Fresno County Board Adopts Property Fraud Prevention Notice System

The Fresno County Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance on September 8, 2026, establishing a voluntary Real Property Fraud Prevention Notice system. The ordinance adds Chapter 10.33 to Title 10 of the County Ordinance Code and takes effect 30 days after passage.

The ordinance authorizes property owners to record a notice stating their own fraud-prevention and identity-verification procedures. The notice becomes part of the public land record and provides what the ordinance calls “constructive public notice” of verification steps an owner wants followed before documents affecting their property are executed or recorded.

According to the staff report submitted by Supervisor Buddy Mendes (District 4) and Assessor-Recorder Paul Dictos, existing safeguards typically operate only after a fraudulent document has already been recorded.

The ordinance states the notice is not a lien, encumbrance, or restraint on sale. It does not require the County Recorder to determine whether any later document was actually authorized. The notice may be considered by lenders, escrow holders, title companies, buyers, and courts when evaluating whether an instrument was authorized by the owner.

Certain categories of transfers are not affected by a recorded notice, including court orders, trustee’s sales, tax sales, probate proceedings, and eminent domain.

The Breakdown

• Property owners may voluntarily record a Real Property Fraud Prevention Notice stating their own verification procedures for transactions affecting their property
• The notice becomes part of the public land record and may be considered by parties in real estate transactions
• The notice does not block anyone from recording an otherwise recordable document
• Recording fees authorized under state law and included in the County’s Master Schedule of Fees (Section 2400) apply
• The ordinance takes effect 30 days after September 8, 2026
• Owners may amend, release, or revoke a notice by recording a subsequent instrument

What This Means for You

The Board of Supervisors gave property owners a new tool to state publicly how they want their identity verified before a deed, mortgage, or encumbrance is recorded. The Board’s decision means you can now record such a notice. The ordinance does not require anyone to check for these notices or follow the procedures stated in them.

What You Can Do

Property owners who want to record a Real Property Fraud Prevention Notice can do so through the Fresno County Recorder’s office once the ordinance takes effect 30 days after September 8, 2026. Recording fees apply.

What to Watch

The ordinance frames the notice as a fraud-prevention tool. The ordinance explicitly states the County Recorder is not required to determine whether a later document complies with a notice, and the notice “may be considered” by lenders, escrow holders, title companies, buyers, and courts — language that does not mandate compliance.

The ordinance creates a voluntary system of stated preferences, not a binding gatekeeping mechanism. Whether it actually deters fraud or just adds a document to the public record is something that will only be visible after the system has been in use — and after any fraud attempts have been made.