Start Here · Official link · Reviewed July 14, 2026

Local office router

California has layers, and the task picks the layer. Match the errand to the right counter, from city hall to a special district.

The short version

The address and the job choose the office

For local permits and services, the boundary decides the counter. An address inside city limits usually starts with the city, while an address on unincorporated land starts with the county. Property tax has three main county jobs: the assessor sets taxable value, the auditor-controller computes the tax, and the tax collector mails and collects the bill. The other layers each keep their own desk: courts handle cases and filing dates, and state agencies handle statewide licenses, benefits, labor rules, and DMV records. A water, sewer, fire, school, or transit district can be separate on top of all that.

What changes the answer: The city name in a mailing address does not show that the property is inside that city. Use the address or parcel number to confirm the boundary, and use the office named on a notice when a deadline is already running.

Official: State services search

California has layers. The mailing city, the real city limits, the county, the court, and the state agency can all be different. The right first stop saves time. It keeps a small task from turning into a long runaround.

How it works

City limits decide the local permit counter

A city usually handles zoning, building permits, code cases, streets, and other city services inside its legal boundary. The county handles those local jobs on unincorporated land. A postal city name is only for mail and can cross that boundary.

A common case is a home with a familiar city in its address but no city government for the parcel. That owner starts with county planning or building, not the nearby city hall. The parcel number is the cleanest key when the address is unclear.

County tax offices are not interchangeable

The assessor identifies property, sets assessed value, and handles many exemptions and value questions. The auditor-controller uses that value and the tax rate to compute the tax. The tax collector sends the bill, takes payment, and handles current or late payment records.

The county recorder keeps deeds and many recorded documents. An assessment appeal goes through the county's appeal process, not the tax collector. Bring the parcel or account number so the office can find the same record you are looking at.

Court papers stay with the court

A city, county department, or state agency cannot extend a court filing date. A summons, complaint, citation, hearing notice, or court order belongs with the court named on the paper. Use that court's clerk or self-help center for forms and case steps.

A local housing office, labor office, or consumer agency may still help with the subject. It does not replace a response that must be filed in court. Treat the court date and the agency complaint as separate tracks.

State agencies own statewide records and licenses

DMV handles driver and vehicle records. EDD handles unemployment, disability, paid family leave, and employer payroll accounts. State labor offices handle wage claims and job injuries. State boards handle insurance, contractors, and many licensed professions.

Local approval can still sit beside a state license. A contractor license does not issue a building permit. A state business filing does not approve a storefront. Use both layers when the work and the address each need approval.

A special district may own the service

Water, sewer, fire protection, flood control, transit, parks, and schools can be run by districts with their own boundaries. Those lines do not have to match a city or county service area. The utility bill, tax bill, or service notice usually names the district.

Start with the name printed on the real record. If the first office does not own the job, ask for the office name, official page, and case or reference number. That keeps the handoff tied to the same task.

First useful action

Start with the route selector

Pick the closest task. The result will point to the focused page or official office that fits.

Choose a path See more tools like this

Route selector

Select the office category.

Pick an option above to see the right first stop.

Need the city or county desk for a local task? Start with the verified local service directories.

Browse local service directories

First moves

1
Write down the address and the exact task. Add the parcel number, notice date, and deadline if you have them.
2
For property work, check whether the address is inside city limits or on unincorporated county land. The mailing city alone cannot tell you.
3
For assessed value, ownership records, or exemptions, start with the county assessor. To pay the bill or ask about penalties, start with the county tax collector.
4
For zoning, building permits, ADUs, or local code, start with the city permit counter if the address is in a city. If it is unincorporated, start with county planning or building.
5
For coastal-zone work, ask who handles the coastal permit: the city, the county, or the Coastal Commission. Do not assume one permit covers everything.
6
For rent, eviction notices, or housing papers, check the local rent or housing office first. If a court deadline is involved, use court self-help or legal help.
7
For pay, breaks, benefits, or job injuries, start with the state labor office, EDD, or workers' comp office that fits the issue.
8
For cars, titles, registration, smog, or fees, start with DMV or the Bureau of Automotive Repair.
9
For insurance, contractor, or license issues, start with the state license or consumer office before sending money or signing.
10
If an office says it is not the right place, ask which office has the job. Ask for the official page or case number too.

Watch for

1
A postal city name is not always the city government. Some homes have a city mailing address but are handled by the county.
2
The assessor, tax collector, planning office, recorder, and court are different offices.
3
Special districts can handle water, sewer, fire, lighting, parks, or flood control. School districts are their own separate thing.
4
City hall handles city services. It cannot decide a court case, an insurance claim, a tax appeal, or a state license.
5
Search results can point to look-alike pages. Use official agency pages and the numbers printed on real notices.
6
If a deadline, eviction, job loss, insurance problem, tax bill, permit denial, court paper, or safety issue is on the line, use the official source and get qualified help.

Official sources

Where to confirm this

Use the source that matches the step you are on. Current forms, fees, deadlines, and agency decisions can change after this page is reviewed.

State services search State of California state service source County assessor contacts California State Board of Equalization county assessor and property tax office contacts Property-tax office duties California State Board of Equalization assessor, auditor-controller, and tax collector roles Permit assistance California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development local, state, and federal permit source Court self-help California Courts court forms and self-help source Find my court California Courts local court finder Landlord-tenant basics California Department of Justice tenant and landlord resource page Labor Commissioner California Department of Industrial Relations wage and labor standards source EDD Employment Development Department unemployment, disability, paid leave, and payroll source Workers' compensation help California Department of Industrial Relations information and assistance officers Insurance consumer help California Department of Insurance insurance complaint and consumer source Contractor license check Contractors State License Board contractor license lookup DMV portal California DMV driver and vehicle source Local emergency alerts California Governor's Office of Emergency Services county and local alert signup Local coastal programs California Coastal Commission coastal permit responsibility

Use this as a map. It does not decide your rights, tell you what to file, or say someone broke the law. If a deadline, denial, eviction, firing, injury, tax bill, permit fight, or insurance dispute is on the line, use the official source or a licensed professional.

How to use California Porch safely

Directory paths

Keep moving through the directory.

Use the nearby shelf when this is the right lane, or jump back to the full directory if the task changed names.

ShelfStart hereFind the right public office for everyday paperwork.DirectoryPaperwork & MoneyReturn to the full tools shelf.Nearby toolConsumer problem and complaint routerComplaints work better in the right lane. Pick the path that matches the problem, from contractor trouble to a charge dispute.Nearby toolContractor license, contract, and complaint checkCheck the papers before hiring or after work goes wrong. Use the same path when a payment or mechanics-lien notice arrives.A-ZFind another California pathUse the directory index when the task has a different name.