5% city transfer tax ($4.50/$1,000) on top of the county rate, and Measure ULA adds 4% on sales $5M–$10M and 5.5% above $10M.
Official recorder: Los Angeles County recorder ↗ — the authoritative source for the current recording fee schedule.
What lenders actually charge in Los Angeles County
Across 34,184 home-purchase mortgages originated in Los Angeles County in 2023, the median total loan costs — lender fees plus third-party services such as appraisal and title, excluding prepaids and escrow — were $11,709, of which about $5,260 was the lender’s own origination charges. That is reported loan-level data from every lender under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act — not a national average — so it reflects what buyers in this county actually paid. Lender fees vary widely, so comparing a few rate quotes is the single biggest lever on your closing total.
Source: FFIEC HMDA Data Browser ↗ (2023 purchase originations, FIPS 06037, ODC-BY 1.0). Median total loan costs exclude prepaids and escrow.
Estimate your Los Angeles County closing costs
Pre-set to California. County-level taxes above may add to this estimate.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the transfer tax in Los Angeles County?
Los Angeles County (California): the applicable real-estate transfer tax works out to about 0.11%, before any additional city tax. Seller customarily pays. Within the City of LA, the combined transfer tax burden is among the highest in the country for high-value homes.
What are recording fees in Los Angeles County?
First page $25, plus $3 per additional page; SB2 affordable-housing fee of $75 per title may apply (capped per transaction). The City of Los Angeles also imposes a 4.5% city transfer tax ($4.50/$1,000) on top of the county rate, and Measure ULA adds 4% on sales $5M–$10M and 5.5% above $10M.
How much are closing costs in Los Angeles County?
Closing costs in Los Angeles County follow California's structure plus this county's specific transfer-tax and recording fees. Use the calculator below for an estimate; for the exact recording schedule, the county recorder is the authoritative source.
What do lenders charge in fees in Los Angeles County?
In 2023, the median total loan costs — lender fees plus third-party services like appraisal and title, excluding prepaids and escrow — across 34,184 home-purchase mortgages in Los Angeles County were about $11,709, of which roughly $5,260 was the lender's own origination charges. This is reported loan-level data under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act; actual fees vary by lender, so comparing quotes matters.
Closest California county comparisons
Sibling links are ordered by nearby verified effective transfer-tax rate, so each county page connects to genuinely comparable counties.