Document Updates: Addition of Assessor's Identification Number (AIN) & Assessor's Parcel Number (APN) Tags on California Security Instruments
Mar 12, 2026
On October 6, 2025, California Governor Gavin Newsom approved CA Senate Bill No. 255 which added the following new language to Cal. Gov. Code § 27297.7(b)(2):
“The recorder may require, as a condition of recording, that a deed, quitclaim deed, mortgage, or deed of trust indicate the assessor’s identification number or numbers that fully contain all, or a portion of, the real property described in the legal description. If the description contains more than one assessor’s parcel, all assessor’s parcels shall be indicated. If assessor’s identification numbers are required, they shall be listed on the first page of the document. The recorder may rely on the assessor’s identification numbers as indicated on the document. The form of the entry shall be substantially as follows:
Assessor’s Identification Number __-__-__.
This requirement is effective on or before January 1, 2027.
It has come to our attention that Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties have already implemented this requirement, but instead of using an Assessor’s Identification Number, they have chosen to use an Assessor's Parcel Number.
In an effort to avoid recorder rejections, Docutech has replaced the PIN (Property Identification Number/Parcel Identification Number) tag on the first page of all generic California security instruments with the new tag “AIN/APN/PIN”.
The documents that have been updated are:
Cx25283 3005 CA Deed of Trust 2021
Cx26120 FHA CA Deed of Trust 2021
Cx471 CA Deed of Trust Second
Cx1362 HELOC Deed of Trust - CA
These changes are available for testing on Stage & Stage 2 servers and will take effect on March 19, 2026. If you have any questions or concerns about these changes, please contact Client Support at 1.800.497.3584.
COM-7151
DR-212830
The preceding is for informational purposes only and is not and may not be construed as legal advice. No third-party entity may rely upon anything contained herein when making legal and/or other determinations regarding its practices, and such third-party should consult with an attorney prior to embarking upon any specific course of action.
The preceding is for informational purposes only and is not and may not be construed as legal advice. No third-party entity may rely upon anything contained herein when making legal and/or other determinations regarding its practices, and such third party should consult with an attorney prior to embarking upon any specific course of action.