Selling landlocked land in California

How California law handles land with no road access

California has no general statute letting a landlocked owner condemn a private road. Access usually requires a deeded easement or a court-implied easement by necessity, which needs prior common ownership and no other access, even a costly one.

Common-law route: Easement by necessity recognized but requires common ownership and strict necessity (Murphy v. Burch (2009) 46 Cal.4th 157).

Court routes take time and cost money. Ask a local attorney.

Your options as a landlocked owner

• Ask a neighbor to sell or grant an access easement, in writing and recorded.
• Offer the land to the neighbor who borders it. They are often the most natural buyer.
• Use the California legal route above to create access, then sell.
• Sell as-is to a cash buyer who accepts land without access.

California land at a glance

• Average farm real estate value: $14,100 per acre (2026, USDA).
• Average property tax on farmland: about $59.31 per acre per year (2022 Census of Agriculture).
• Transfer tax: No state transfer tax. State law (Rev. & Tax. Code 11911) lets counties levy a documentary transfer tax of $0.55 per $500 of consideration ($1.10 per $1,000, 0.11%). Cities may also levy. A city in a taxing county is limited to half the county rate, and some charter cities charge more.
• Seller disclosure: The Transfer Disclosure Statement (Civ. Code 1102) covers single-family residential property, meaning one to four dwelling units, so it does not cover ordinary vacant land. Vacant land sellers must still disclose a very high fire hazard severity zone, a FEMA flood zone A or V, or an earthquake fault zone. Sources: Gov. Code 51183.5, Gov. Code 8589.3 and Pub. Res. Code 2621.9. Sellers also owe a duty to disclose known material facts.

These are statewide averages, not an appraisal. See selling land in California for county values, or try the land value estimator.

How a cash sale handles this

Liberty Acres is a family-owned cash land buyer. We buy land anywhere in the US, in any condition, including land with back taxes, inherited land and land with no road access. We pay back taxes and all closing costs, use no agents and charge no commissions, and close through a title company, escrow company or real estate attorney who pays you by wire or check.

Common questions