Alameda County Certificate of Trust Form (California)

All Alameda County specific forms and documents listed below are included in your immediate download package:

Certificate of Trust Form

Alameda County Certificate of Trust Form

Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.
Included Alameda County compliant document last validated/updated 11/19/2024

Certificate of Trust Guide

Alameda County Certificate of Trust Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.
Included Alameda County compliant document last validated/updated 8/19/2024

Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

Alameda County Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.
Included Alameda County compliant document last validated/updated 7/24/2024

When using these Certificate of Trust forms, the subject real estate must be physically located in Alameda County. The executed documents should then be recorded in one of the following offices:

Alameda County Clerk-Recorder

1106 Madison St, Oakland, California 94607

Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30 to 4:30 (avoid 12:00 to 2:00)

Phone: 510-272-6362 or 888-280-7708

Dublin Office

7600 Dublin Blvd, Suite 160 (enter through courtyard), Dublin, California 94568

Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30 to 4:30

Phone: as above

Local jurisdictions located in Alameda County include:

  • Alameda
  • Albany
  • Berkeley
  • Castro Valley
  • Dublin
  • Emeryville
  • Fremont
  • Hayward
  • Livermore
  • Newark
  • Oakland
  • Piedmont
  • Pleasanton
  • San Leandro
  • San Lorenzo
  • Sunol
  • Union City

How long does it take to get my forms?

Forms are available immediately after submitting payment.

How do I get my forms, are they emailed?

Immediately after you submit payment, the Alameda County forms you order will be available for download directly from your account. You can then download the forms to your computer. If you do not already have an account, one will be created for you as part of the order process, and your login details will be provided to you. If you encounter any issues accessing your forms, please reach out to our support team for assistance. Forms are NOT emailed to you.

What does "validated/updated" mean?

This indicates the most recent date when at least one of the following occurred:

  • Updated: The document was updated or changed to remain compliant.
  • Validated: The document was examined by an attorney or staff, or it was successfully recorded in Alameda County using our eRecording service.
Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Alameda County?

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Alameda County including margin requirements, content requirements, font and font size requirements.

Can the Certificate of Trust forms be re-used?

Yes. You can re-use the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have more than one property in Alameda County that you need to transfer you would only need to order our forms once for all of your properties in Alameda County.

What are supplemental forms?

Often when a deed is recorded, additional documents are required by California or Alameda County. These could be tax related, informational, or even as simple as a coversheet. Supplemental forms are provided for free with your order where available.

What type of files are the forms?

All of our Alameda County Certificate of Trust forms are PDFs. You will need to have or get Adobe Reader to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.

Do I need any special software to use these forms?

You will need to have Adobe Reader installed on your computer to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.

Do I have to enter all of my property information online?

No. The blank forms are downloaded to your computer and you fill them out there, at your convenience.

Can I save the completed form, email it to someone?

Yes, you can save your deed form at any point with your information in it. The forms can also be emailed, blank or complete, as attachments.

Are there any recurring fees involved?

No. Nothing to cancel, no memberships, no recurring fees.

California Certification of Trust

In California, the certification of trust is governed by Probate Code Section 18100.5.
A certificate of trust is used by an acting trustee or trustees of a trust to prove to financial institutions or other third parties that he/she/they has/have the authority to act on behalf of the trust. The certificate is used in lieu of the full trust document to keep nonessential information about the trust, such as the identities of trust beneficiaries, confidential.

The certificate verifies the existence of the trust and presents the pertinent details of the trust, such as the settlor, the trustee, the powers granted to the trustee, and, in the case that there are co-trustees, the number and identity of persons required to sign legal documents dealing with the trust. The certificate also specifies how the trust will vest title to real property.

Like all documents affecting real estate, the certification requires a legal description of the real property subject to the trust. In California, the certification also must include the trust's taxpayer ID, a number that is either the SSN of the settlor (in the case of revocable trusts) or an EIN assigned by the IRS (in the case of irrevocable trusts).
Trust law can quickly become complicated, and each case is unique, so contact a lawyer with any questions that arise.

(California Certificate of Trust Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Alameda County recording requirements for formatting. If there's an issue caused by our formatting, we'll make it right and refund your payment.

Save Time and Money

Get your Alameda County Certificate of Trust form done right the first time with Deeds.com Uniform Conveyancing Blanks. At Deeds.com, we understand that your time and money are valuable resources, and we don't want you to face a penalty fee or rejection imposed by a county recorder for submitting nonstandard documents. We constantly review and update our forms to meet rapidly changing state and county recording requirements for roughly 3,500 counties and local jurisdictions.

4.8 out of 5 - ( 4434 Reviews )

James S.

November 21st, 2024

Forms used, created quitclaim deed that the county accepted without a second look (turns out they see deeds.com forms regularly via erecording and in person). Will be back for any real estate related forms I need and they carry. Will always be my first stop. Also, will use erecording next time, mad I didn't see it this time.

Reply from Staff

Thanks for the kind words James, glad we could help. Look forward to seeing you again.

Thomas G.

November 21st, 2024

Wasn’t what I expected

Reply from Staff

Sorry to hear that your expectations were missed. Your order has been canceled. We do hope that you find something more suitable to your expectations elsewhere. Do keep in mind that purchasing legal forms should not be an exploratory endeavor.

Jimmy P.

November 20th, 2024

They sent me everything I would need to do this. Easy purchase -Easy download. Great!! I'll be back here for all my document needs.

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

Pamela L.

July 18th, 2023

Fast efficient informative. Thank you.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Gina B.

June 26th, 2019

Super easy to use! Thanks!

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

Dianne M.

June 30th, 2023

I find the resources on this website so helpful. The service is outstanding. Thank you.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Johnette E.

May 22nd, 2019

Easy and quick to use!!

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Larry P.

February 23rd, 2019

Love your site. I found just what I needed and it was so easy. Saved me countless time and effort. Worth every penny.

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

Troy D.

October 9th, 2020

Excellent Service. Great time savings over having to send someone to the recording office. Am planning on utilizing this service for our recording needs.

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

Cindy A.

January 14th, 2019

Easy to understand and use. However, need to add line for phone number for preparer - Thanks

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Clarence F.

January 25th, 2022

very easy to use !!!

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

Kari G.

July 15th, 2021

The service was prompt and attentive to my questions. I would've just appreciated a heads up that I also needed to contact the county directly (and provide contact info) to receive a certified copy of the document (Notice of Commencement) in order to submit the certified copy to the Building Department. This was an extra step that I haven't had to complete before using another eRecording service. Even if this extra step is a result of the county's system. I would still have expected a head's up (since there wasn't any info regarding this on the county's site for eRecording).

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Felincia L.

September 28th, 2024

The process was fast and efficient. I did get a bit confused after entering info for my package but soon realized I had completed this part of the process and only needed to leave the page and wait for review of the document and then the invoice. It was pretty simple. After payment of the invoice I was notified that the document had been submitted. A few hours later I received notice that the document was recorded by the city. It was fast!

Reply from Staff

We are motivated by your feedback to continue delivering excellence. Thank you!

Donald P.

November 12th, 2019

Very fast and efficient. Easy to fill out but was upset the latest tax exemptions ruled in 2014 did not seem to be included. Exclusion of sale to blood relatives, etc. _ the one I needed.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

David L.

November 19th, 2021

Good quick service. The forms helped guide and explain each section and question.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!