I have my deed signed and notarized, and have submitted it for recording at my local County Recorder’s office prior to the February 15, 2021 deadline. What if my deed does not record by the February 15, 2021 deadline? Must my deed be recorded prior to that date in order to still be under the Proposition 58/193 provisions?

No. As long as the date of transfer is on or before February 15, 2021, the transfer will qualify for the Proposition 58/193 exclusion. Property Tax Rule 462.260 makes clear that the recordation date of a deed is rebuttably presumed to be the transfer date. This means that if evidence is shown that the transfer occurred prior to the recordation date, the assessor should accept that earlier date. Such evidence could be, for example, the date of a notarized document of transfer, such as a deed.