County
San Francisco County
San Francisco County has an estimated 2025 population of 826,079 across about 46.685 square miles of land. The county handles work tied to parcels, courts, records, elections, health, and countywide services. Cities inside it still set many permit and local-service rules.
Starting point
Start with the county layer.
County offices are the usual first stop for records, taxes, courts, elections, public health, social services, sheriff services, and unincorporated-area routing.
What changes the answer: Cities inside the county can still control city permits, local code, utilities, business licenses, and city-specific rules.
How local government works here
County and city rules can share one address.
An address in San Francisco County can sit inside a city. It can also sit on county land outside any city. That line picks the permit desk and some local rules. It does not move every county job to city hall.
County jobs stay with the county
The county assessor sets property value. The tax collector handles bills. The recorder, court, elections office, benefits office, and usually the health office also stay with San Francisco County. Berkeley, Long Beach, and Pasadena run separate city health departments.
Permits follow the city line
A city or town usually handles permits, zoning, parking, business licenses, and local code inside its lines. San Francisco County handles these jobs on county land outside a city.
Districts can cross both layers
Water, sewer, fire, schools, transit, trash, and flood work may belong to a special district or other provider. The parcel or service bill is often the quickest way to name that agency.
Countywide answer
Muni is San Francisco's everyday transit layer
Muni ties together San Francisco buses, Metro trains, streetcars, cable cars, route pages, stops, fares, and alerts.
Read the full explanation2025 population
826,079
Land area
46.685 sq mi
Water area
185.214 sq mi
Local front desk
Start with the task in front of you.
San Francisco County is the working county layer. Use the task rows for the division of work, then open the official office door below.
- Property Open the property-tax path
Assessed value, exemptions, tax bills, and appeals
San Francisco County assessor handles value and exemptions. The clerk of the board handles a formal value appeal. The tax collector handles the bill, payment, and penalties.
- Records Open the records path
Deeds, birth and death records, marriage records, and name changes
San Francisco County recorder is the usual deed and public-record door. Vital-record access depends on the record and year. A legal name change or divorce decree can involve Superior Court.
- Property work Open the local-office path
Building permits, ADUs, zoning, code, water, and septic
For an unincorporated address, start with San Francisco County planning or building. An address inside a city or town starts with that local permit counter.
- Housing Open the housing path
Rent rules, repairs, notices, and eviction papers
Start with a local rent, housing, or code office if one serves the address. Court papers go to the Superior Court self-help path, and the deadline on the papers keeps running.
- Household help Open the benefits path
CalFresh, Medi-Cal, CalWORKs, General Assistance, and IHSS
San Francisco County social-services agency is the main local door. Coverage, food, cash aid, and in-home support remain separate programs with separate notices.
- Public health Open the health path
Vaccines, disease reporting, health records, and local health programs
San Francisco County public health is the local health jurisdiction. Health coverage and benefits still use separate program doors.
- Business Open the business path
Business setup, seller's permits, local licenses, and regulated work
State filings and tax accounts do not replace county zoning, licensing, building, fire, or health approvals for the address.
- Neighborhood services Open the local-office path
Potholes, streetlights, graffiti, trash, and service requests
For a county-maintained road or service in an unincorporated area, start with San Francisco County. Caltrans, utilities, transit systems, waste haulers, and special districts can own separate reporting paths.
- School and care Open the school and care path
School enrollment, student records, and child-care checks
The school district handles assignment and records. County offices can help with some family services, while the state licenses child-care facilities.
- Parking Open the parking path
Residential, guest, overnight, and local parking permits
A local parking permit is separate from a citation, moving ticket, and toll notice. Match the permit to the address, vehicle, district, or parking facility.
- Tickets Open the ticket path
Traffic court, parking citations, and toll notices
San Francisco County Superior Court handles traffic court matters. A city or issuing agency handles parking. The toll operator handles toll notices.
- Safety Open the emergency path
Emergency alerts, evacuations, smoke, roads, and power
Use the county or city alert system for local warnings. Follow the local emergency office for evacuation wording, then use the state fire, smoke, road, and utility sources for the matching layer.
Official county doors
Open the office that owns the next step.
California's statewide directories and verified official corrections supply the county-specific links below. Property and recorder links open the state directory because several county offices can share one task.
San Francisco County
Practical notes
Office, map, permit, and paperwork notes for San Francisco County
Countywide answer · Rules and licenses · Reviewed June 30, 2026
San Francisco county is the same local government as the city
San Francisco uses one city-and-county government, so local questions usually start on SF.gov or SF Planning.
Community answer · Rules and licenses · Reviewed July 3, 2026
San Francisco business registration runs through the Treasurer
San Francisco businesses usually register with the Treasurer & Tax Collector within 30 days of starting business activity and renew each year.
Community answer · Money and taxes · Reviewed July 3, 2026
San Francisco property tax splits assessor records from payment
San Francisco property tax questions usually split between the Assessor-Recorder for value and property records, and the Treasurer & Tax Collector for bills and payments.
Community answer · Cars and driving · Reviewed July 7, 2026
Bay Area bridge tolls use FasTrak, plates, or invoices
Bay Area toll bridges use automatic toll collection, with FasTrak, License Plate Account, One-Time Payment, and invoice options depending on how the vehicle is set up.
Community answer · Cars and driving · Reviewed July 3, 2026
San Francisco parking permits start with the exact block
San Francisco residential parking permits depend on posted permit areas, current documents, renewal timing, paid citations, and whether the vehicle is tied to the address.
Community answer · Cars and driving · Reviewed July 3, 2026
San Francisco parking tickets start with SFMTA
San Francisco parking citations are handled through SFMTA, with separate paths for paying, contesting, checking status, and reading citation details.
Stories & Notes
Stories and local context across San Francisco County
Community story · History and culture
The Wave Organ turns San Francisco Bay into a small instrument
The Wave Organ is a wave-activated acoustic sculpture on a Marina District jetty, built from stone, pipes, tide, and bay movement.
Community story · History and culture
Japanese Tea Garden is a quiet Golden Gate Park story
San Francisco's Japanese Tea Garden began as an 1894 fair exhibit and grew into the oldest public Japanese garden in the United States.
Community story · History and culture
Fort Point puts a brick fort under the Golden Gate
Fort Point gives San Francisco a close-up military history stop, with Civil War-era brickwork sitting below the Golden Gate Bridge.
Community story · History and culture
Coit Tower has a whole 1930s story at its base
Coit Tower is a Telegraph Hill landmark with city views, a Lillie Hitchcock Coit backstory, and Depression-era murals that once stirred public debate.
Community story · History and culture
The Palace of Fine Arts is San Francisco's world's-fair survivor
The Palace of Fine Arts began with the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition and still gives San Francisco a public reminder of that huge world's-fair moment.
Community story · History and culture
The Presidio turned a military post into a public park
San Francisco's Presidio served under three nations, became part of the National Park Service in 1994, and now mixes historic buildings, trails, beaches, and bay views.
Community story · History and culture
Sutro Baths turned the edge of San Francisco into a giant swim house
The Sutro Baths ruins at Lands End are the remains of a huge oceanfront bathhouse that once mixed swimming, exhibits, restaurants, and Pacific views.
Community story · History and culture
Japantown's Peace Plaza sits at the center of a rare district
San Francisco's Japantown is one of the few remaining Japantowns in the United States, with Peace Plaza serving as a central gathering place.