Santa Barbara · Buying & selling
Buying or selling a home in Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara has its own transfer tax on property sales, owed by anyone who signs or issues the transfer document or benefits from it. Seller disclosures and property tax after a purchase follow state law.
Key points
- Transfer tax: Santa Barbara taxes transfers over $100 at $0.275 per $500 ($0.55 per $1,000) of value.
- Seller disclosures: State law requires sellers of single-family homes to give buyers a Transfer Disclosure Statement; court-ordered, foreclosure and some other sales are exempt.
- Property tax: State law caps the general property tax at 1% of full cash value, plus voter-approved debt; base year value rises at most 2% yearly.
Each rule below is marked Santa Barbara code or CA state law and links to the section it comes from (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.
Transfer tax
| City transfer tax |
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| Rate per $1,000 |
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| Price threshold |
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| Rate depends on price |
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| Who pays |
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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 →
Sewer lateral inspection
Santa Barbara code By the deadline set in the Notice to Repair/Replace. A building permit, with final inspection and approval by the City Building Official, when the repair needs a permit.
All 9 Santa Barbara rules on sewer lateral inspection, with the code text →
Utility users tax
| Tax on water, phone or cable |
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Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
What is the transfer tax when you sell a home in Santa Barbara?
Santa Barbara taxes transfers over $100 at $0.275 per $500 ($0.55 per $1,000) of value.
Does Santa Barbara charge a utility users tax?
Santa Barbara's code: 5.75% of telecommunication charges, collected by the service supplier. (Telecommunication services.) (§ 4.26.040); 5.75% of video service charges, collected by the service supplier. (Video services, including cable.) (§ 4.26.050).
General information, not legal advice.
Ask about a specific Santa Barbara property
Ask GoCodebook how these rules apply to your address and get an answer that cites the section.
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