Buying a Home in Amador County, CA: the 2015 Butte Fire & Mining Disclosure
Amador County's Gold Rush mining legacy comes with a real disclosure statute, and the county has direct, confirmed wildfire history from the 2015 Butte Fire.
Amador County, anchored by Jackson and Sutter Creek, is part of California's Gold Country — the Mother Lode mining region running along Highway 49 — with a real legacy of historic mine workings and direct, significant wildfire history from the September 2015 Butte Fire.
What’s the transfer tax in Amador County?
Amador County's documentary transfer tax is the standard statewide rate of $1.10 per $1,000 of consideration, with no city-level add-on.
All five incorporated cities — Amador City, Ione, Jackson, Plymouth, and Sutter Creek — are General Law cities charging the standard $0.55 city-share rate on top of the $0.55 county rate, with no additional local surcharge, per the statewide rate survey effective December 1, 2025. Example: a $280,000 sale works out to $308 total transfer tax anywhere in the county.
Did a major wildfire actually burn in Amador County?
Yes — the Butte Fire burned September 9 – October 1, 2015, across Amador and Calaveras counties, consuming 70,868 acres and destroying 921 structures (549 homes) with 2 fatalities, one of the more destructive wildfires in the Sierra foothills in the past decade.
If you're looking at forested or foothill property in Amador County, especially areas that fell within or near the Butte Fire's footprint, check current CAL FIRE Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps and treat insurance availability as an early part of your due diligence.
Should I worry about abandoned mine shafts on or near a property?
Amador County was one of the most heavily mined counties in the Mother Lode, with historic hard-rock and placer mining around Jackson, Sutter Creek, and Plymouth, and the county maintains its own certified surface mining ordinance (Ordinance No. 1421, certified by the State Mining and Geology Board on 9/12/1996).
Separately, California Civil Code §1103.4 (as amended by SB 110, effective January 1, 2012) requires a seller's Natural Hazard Disclosure package to include a "Notice of Mining Operation" if the property lies within one mile of an active mining operation reporting to the state's Office of Mine Reclamation under Public Resources Code §2207. This covers active, reporting operations — not informal historic mine workings — so ask separately about any known abandoned shafts or tunnels on or near a specific rural or older in-town parcel; the county Building Department is the right first call for that question.
What about the Shenandoah Valley wine region and rural infrastructure?
The Shenandoah Valley area of Amador County has developed into a notable wine-growing region (Zinfandel in particular). Much of the county outside Jackson and Sutter Creek relies on private well water and septic systems.
As with other California agricultural areas, confirm Williamson Act contract status before assuming unrestricted development rights on vineyard or rural agricultural land — a Williamson Act contract runs with the land and doesn't end at sale. Amador County requires a permit for construction, deepening, repair, or destruction/abandonment of any well.
Disclosure landscape
- Fire Hazard Severity Zone status should be checked per-parcel via current CAL FIRE maps, especially near the 2015 Butte Fire's footprint.
- Civil Code §1103.4 requires a Notice of Mining Operation disclosure for property within one mile of an active, state-reporting mining operation — ask separately about informal historic mine workings, which this statute does not cover.
Frequently asked
Are abandoned mines a real concern when buying property in Amador County?
Potentially, for rural or older parcels near Jackson, Sutter Creek, or Plymouth — this heavily-mined Mother Lode county has a certified surface mining ordinance, and state law (Civil Code §1103.4) requires disclosure of active mining operations within one mile. That statute doesn't cover informal historic mine workings, so ask about those separately and check county hazard mapping before assuming clear land.
Is there a city transfer tax add-on in Amador County?
No — all five incorporated Amador County cities charge the standard city-share rate with no local surcharge, so total transfer tax anywhere in the county is the standard $1.10 per $1,000.
Did the 2015 Butte Fire burn in Amador County?
Yes — the fire burned across Amador and Calaveras counties, consuming 70,868 acres and destroying 921 structures. Check current CAL FIRE hazard maps for a specific property and treat insurance availability as an early due-diligence step, especially near the fire's historic footprint.
Sources
- California City Documentary and Property Transfer Tax Rates (effective 12/1/2025)
- Butte Fire (2015) — Wikipedia
- Sierra Institute — Exploring socioeconomic effects of fire in Amador and Calaveras Counties
- Certified Mining Ordinances — CA Department of Conservation, State Mining and Geology Board (Amador County Ordinance No. 1421, certified 9/12/1996)
- California Civil Code §1103.4
- California Public Resources Code §2207
- Williamson Act Program Overview — CA Dept. of Conservation
- Wells — Amador County Environmental Health
This is educational guidance, not legal advice. Consult a California real estate attorney for legal questions specific to your transaction.