San Mateo County

Major landmarks include the Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1), Crystal Springs Reservoir, San Bruno Mountain State Park, and numerous coastal beaches including Half Moon Bay. Incorporated in 1856, San Mateo County has evolved from agricultural ranching lands to become a global technology and innovation hub. The county encompasses 20 incorporated cities including Daly City, San Mateo, Burlingame, Millbrae, San Bruno, South San Francisco, Pacifica, Foster City, Belmont, San Carlos, Redwood City, Menlo Park, Atherton, Woodside, Portola Valley, Colma, Brisbane, Half Moon Bay, Hillsborough, and East Palo Alto.

What makes San Mateo County unique is its position at the epicenter of Silicon Valley innovation, housing numerous Fortune 500 company headquarters and venture capital firms, while maintaining agricultural heritage along the coastal Coastside communities. Key county offices include the San Mateo County Recorder-Clerk at 555 County Center, 1st Floor, Redwood City, CA 94063; the County Assessor-Chief Deputy Clerk-Recorder at the same address; and the County Controller's Office managing financial records.

Municipal police departments serve the incorporated cities: Daly City Police Department, San Mateo Police Department, Burlingame Police Department, Millbrae Police Department, San Bruno Police Department, South San Francisco Police Department, Pacifica Police Department, Redwood City Police Department, Menlo Park Police Department, Atherton Police Department, Brisbane Police Department, and Half Moon Bay Police Department, while smaller cities contract with the Sheriff's Office for law enforcement services. Arrest records in San Mateo County are public records subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act (Government Code Section 6250 et seq.). Mugshots and booking photos are generally available through the Sheriff's online inmate locator system for currently incarcerated individuals, and historical booking photos can be requested through formal public records requests.

No tribal police jurisdictions exist within San Mateo County, though the California Highway Patrol maintains significant presence on Interstate 280, Highway 101, and State Route 1.

Following California's court unification in 1998, municipal and justice courts were consolidated into the Superior Court system. The court maintains jurisdiction over all criminal felonies and misdemeanors, civil cases exceeding $25,000 in controversy, family law proceedings including dissolution and custody, probate and conservatorship matters, juvenile delinquency and dependency cases, small claims up to $10,000, and traffic infractions. Court records can be searched through the court's online case access system at https://www.sanmateocourt.org/online_services, which provides free access to basic case information including party names, case numbers, filing dates, and hearing schedules.

California Rules of Court Rule 2.500 through 2.507 govern public access to court records, implementing the constitutional right of access established in California Constitution Article I, Section 3(b)(1). Certain records are sealed or confidential by statute, including juvenile dependency records (Welfare & Institutions Code Section 827), mental health proceedings, and records subject to protective orders. Electronic filing is mandatory for represented parties under California Rules of Court Rule 2.253, with exceptions for self-represented litigants.

The office provides free online access to recorded documents from 1976 forward through the Official Records Search portal at https://recorder.smcgov.org/official-records-search, allowing users to search by document number, recording date, grantor/grantee names, and Assessor's Parcel Numbers (APNs). The San Mateo County Assessor-Clerk-Recorder-Chief Elections Officer, located at the same address (phone: 650-363-4988, website: https://assessor.smcgov.org), maintains property tax assessment rolls, ownership records, and exemption information. The Assessor's online Property Search application at https://assessor.smcgov.org/property-search provides free access to current assessed values, ownership information, property characteristics, tax rates, and sales history.

The county's comprehensive GIS parcel viewer at https://gis.smcgov.org integrates mapping data with property records, zoning information, and environmental overlays. Under California Government Code Section 27322-27361, the County Recorder must maintain a grantor-grantee index and accept legally compliant documents for recording.

Requesters must provide valid photo identification and demonstrate eligibility under California Health and Safety Code Section 103526, which restricts certified copies to authorized persons including the registrant, immediate family members, legal representatives, and persons with court orders. Marriage licenses must be obtained in person by both parties at the County Clerk's Office, with the completed marriage certificate available after the ceremony is performed and returned for recording at a cost of $17 per certified copy. Confidential marriage licenses, authorized under California Family Code Section 500, are also available and remain sealed from public inspection.

The California Department of Public Health Vital Records Office in Sacramento serves as the statewide repository and can provide certified copies of any California vital record for events from 1905 forward at https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CHSI/Pages/Vital-Records.aspx.

The San Mateo County Clerk-Recorder at 555 County Center, Redwood City, CA 94063 (phone: 650-363-4500) accepts Fictitious Business Name (FBA) statements, commonly called "Doing Business As" (DBA) filings, required under California Business and Professions Code Section 17900 when individuals or entities operate under a name other than their legal name. After filing, businesses must publish the FBN statement in a qualified newspaper of general circulation for four consecutive weeks and file an affidavit of publication with the County Clerk. The California Secretary of State maintains the statewide business entity database at https://bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov for corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, and other registered business entities.

Professional licenses for doctors, contractors, real estate agents, and other regulated professions are issued by respective California state licensing boards, searchable at https://search.dca.ca.gov. Building permits, planning approvals, and zoning compliance in unincorporated San Mateo County are handled by the Planning and Building Department at 455 County Center, 2nd Floor, Redwood City, CA 94063 (phone: 650-363-1825). The San Mateo County Economic Development Association (SAMCEDA) at https://www.samceda.org serves as a regional resource for business development, site selection, and economic data.

Registration requires U.S. citizenship, California residency, at least 18 years old by Election Day, and not currently serving a state or federal prison term for felony conviction. San Mateo County voters can verify their registration status, find their polling location or vote center, and access sample ballots at https://www.smcacre.org/voter-information or through the California Secretary of State's voter portal.

San Mateo County has transitioned to the Voter's Choice Act model, establishing vote centers that allow any county voter to cast their ballot at any location during an extended voting period beginning 10 days before Election Day. All registered voters automatically receive vote-by-mail ballots for every election under California law, which can be returned by mail (postmarked by Election Day), at official drop boxes throughout the county, or at any vote center. Public election records include voter registration rolls (with addresses redacted for public access per Elections Code Section 2188), campaign finance disclosure statements filed by candidates and committees viewable at https://www.smcacre.org and the California Fair Political Practices Commission website, candidate statements, nomination documents, precinct-level election results, and election materials archives.

San Mateo County consistently demonstrates high voter engagement, with the November 2024 general election achieving approximately 76% turnout of registered voters, reflecting strong civic participation in this politically active region. The next major election is scheduled for November 3, 2026, featuring U.S. House of Representatives races for California's 15th and 16th Congressional Districts (covering San Mateo County), the U.S.

Senate seat, California Governor, statewide constitutional officers, State Assembly and Senate seats, Superior Court judges, and local municipal offices and measures.

As a core component of Silicon Valley, San Mateo County hosts headquarters and major facilities for numerous Fortune 500 companies and technology leaders including Oracle Corporation (Redwood City), Genentech/Roche (South San Francisco), Electronic Arts (Redwood City), Visa Inc. (Foster City), GoPro (San Mateo), Sony Interactive Entertainment (San Mateo), SurveyMonkey (the county), Gilead Sciences facilities, and extensive operations from Meta/Facebook, Google, and other tech giants particularly in Menlo Park and Burlingame. The biotech corridor along the Bayfront, particularly in South San Francisco known as "Birthplace of Biotechnology," concentrates pharmaceutical research and biomanufacturing facilities.

San Francisco International Airport, though primarily in San Mateo County territory, serves as a major employer and economic engine generating billions in regional economic impact. The technology sector dominates with software development, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, venture capital investment, and semiconductor operations. Major employers also include healthcare systems like Kaiser Permanente, Seton Medical Center, and Mills-Peninsula Medical Center.

Coastal communities maintain agricultural operations including pumpkin farms, Christmas tree farms, flower cultivation, and organic vegetable production, particularly around Half Moon Bay and Pescadero. Tourism contributes significantly through coastal recreation, the annual Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival, state beaches, and the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay resort. The county's unemployment rate historically tracks below state and national averages, typically ranging 2-4% during economic expansion periods.

Recent economic development initiatives focus on life sciences cluster expansion, transportation infrastructure improvements including Caltrain electrification and potential High-Speed Rail connections, affordable housing development to address critical shortages, and sustainability programs. The county's proximity to San Francisco, Stanford University, and San Jose creates synergistic innovation ecosystems.