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California · San Joaquin Valley · Central California · #62 Most Populous County in the US
Kern County, California
California's oil and agricultural heartland - the county that produces more petroleum than any other in the state and feeds much of the country. Property tax, courts, public records, probate, and senior services for Kern County residents.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
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Kern County's assessment ratio means effective tax rates are low — but incorrect appraisals still cost money. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
Shelter Info: Multiple shelter locations; contact OES; Kern County fairgrounds; Red Cross
FEMA Region: Region 9
Notes: Southern San Joaquin Valley/Mojave Desert/Tehachapi county; Bakersfield is county seat; California’s oil capital (third-largest oil-producing county in the US – Midway-Sunset field is one of the largest in North America); EXTREME WILDFIRE RISK (Kern County has experienced many of California’s largest wildfires – 2019 Walker Fire, 2021 Antelope Fire, and many others); earthquake risk (White Wolf Fault – 1952 Kern County earthquake magnitude 7.5 was the strongest in California since 1906; active faults throughout); Valley Fever (coccidioidomycosis – Kern County has among the highest rates in California); extreme heat; Tehachapi Pass Wind Farm (largest concentration of wind turbines in the US for many decades)
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
County Roads: Kern County Roads – (661) 862-5000
Transit: GET (Golden Empire Transit District) – (661) 324-9874 | getbus.com; Kern Transit (rural routes); Amtrak San Joaquins (Bakersfield Station – important rail terminus); Bakersfield Amtrak-to-bus connection to LA
Airport: Meadows Field Airport (BFL – Bakersfield); American and United service; Los Angeles International accessible via I-5/Hwy 99
Notes: Hwy 99 runs north-south through Bakersfield (Central Valley’s main artery); I-5 runs through the western San Joaquin Valley portion; Hwy 58 runs east-west (Bakersfield to Mojave and Barstow); Hwy 14 connects Mojave to the Lancaster/Palmdale area; Tehachapi Pass is a critical rail corridor – Tehachapi Loop (one of the engineering wonders of the railroad world) carries enormous freight tonnage through the mountains; Bakersfield is the terminal of the Amtrak San Joaquins with connecting buses to LA
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Kern County Planning and Natural Resources – (661) 862-8600 | kerncounty.com/planning
Services: County permits; Bakersfield (very active, separate), Ridgecrest, Tehachapi, Delano, McFarland, Wasco, Shafter, Taft, Maricopa, California City, Arvin, Oildale (unincorporated) have separate permits
Notes: Major renewable energy project permits (Kern County is one of the world’s most active solar and wind energy development areas); oil field infrastructure permits; agricultural processing facilities; Bakersfield suburban growth; Ridgecrest (China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station adjacent) military-related development
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Kern County Veterans Services – (661) 868-3220
VA Medical: VA Loma Linda (southern Kern); VA Central California (Fresno – northern Kern); Bakersfield VA CBOC – (661) 632-1800 (local outpatient access)
Services: Benefits claims, VA healthcare enrollment, pension/compensation; China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station coordination
Notes: Bakersfield VA CBOC provides local access; large veteran community in Kern County (significant military retiree population near China Lake); active VSO chapters; Bakersfield College and CSUB have veteran student services
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Kern County Library – (661) 868-0701 | kerncountylibrary.org; 26 branches; Bakersfield City Library (separate – extensive)
Branches: Arvin, Bear Valley Springs, California City, Delano, Di Giorgio, Frazier Park, Kernville, Lake Isabella, Lamont, Lost Hills, McFarland, Mojave, North Chester, Oildale, Ridgecrest, Rosamond, Shafter, Taft, Tehachapi, Wasco, and others
Services: Books, e-books, public computers, Wi-Fi, genealogy, oil industry and Central Valley history, children’s programs; bilingual Spanish materials
Notes: Large county library system serving diverse communities; Bakersfield City Library operates separately; bilingual Spanish collections essential given large Hispanic farmworker and permanent population; oil history collections in Taft and Kern; Ridgecrest library serves the China Lake military community
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
County Parks: Kern County Parks – (661) 868-7000; Lake Ming; Kern River County Park
State Parks: Kern River (including Kern River Preserve – the Kern River Canyon below Isabella is one of California’s finest whitewater rivers and trout fishing streams); Red Rock Canyon State Park (spectacular eroded badlands and cliffs along Hwy 14 – desert geology; used in countless science fiction films; extraordinary colors); Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve (southern Kern/LA county border – California’s famous spring poppy bloom; golden hillsides in late March/April in good years; one of the state’s most beloved spring spectacles); Tehachapi Mountain Park
Key Attractions: Tehachapi Loop (railroad engineering wonder); California Living Museum (Bakersfield – wildlife center with California native species); Kern County Museum (Bakersfield – outstanding oil industry and Central Valley history); Sequoia National Park north access (Hwy 65 through Porterville); China Lake Petroglyph Loop (limited access – NAWS China Lake); Lake Isabella (Southern Sierra’s largest lake – water sports; bass fishing; camping; Kern River whitewater access)
Notes: Kern County’s recreational landscape ranges from desert to Sierra Nevada; Red Rock Canyon’s brilliantly colored desert badlands are extraordinarily photogenic and were featured in many 1950s-60s science fiction films; the Kern River (Class III-V whitewater) is one of California’s premier kayaking rivers; the Antelope Valley poppy blooms (in good years) create one of California’s most spectacular natural events; Tehachapi Pass Wind Farm (thousands of wind turbines on the Tehachapi hills) is an iconic energy landscape
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Kern County GIS – kerncounty.com/gis | (661) 862-8600; DOGGR (California Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources) oil well mapping; CalFire maps; renewable energy project maps; USGS earthquake hazard maps
Notes: Active GIS reflecting complex land use; oil field mapping through DOGGR/CalGEM is extensive; renewable energy project siting GIS; Valley Fever distribution mapping through CDPH; China Lake NAWS boundary mapping (restricted); earthquake fault mapping
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Shelter: Kern County Animal Services – (661) 868-7130; Bakersfield Animal Care Center; Ridgecrest shelter
Notes: Large county with multiple shelter locations; significant agricultural animal (livestock) component; Kern County’s oil country and desert terrain creates unique animal service needs; Mojave green rattlesnake encounters common in desert communities; desert tortoise protection (federally threatened); tule elk management through CDFW in the San Joaquin Valley portion
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Solid Waste: Kern County Waste Management – (661) 862-8900; Bakersfield Sanitation; multiple city programs
Recycling: CalRecycle compliance; Bakersfield recycling programs; growing renewable energy creates e-waste considerations; oil field waste management (extensive)
Environmental: California SWRCB; Lahontan RWQCB (desert portions); San Joaquin RWQCB; CalGEM (California Geologic Energy Management Division – oil and gas wells, most in the country); SJVAPCD (San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District); California Energy Commission (renewable energy)
Notes: Kern County’s oil industry creates the most complex industrial environmental management of any California county – California has more orphaned and abandoned oil wells than almost any state, and Kern County has thousands; methane leakage from oil field equipment is a significant greenhouse gas emission; oil spills (the 2019 Chevron Cymric Field spill – millions of gallons of oil and water – was one of California’s worst) and wastewater management from fracking and steam injection are active regulatory concerns; Valley Fever (coccidioidomycosis) is exacerbated by drought and soil disturbance – oil field operations, construction, and agriculture all disturb soil and release fungal spores; renewable energy development (solar and wind) is transforming the desert portions of Kern County – Kern now hosts enormous solar arrays and wind farms; the transition from oil to renewable energy is one of California’s most profound land-use shifts and is happening fastest in Kern County
About Kern County
Kern County covers 8,132 square miles of California’s southern San Joaquin Valley – from the Tehachapi Mountains in the south to the flat agricultural expanse of the valley floor. It is the largest county in California by land area among those without desert as their primary geography, and it occupies a dual economic identity: one of the top oil-producing counties in the United States and one of the nation’s most productive agricultural counties, with major output in grapes, citrus, pistachios, almonds, and dairy. Bakersfield is the county seat and by far the largest city, home to roughly half the county’s population. County government is a five-member Board of Supervisors with a County Administrative Officer, along with elected Sheriff-Coroner, Assessor-Recorder, Auditor-Controller-County Clerk, District Attorney, and Treasurer-Tax Collector.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
California property tax is governed by Proposition 13 (1978), which set the base property tax rate at 1% of assessed value statewide, with a maximum 2% annual increase in assessed value. The assessed value is generally the purchase price plus allowable inflation adjustments – not current market value – unless a reassessment event occurs (change of ownership, new construction, or request for lower value when market drops below assessed value). This makes long-term Kern County property owners with pre-boom purchase prices significant beneficiaries of Prop 13 protections.
Local voter-approved bond measures and special district levies add to the 1% base. Kern County’s total effective rate including these additions typically runs 1.1-1.3% depending on location and applicable special districts.
Proposition 19 (2020) changed the rules for property tax transfers between family members. Parent-to-child transfers no longer automatically preserve the parent’s low base year value unless the child uses the property as a primary residence – and even then, the exclusion is capped. Estate planners and property owners transferring Kern County real estate to heirs should verify current Prop 19 implications with an attorney.
Appeals: If you believe your assessed value is incorrect – either because of a reassessment event that overvalued the property, or because the market value has fallen below your assessed value – file with the Kern County Assessment Appeals Board (Clerk of the Board, 1115 Truxtun Ave, Bakersfield). As of September 19, 2025, a $75 non-refundable filing fee applies per parcel. Contact the County Assessor first at 661-868-3485 – an informal correction may resolve the issue without a formal appeal. For Prop 13 decline-in-value applications (when market value falls below assessed value), the filing window is July 2 through November 30 annually.
Tax bills are due November 1 (first installment) and February 1 (second installment), with delinquency dates of December 10 and April 10 respectively. Pay online at the Kern County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s portal.
OWNWELL CTA: Kern County’s oil sector assessed value has been declining due to permitting slowdowns – commercial and industrial property owners may have grounds to appeal. Residential owners who purchased near market peaks may benefit from decline-in-value applications. Ownwell manages the process with no upfront cost.
Recommended
Kern County's oil sector assessed value has been declining due to permitting slowdowns - commercial and industrial property owners may have grounds to appeal. Residential owners who purchased near market peaks may benefit from decline-in-value applications. Ownwell manages the process with no upfront cost.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
The Kern County Superior Court serves as the trial court for all civil, criminal, family, probate, and juvenile matters. The main courthouse is at 1415 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield (661-868-5000). Probate matters are handled by the Probate Division. The Kern County Assessor-Recorder records all land documents – deeds, mortgages, liens – at 1115 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield (661-868-3485). Court records are searchable through California Courts’ online portal.
California probate is governed by the California Probate Code. California has a state estate tax only through the federal state death tax credit mechanism – effectively, California has no separate state estate tax for most purposes. California has no inheritance tax. The federal estate tax applies above the federal exemption. California’s Prop 19 changes significantly affect how real property passes between family members – the old parent-child base year value exclusion is substantially limited.
Senior Services: The Kern County Department of Aging and Adult Services (661-868-1000) coordinates senior programming, home-delivered meals, Adult Protective Services, and in-home supportive services. California’s IHSS (In-Home Supportive Services) program, administered at the county level, provides funded in-home care for qualifying seniors and disabled residents.
Senior property tax relief: California’s Proposition 60/90 transfer provisions (now largely replaced by Prop 19) allowed seniors to transfer their base year value when moving. Under Prop 19 (effective April 2021), homeowners 55 or older (or severely disabled, or disaster victims) may transfer their base year value to a replacement home of any price anywhere in California – up to three times. This is a significant benefit for Kern County seniors considering downsizing or relocating within the state.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
CLERK-RECORDER (Deeds, Marriage Licenses)
1655 Chester Ave., Bakersfield, CA 93301
(661) 868-6400
County Clerk
(661) 868-3590
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Kern County Superior Court (marriage licenses, will and estate case files – see Probate section above)
Local societies
Kern County Genealogical Society, Bakersfield, CA
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Kern County Superior Court 1415 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301 Hours: Monday–Thursday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.; Friday, 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
California recently increased its small-estate thresholds substantially, so check this first – more estates now qualify to skip full probate than in past years.
Small Estate Affidavit (personal property) – for estates with personal property valued at $208,850 or less (for deaths on or after April 1, 2025; holds through March 31, 2028). No court filing needed – present the signed affidavit directly to the bank or institution holding the property. Must wait at least 40 days after the death, and no probate proceeding can already be pending.
Petition to Determine Succession to Real Property, Primary Residence – for a decedent’s primary California residence valued at $750,000 or less (Judicial Council Form DE-310). Requires a 40-day wait, notice to heirs, and a probate referee appraisal.
Affidavit for Real Property of Small Value – for other (non-primary-residence) California real property valued at $69,625 or less (Form DE-305). Requires a 6-month wait.
Formal Probate – required when the estate exceeds these thresholds. California typically uses the Independent Administration of Estates Act (IAEA), letting the personal representative handle most matters without a court hearing for each step.
California is a community property state – a surviving spouse already owns their half of community property, and can often use a simplified Spousal Property Petition (Form DE-221) instead.
If using the small estate affidavit (personal property)
Wait at least 40 days after the death.
Confirm total qualifying California personal property (excluding trust assets, joint tenancy, POD/TOD accounts, and beneficiary-designated accounts) is $208,850 or less, using date-of-death values.
Complete the affidavit under Probate Code § 13100.
Present it with a certified death certificate directly to the bank or institution – no court filing required. Collecting property this way makes you personally liable for the decedent’s unsecured debts up to the value received (Prob. Code § 13109).
IF USING THE PRIMARY RESIDENCE PETITION OR SMALL REAL PROPERTY AFFIDAVIT
Confirm the property qualifies and the applicable waiting period has passed (40 days for the primary-residence petition; 6 months for the small real property affidavit).
File the petition (Form DE-310) or affidavit (Form DE-305) with the Kern County Superior Court.
A probate referee appraises the property; heirs receive notice.
Once approved, the property transfers without full probate administration.
If formal probate is required
Deliver the original will (if any) to the court clerk within 30 days of learning of the death (Prob. Code § 8200).
File a Petition for Probate (Form DE-111) to admit the will and request appointment as personal representative.
The court issues Letters Testamentary (Form DE-150) or Letters of Administration.
If Independent Administration authority is granted, the personal representative can act on most matters without separate court hearings.
Notice to creditors and an inventory/appraisal (with a probate referee) follow, along with payment of debts and taxes.
The estate closes with a final petition for distribution.
What it costs
Small estate affidavit / real property affidavits: no court filing fee for the personal-property affidavit; filing fees apply to the DE-310 primary-residence petition and DE-305 small real property affidavit.
Formal probate filing fee: several hundred dollars, varying somewhat by county.
Personal representative and attorney compensation: statutory fee schedule based on estate size (Prob. Code §§ 10800–10810) – a percentage that declines as the estate grows.
No California state estate tax or inheritance tax.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
1350 Norris Rd., Bakersfield, CA 93308
(661) 868-4220
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
CA Voter Registration
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Dept
(661) 868-3200
Social Services
(661) 631-6000
Medi-Cal
(800) 300-1506
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Kern County Public Health Services Department – (661) 321-3000 | kernpublichealth.com
Services: Comprehensive county health department; immunizations; WIC; STI/HIV; behavioral health; environmental health; restaurant inspections; Valley Fever surveillance and treatment; agricultural worker health
Hospitals: Kern Medical (county public hospital – Level II trauma) – (661) 326-2000; Dignity Health (multiple Bakersfield facilities); Kaiser Permanente Bakersfield; Ridgecrest Regional Hospital
Notes: Valley Fever is a major public health priority in Kern County – the county consistently has among the highest rates of coccidioidomycosis in California; agricultural worker health (pesticide exposure, heat illness) is significant; Kern Medical is the county’s safety-net hospital; significant health disparities between affluent northwest Bakersfield and lower-income southeast/east Bakersfield; opioid crisis impacts; significant uninsured farmworker population
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Recommended for California
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