Skip to content

Amador City · Buying & selling

Buying or selling a home in Amador City

Amador City has no transfer tax rule of its own; its code makes owners keep the fronting sidewalk safe and liable for injuries from poor upkeep. Seller disclosures and property tax limits come from state law.

Key points

  • Transfer tax: Amador City has no city transfer tax rule; state law lets the county tax sales over $100 at $0.55 per $500 of value.
  • Sidewalk upkeep: City rule: owners fronting an improved public street must keep the sidewalk safe and are liable to the public for injuries from poor upkeep.
  • 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 Amador City code or CA state law and links to the section it comes from (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

Transfer tax

CA state law Amador City has no rule of its own on this, so California law 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 →

Sidewalk repairs

Amador City code What Amador City's code adds
Liability for injuries
  • The adjacent owner is liable to the public for sidewalk injuries caused by the owner's lack of sidewalk maintenance.
    § 12.04.010 · code text
    Further by this chapter such adjacent landholders shall have a duty of care to third persons and the general public and express liability to third persons and the general public for sidewalk injuries, including but not limited to slips and falls and other injuries occurring because of such adjacent property owner's lack of maintenance of the sidewalks.
Who must repair it
  • Owners of lots fronting a public street must keep the sidewalk safe for other people and the public.
    Applies: When the street is improved, or when the area between the property line and the street is kept as a parking strip.
    § 12.04.010 · code text
    The owners of lots or portions of lots fronting on any portion of a public street or place when that street is improved or if and when the area between the property line of the adjacent property and the street line is maintained as a part or parking strip, shall maintain any sidewalk in such condition that the sidewalk will not endanger third persons or the general public.

Who this affects

BuyersSellersReal estate agents

Frequently asked questions

What is the transfer tax when you sell a home in Amador City?

Amador City has no city transfer tax rule; state law lets the county tax sales over $100 at $0.55 per $500 of value.

What are the sidewalk repair rules for homeowners in Amador City?

City rule: owners fronting an improved public street must keep the sidewalk safe and are liable to the public for injuries from poor upkeep.

General information, not legal advice.

Ask about a specific Amador City property

Ask GoCodebook how these rules apply to your address and get an answer that cites the section.

Ask your question

More on Amador City