State Specific Quitclaim Deed Forms
The most common reason a quitclaim deed is rejected at the county recorder’s office is that it was written for the wrong state.
Before you leave here and look for one of those generic forms floating around the web, here is what actually varies from one state to the next — and why it matters.
QuitDeed.com provides general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
What changes from state to state
- Required wording. How the transfer itself is phrased is set by each state’s statutes. Some states are very easy about it; others expect specific statutory wording. California, for example, is very specific about the way it wants certain issues worded.
- Witnesses. Notarization is required everywhere, but a handful of states also require witness signatures on the deed. Florida, for example, requires two subscribing witnesses on a conveyance.
- Companion filings. Some states require an extra form to be filed alongside the deed. In California a Preliminary Change of Ownership Report is normally submitted to the recorder at the same time, and the recorder may charge an additional fee if it is not. Other states require transfer tax declarations or exemption statements.
- Formatting rules. Margin sizes, type sizes, paper size and the space reserved for the recorder’s stamp vary by state — and an individual county may add its own requirements on top.
The rule that never changes: use a form written for the state where the property is located, not the state where you live.
Forms written for your state
Forms are reviewed against current state requirements, so you are not working from something outdated that a county recorder would reject. Each comes with clear step-by-step instructions for completing the document yourself.
Prefer not to fill in the deed yourself?
Standard Legal's document preparation service will draft it for you. You answer a short questionnaire about the property and the people involved, and their preparation team returns a completed Quitclaim Deed, ready to sign. Signing, notarizing and recording it with the county recorder are still yours to do.
Standard Legal does not offer document preparation to California residents.
Not sure a quitclaim deed is what you need?
Start with the homepage overview → — it covers when a quitclaim deed is the right tool, when it is not, and the one thing it will never do: remove your mortgage obligation.