State-Specific Quit Claim Deed Requirements

Use this chart before completing, signing, or recording your Quit Claim Deed. It identifies the deed pages to select, information to add and where to put it, signing requirements, and separate state or local filings.

Last reviewed: September 23, 2026.

Important: This is a general statewide summary, not legal advice or a guarantee of recording acceptance. County, parish, city, and town requirements can differ, and laws and forms can change. Confirm current requirements with the recording office where the property is located before signing or recording. A tax exemption, consideration-reporting exemption, and recording-fee exemption are different questions. Do not assume that a quitclaim deed or a transfer for no cash is automatically exempt.

Which deed pages should I use?

Choose one first page: Use the Texas first page for Texas, the Indiana first page for Indiana, and the Standard first page for the other states. Do not use multiple alternative first pages for one transfer. An official recording cover sheet may also be needed, as explained in the applicable state entry.

Choose one signature page: The revised kit contains the eight alternatives below. Follow your state's row and the notarization guidance. These are alternative pages, not instructions to sign or record every page included in the kit.

Standard Notary Page Witness + Notary Page California Page Georgia Attestation Page Kentucky Page Oregon Page Tennessee Page West Virginia Page

Additional information: Write or type required entries legibly in the location identified below, before signing and notarizing. Keep recorder-only areas clear and follow the page-format directions in your state’s entry. A statement required on Page 1 is not satisfied by a Page 2 entry unless the applicable rule permits that alternative. Complete the actual preparer's information.

Attachments and printing: Attach and identify any legal-description continuation, official cover sheet, or additional certificate needed for the transaction. Make every page or exhibit reference accurate for the assembled deed. Ask the recording office about an acceptable continuation or cover-sheet arrangement when space is insufficient.

Signing and notarization: Keep names consistent, print names beneath signatures where required, and follow the state's witness and Grantee-signature directions. Only the notary or authorized officer should complete the notarial certificate, using the actual date, venue, and persons appearing. Separate appearances may require separate certificates. A certificate that states physical presence should not be used unchanged for a remote act; the officer must use a legally appropriate certificate and procedure. Preserve any separate consideration oath, declaration, or statutory notice when an acknowledgment certificate is added or replaced.

Vesting reminder: Not every ownership option printed on the deed is recognized in every state. Before selecting tenancy by the entirety, community property, or community property with right of survivorship, confirm that the ownership form is available and appropriate. See Oregon's entry before using the national joint-tenancy choice there.

Quit claim deed reminder: A Quit Claim Deed generally transfers whatever interest the Grantor has, if any, without warranties of title. It does not establish that the Grantor owns the property, remove existing liens, or by itself release a borrower from a loan obligation. Obtain appropriate advice for unusual transfers, conflicting ownership claims, or a transfer whose legal or tax effect is uncertain.

State Signature Page What to Do Before Signing / Recording Sources & Forms
Alabama Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • A notarized acknowledgment satisfies Alabama's ordinary witness requirement.
  • File Form RT-1 Real Estate Sales Validation Form unless the conveyance itself contains all information required by the form.
 Ala. Code 35-4-23Form RT-1
Alaska Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • If the property is the family home or homestead and the Grantor is married, both spouses generally must join in the deed.
  • Record in the Alaska recording district where the property is located.
 Alaska Stat. 34.15.010
Arizona Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • File an Affidavit of Property Value unless the transfer qualifies for an exemption.
  • If exempt, follow the statutory exemption notation requirements on the deed.
  • Community real property generally requires both spouses to join in the conveyance.
 AZ Property Value FAQA.R.S. 11-1133
Arkansas Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • Complete the Real Property Transfer Tax Affidavit of Compliance or the applicable exemption certification.
  • Transfer tax may be due when the deed is recorded.
 AR Transfer Tax Affidavit
California California

First page: Standard
  • Pages: Use the Standard first page. Use the California signature page when the acknowledgment is taken in California. The supplied page contains the complete California acknowledgment and boxed notice. An acknowledgment taken outside California may comply with the law where it is taken. Have the notary select and complete the appropriate certificate.
  • Upper-left recording area: In the left-hand 3 1/2 inches of the top 2 1/2-inch area of Page 1, add the recording requester's name and the name and address for return of the recorded deed. Leave the rest of that recording area blank. The existing RETURN TO block lower on the page does not replace this placement requirement.
  • Parcel number: Add the Assessor's Parcel Number (APN) on Page 1 in the location required by the county, outside the recorder-only area. The APN does not replace the complete legal description. Complete the Grantee mailing address; the deed's TAX STATEMENTS sentence directs tax statements there.
  • Documentary transfer tax: On Page 1, outside the recorder-only area, add the tax amount or a valid exemption, and identify the incorporated city or unincorporated area. For a taxable transfer, state the applicable computation basis: full value, or full value less liens and encumbrances remaining at the time of sale. Follow the county's declaration and signer requirements; some Grantor declarations are authenticated by the Grantor's signature at the end of the deed, while other formats require a separate declarant signature.
  • Exemption write-in: When factually and legally correct, use the county-approved equivalent of: Documentary transfer tax: $0. Exempt under Revenue and Taxation Code section [section] because [specific reason]. Property is in [City of ___ / the unincorporated area of ___ County]. Do not assume a quitclaim deed, gift, or transfer for no cash is automatically tax-exempt. A taxable declaration must use the actual applicable amount and computation basis instead.
  • Local taxes and recording fees: Check both county and city transfer taxes; where required, list their amounts separately. An exemption from documentary transfer tax is not automatically an exemption from the additional recording fee under Government Code section 27388.1. Use the county's separate exemption statement or cover sheet for that fee when applicable.
  • Signatures: Grantors sign the deed. The notary completes the county, date, notary name and title, appearing-party names, signature, and seal. Print each signer's name beneath the signature. Do not complete notarial information for the notary or list someone who did not appear. Separate appearances may require separate acknowledgment certificates.
  • Community property with right of survivorship: Select this option only when legally applicable. California permits acceptance on the face of the deed through a Grantee-signed or initialed statement. When using that method, add We accept this property as community property with right of survivorship and the Grantees' signatures or initials.
  • Separate filing: Submit the county's current Preliminary Change of Ownership Report (PCOR), completed and signed by the transferee as required. Recording without the report can result in an additional fee and does not eliminate applicable ownership-reporting obligations. Use any additional county tax declaration or exemption form required for the transaction.
 CA acknowledgment and official formCivil Code 1189First-page recording areaTransfer-tax declaration examplesCounty / city tax example: Los AngelesAPN ordinances: R&T 11911.1Recording-fee exemptionsPCOR: R&T 480.3Survivorship acceptanceNames with signatures
Colorado Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • Complete the TD-1000 Real Property Transfer Declaration when required by the county assessor / recorder.
  • Confirm any county documentary fee and recording requirements.
 TD-1000 Instructions
Connecticut Witness + Notary

First page: Standard
  • Use two attesting witnesses and an acknowledgment.
  • Include the Grantee's current mailing address.
  • File Form OP-236 Connecticut Real Estate Conveyance Tax Return when the deed is recorded.
 Conn. Gen. Stat. 47-5Form OP-236 Information
Delaware Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • State the true value in the deed or provide the required affidavit.
  • Complete the current RTT-TAX Realty Transfer Tax Return and Affidavit of Gain and Value and any applicable real-estate withholding forms.
 Current Delaware Forms30 Del. C. ch. 54
Florida Witness + Notary

First page: Standard
  • Use two subscribing witnesses.
  • Print the names and post-office addresses of the Grantor(s) and witnesses as required; include the preparer's name/address and the printed name of the notary.
  • Keep a 3 x 3 inch area clear in the upper-right corner of Page 1 and a 1 x 3 inch upper-right area on later pages.
  • Include the Grantee mailing address. Documentary stamp tax may be due. Confirm homestead spouse-joinder requirements.
 Fla. Stat. 689.01Fla. Stat. 695.26
Georgia Georgia Attestation

First page: Standard
  • Use the included Georgia Attestation signature page with the Standard first page: one unofficial witness plus an authorized official witness, commonly a notary.
  • The unofficial witness and official witness must actually witness the required execution; the notary/official witness completes the attestation and uses the required seal.
  • E-file Form PT-61 and pay real estate transfer tax if due.
 GA Real Estate Transfer TaxO.C.G.A. 44-2-15
Hawaii Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • Pages: Use the Standard first page and Standard Notary signature page together with the official Hawaii recordation cover sheet or other compliant first-page arrangement. The Standard first page's 3-inch top space is not, by itself, Hawaii's required first-page format.
  • Cover sheet and system: Obtain the current Bureau of Conveyances Recording Cover Sheet. Hawaii requires a 3 1/2-inch top recording area followed by the required return-information area. Supply the requested parties, document information, return address, and Tax Map Key (TMK). Determine whether the property is in the Regular System, Land Court, or both; a cover sheet does not eliminate Land Court-specific requirements.
  • Separate tax filing: Complete the current P-64A conveyance-tax certificate, or P-64B exemption form if the transfer qualifies. A quitclaim deed is not automatically tax-exempt. Follow the current state instructions and the requirements of the applicable recording system.
  • Before signing: Confirm the complete recording package with the Bureau of Conveyances or a qualified Hawaii professional, particularly for Land Court property. Retain the full legal description and use the TMK in addition to, not instead of, that description.
 Bureau of Conveyances: official cover sheet / formsHRS 502-31: first-page formatCurrent Hawaii conveyance-tax forms
Idaho Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • Idaho is a community-property state.
  • Community real property generally cannot be conveyed unless both spouses join in the deed or another statutory exception applies.
 Idaho Code 32-912ID Community Property
Illinois Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • File Form PTAX-203 with the deed unless the transaction qualifies for an exemption that permits an exemption notation on the original deed.
  • Local transfer taxes may also apply.
 PTAX-203 Instructions
Indiana Standard Notary

First page: Indiana
  • Pages: Use the included Indiana first page with the Standard Notary signature page.
  • Page format: Leave at least 2 inches blank at the top and bottom of the first and last pages, and use at least 10-point type. Keep write-ins, signatures, lines, and page numbers out of those areas. An attached exhibit can become the last page and must meet the same requirements.
  • Addresses and names: Provide each Grantee's physical street or rural-route address, not only a P.O. Box. Identify any different tax mailing address. Print or type each signer's name immediately below the signature and use names consistently in the deed and acknowledgment.
  • Preparer and Social Security number affirmation: Complete the preparer's name at the conclusion of the instrument. Immediately before or after that preparation statement, write or type the following when required: I affirm, under the penalties for perjury, that I have taken reasonable care to redact each Social Security number in this document, unless required by law. Print the name of the person making the affirmation beneath it. Do not put it in the blank area at the bottom of the page.
  • Outside-Indiana exception: IC 36-2-11-15 excepts instruments executed or acknowledged outside Indiana from that section's preparer/affirmation requirements. Having a document merely prepared outside Indiana is not the stated exception. Confirm application with the recorder when signers execute or acknowledge in different places.
  • Indiana notary information: The notarial certificate must contain the required commission expiration and the Indiana county of commission, or county of primary employment for a qualifying nonresident notary. The notary may add, as applicable, Commissioned in ___ County, Indiana or the appropriate primary-employment county identification. The notary's printed name must be legible on the certificate or otherwise as permitted by law, including a legible seal.
  • Before recording: Complete the current Sales Disclosure Form 46021 when applicable, obtain the required assessor/auditor processing and endorsement, and provide any county-required parcel identification. Confirm the county's transfer procedure before presenting the deed to the recorder.
 IN recording requirementsState Board of Accounts: recorder requirementsNotarial certificates: IC 33-42-9-12Current Sales Disclosure forms
Iowa Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • Pages: Use the Standard first page and Standard Notary signature page.
  • Preparer placement: Iowa calls for the preparer's name, address, and telephone number on Page 1 below the 3-inch top recording area. If there is insufficient space, Page 1 may identify the page where that information appears. Complete the PREPARED BY block, including a telephone number, and add Preparer information: See Page 2. on Page 1 when using that alternative. Use the actual page number if the assembled instrument has different pagination.
  • Groundwater statement: Determine whether any reportable condition under Iowa Code 558.69 exists. When none exists, place this statement on Page 1: There is no known private burial site, well, solid waste disposal site, underground storage tank, hazardous waste, or private sewage disposal system on the property as described in Iowa Code section 558.69, and therefore the transaction is exempt from the requirement to submit a groundwater hazard statement. Use it only when true; do not sign a no-known-condition statement merely to avoid the separate form.
  • If a reportable condition exists: Complete the required Groundwater Hazard Statement, have the required transferor or authorized agent sign it, give the transferee a copy, and submit it as required. A false no-known-condition statement is not a substitute.
  • Other completion: Provide the full Grantor and Grantee names and addresses, keep the recording space clear, and print the corresponding name beneath each signature. Submit the Real Estate Transfer Declaration of Value unless the transaction qualifies for an applicable exemption.
 First-page information and cross-referencesGroundwater statement: Iowa Code 558.69Iowa transfer forms
Kansas Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • File the Real Estate Sales Validation Questionnaire unless a statutory exemption applies.
  • Do not assume that a nominal consideration recital such as $10 automatically avoids the questionnaire.
 KS Property Valuation FormsSales Validation Questionnaire
Kentucky Kentucky

First page: Standard
  • Pages: Use the Standard first page and the Kentucky signature page. The Kentucky consideration certificate is printed on that signature page.
  • First-page entries: Provide the full Grantor and Grantee names, their mailing addresses, the full consideration when paid, and the in-care-of tax-bill address. The existing TAX STATEMENTS direction may be used when the Grantee's address is the correct destination.
  • Complete the certificate: Select the applicable consideration checkbox. For a sale, the consideration stated in the deed must be the full amount paid. For a gift or nominal/no-consideration transfer, complete the gift/value certification with the estimated fair cash value. Do not treat a cash amount of zero as proof that the entire transaction is a gift. Check any special statutory exception before omitting the certificate.
  • Who signs: The Grantor(s) sign the deed and the Grantee(s) sign the consideration certificate on the labeled lines. Unless a statutory exception applies, both sides must sign and swear to the certificate, either personally or through persons authorized by KRS 382.135. The notary must administer the oath and complete the acknowledgment/certificate for the persons who actually appear. If appearances are separate, obtain appropriate separate certificates rather than listing absent parties in one acknowledgment.
  • Source of title: Near the legal description, add the immediate source of the Grantor's title. For title acquired by recorded deed, a suitable factual entry is: Being the same property conveyed to [Grantor] by deed dated [date], recorded in Deed Book [book], Page [page], in the [county] County Clerk's office. Use the actual recorded reference; when title was acquired another way, state the source required by KRS 382.110 rather than inventing a deed reference.
  • Preparer: Complete the Kentucky PREPARED BY block with the individual preparer's name and address and the preparer's signature on the Signed by line. Confirm applicable transfer tax and county recording requirements.
 KRS 382.135: consideration certificateKRS 382.110: source of titlePreparation statement requirements
Louisiana Witness + Notary

First page: Standard
  • Use the Witness + Notary Page when executing as an authentic act: two witnesses plus a notary.
  • Print or type each signer's name directly beneath the signature and include the notary identification number or attorney bar-roll number.
  • Louisiana requires detailed marital-status information, including the present spouse's full name or a declaration that the party is unmarried, and information about changes in a transferor's marital status since acquisition when applicable.
  • Record in the parish where the property is located.
 Civil Code art. 1833Civil Code art. 3352
Maine Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • File the Real Estate Transfer Tax Declaration (RETTD) with the Registry of Deeds when the deed is recorded.
  • The Registry collects any transfer tax due.
 Maine Transfer TaxRETTD
Maryland Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • Pages: Use the Standard first page and Standard Notary signature page. The preparation certification can be written or typed on the deed.
  • Party-preparation certification: If you are a party named in the deed and actually prepared it, add near the preparation block: I certify that I am a party named in this instrument and that this instrument was prepared by me. Sign and print your name. A name in the ordinary PREPARED BY block alone is not the same as this certification. Do not certify that you prepared the deed if that is not true.
  • Other preparation: If the party-preparation alternative does not apply, obtain the applicable certification from an attorney admitted to practice in Maryland that the instrument was prepared by or under that attorney's supervision. Do not use a nonparty lay preparer's certification in place of the statutory alternatives.
  • Separate filing and endorsements: Submit the Maryland Land Instrument Intake Sheet or obtain the permitted assessment-office endorsement, and complete the applicable tax-collector, assessment, transfer-tax, and recordation-tax requirements before recording. Follow the county's current intake procedure.
 Md. Real Property 3-104
Massachusetts Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • Keep a 3 x 3 inch blank recording area in the upper-right of Page 1 or use a conforming registry cover sheet.
  • Include the Grantee's full name, residence and post-office address, the full monetary consideration or nature of other consideration, and the property address clearly labeled.
 MA Deed Indexing StandardsM.G.L. c.183, s.6
Michigan Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • The new owner must file Form 2766 Property Transfer Affidavit with the city or township assessor within 45 days of the transfer.
  • Confirm county recording requirements for preparer, return address, and tax parcel information.
 MI Property TransferForm 2766
Minnesota Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • If the property is a married owner's homestead, both spouses generally must sign.
  • File an eCRV when required; current guidance generally requires one when consideration exceeds $3,000. Use the appropriate no-eCRV statement when applicable.
 Minn. Stat. 507.02eCRV Guidelines
Mississippi Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • Pages: Use the Standard first page and Standard Notary signature page. Type the required entries in the available space. Confirm the chancery clerk's requirements before using handwritten entries. Harrison County expressly states that it does not accept handwritten documents.
  • Page 1 location: Keep the entire top 3 inches blank for the recorder. Put the preparer and party contact information described below on Page 1 below that area. The PREPARED BY block on Page 2 does not replace Mississippi's first-page placement requirement.
  • Preparer write-in: Add Prepared by: [name]; Physical business mailing address: [address]; Business/employment telephone: [number]. Include the Mississippi Bar number if the preparer is an attorney and that requirement applies. Provide truthful identifying information for the person or firm that actually prepared the completed instrument.
  • Each party's contact information: Beside or below the Grantor and Grantee information on Page 1, add each person's current business/employment telephone number, if any, and residential telephone number, if any. For an unlisted residential number, provide a number at which that person can be reached during business hours. Include current mailing addresses for every Grantor and Grantee. If a Grantee can receive mail at the transferred property, use that address as required by section 27-3-51.
  • Legal description and indexing: Include the indexing information required by section 89-5-33 if the deed does not otherwise disclose it. Set any separate indexing instruction apart and supply the applicable section, township, range, quarter-section or governmental-lot information. The legal description/indexing instruction may continue onto immediately succeeding pages when the first page lacks room. Do not assume this continuation rule also permits moving the required party and preparer contacts off Page 1.
  • Signatures and format: Print or type the corresponding name beneath each original signature, including the Grantor signatures. Preserve at least 10-point type and the required recording and page-format areas; do not squeeze entries into recorder-only space. If the available space is insufficient, ask the chancery clerk about an acceptable recording arrangement before signing.
  • Homestead: If the property is a protected homestead and the owner is married and living with the spouse, the spouse generally must join in the conveyance, subject to statutory exceptions. Confirm county chancery-clerk recording and tax requirements.
 Harrison County: documents must be typedMiss. Code 89-5-24: first-page informationMiss. Code 89-5-33: preparer / indexingMiss. Code 27-3-51: party contactsMiss. Code 89-1-29: homestead
Missouri Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • Marital status: State whether each natural-person Grantor is married or unmarried beside that Grantor's identifying information.
  • Legal description: The kit's legal-description area is on Page 1. If the description continues on an attachment or another page, identify the actual location on Page 1, for example Legal description continued on attached Exhibit A.
  • Format and recording: Leave the top 3 inches blank, keep at least 3/4 inch clear on the remaining edges, and use at least 8-point type. Provide the first-page names, addresses, title, and other information required by RSMo 59.310; when that statute permits a cross-reference for insufficient space, identify the correct page. Have the notary complete all required certificate blanks before presenting the deed.
 RSMo 442.130RSMo 59.310
Montana Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • File a completed Realty Transfer Certificate (RTC) with the County Clerk and Recorder when the deed is presented for recording.
  • Grantor and Grantee names on the RTC should match the deed.
 Montana RTC
Nebraska Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • If the property is a married person's homestead, both spouses generally must execute and acknowledge the deed.
  • Submit Form 521 Real Estate Transfer Statement with the Register of Deeds; the deed will not be recorded without a properly completed statement.
 Neb. Rev. Stat. 40-104Form 521
Nevada Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • Add the Assessor's Parcel Number (APN) in the upper-left of Page 1 if one has been assigned and include the Grantee mailing address.
  • File the Declaration of Value with the deed.
  • Community-property rules may require spouse joinder; confirm if the Grantor is married.
 NRS ch. 111NRS ch. 375
New Hampshire Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • Purchase / pay any required real estate transfer tax indicia through the Registry of Deeds.
  • File the current purchaser declaration (CD-57-P), seller declaration (CD-57-S), and PA-34 Inventory of Property Transfer within the required time after recording.
 NH Current FormsNH RETT FAQ
New Jersey Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • Use the current GIT/REP form required for the seller's circumstances.
  • Use Form RTF-1 when claiming a full or partial Realty Transfer Fee exemption; additional RTF forms apply to certain high-value and other transactions.
  • Always use the current New Jersey form set because requirements vary by seller, property type, value, and exemption.
 NJ Realty Transfer FeeGIT/REP FAQ
New Mexico Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • For residential property, file the Residential Property Transfer Declaration Affidavit with the county assessor within 30 days after the deed is recorded.
  • New Mexico is a community-property state; confirm spouse joinder and vesting when either party is married.
 NM Transfer AffidavitNMSA 7-38-12.1
New York Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • Submit Form RP-5217-PDF with the deed and the current TP-584 transfer-tax form.
  • New York City generally uses ACRIS instead of RP-5217-PDF; Staten Island uses the designated NYC RP-5217 form.
  • Nonresident sellers may also need the current IT-2663 form.
 RP-5217 FilingCurrent NY Transfer Forms
North Carolina Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • Use 8.5 x 11 or 8.5 x 14 paper; keep 3 inches blank at the top of Page 1 and at least 1/2 inch clear on the remaining edges; use legible black type (9 point or larger is considered legible); print on one side only.
  • The instrument type must appear at the top of the first page.
  • Effective April 1, 2027: certain covered land transfers will require an additional affidavit under G.S. 161-14.04 / G.S. 64-63. Check the current rule if recording on or after that date.
 G.S. 161-14G.S. 161-14.04
North Dakota Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • Pages: Use the Standard first page and Standard Notary signature page. Both additional statements below may be written or typed on the deed.
  • Quitclaim reporting exemption: Add this statement on the face of the deed, outside the recorder-only area: Exempt from full consideration reporting under N.D.C.C. section 11-18-02.2(6)(h) — Quitclaim Deed. Have the Grantee or the Grantee's authorized agent sign that certification and print the signer's name and capacity beside or beneath it. This is an exemption from full-consideration reporting, not a blanket exemption from taxes or recording charges. The Grantor's deed signature alone does not replace the required Grantee/agent certification.
  • Metes-and-bounds descriptions: When section 47-19-03.1 applies, add near the description either The legal description was obtained from a previously recorded instrument or The legal description was prepared by [name], [address]. Use the statement that is true. This requirement concerns metes-and-bounds descriptions and does not apply to an instrument executed or acknowledged outside North Dakota.
  • Addresses and signatures: Provide the post-office address, and any known or existing city street address, for each Grantee. If the property is a married person's homestead, both spouses generally must execute and acknowledge the deed.
  • Recording: Leave at least 3 inches clear across the top of Page 1, meet the recorder's type-size and other formatting requirements, and complete county-auditor transfer/tax certification before recording unless a statutory exception applies. Confirm the county's processing order; the quitclaim reporting exemption does not by itself waive auditor processing.
 N.D.C.C. 11-18: reporting and recordingN.D.C.C. 47-19: description and addressesN.D.C.C. 47-18-05: homestead
Ohio Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • Leave 3 inches blank at the top of Page 1 and 1.5 inches at the top of each later page. Keep 1 inch clear on the sides and bottom of every page, and use at least 10-point type.
  • Present the deed to the county auditor before recording and complete DTE 100 or DTE 100EX as applicable.
  • Ohio dower rights may require a spouse to join or otherwise release rights even when the spouse is not the titled owner.
 Ohio Rev. Code 317.114Ohio Tax Forms
Oklahoma Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • If the property is an exempt homestead and both spouses are living and not divorced or legally separated, both spouses generally must sign.
  • Documentary stamps / transfer tax are handled through the county clerk when applicable.
 16 O.S. 4
Oregon Oregon

First page: Standard
  • Pages: Use the Standard first page with the Oregon signature page. The Oregon page contains the statutory land-use notice; retain the entire notice as part of the deed before the signatures.
  • Actual consideration on Page 1: Enter the true and actual consideration in the existing dollar blank. Do not use a nominal amount when a different amount was actually paid. Oregon's definition includes applicable liens, mortgages, contracts, indebtedness, and other encumbrances to which the property remains subject or which the purchaser agrees to pay or assume. No cash changing hands does not, by itself, justify entering $0.00.
  • Other property or value: If noncash property or value is part or all of the consideration, also add the applicable statement in the body of Page 1 before the signatures: Other property or value is part of the consideration or Other property or value is the entire consideration. Oregon does not require a dollar valuation of that noncash property merely for this statement. Determine the dollar entry consistently with section 93.030; do not omit debt or other amounts that its definition includes.
  • Certification and tax address: When the consideration statement is in the body of the deed before the signatures, execution certifies it. If a separate face-of-deed consideration statement is used instead, it must be signed by the Grantor or Grantee as required by ORS 93.030. Complete the Grantee's name/address on Page 1; the existing TAX STATEMENTS sentence supplies the direction to send statements there until changed.
  • Ownership choices: Do not assume the national joint-tenancy wording has the same effect in Oregon. Oregon has special statutory treatment for express survivorship ownership. Use tenants in common or tenants by the entirety only when appropriate; obtain Oregon-specific vesting wording before using Other for a survivorship arrangement. Do not select a community-property option merely because it appears on the national form.
  • Signing and recording: Grantors execute and acknowledge the Oregon page. Preserve at least 10-point text, including the notice. Required first-page information includes the parties, return information, true consideration, and tax-statement information. Obtain the recorder's cover sheet when needed to supply missing first-page recording information; do not remove the statutory notice.
 ORS 93.030, 93.040, 93.180 and 93.260ORS 205.234: first-page informationOregon recording checklist example
Pennsylvania Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • File Form REV-183 Statement of Value when required, including many gifts, exemption claims, or transfers where full consideration / value is not adequately stated in the deed.
  • County recording-format and parcel-certification requirements vary significantly; confirm with the county Recorder of Deeds.
  • Confirm whether the county requires the preparer's or return recipient's telephone number and its placement on the first page. Do not assume that a telephone entry on Page 2 meets a county-specific first-page contact requirement.
 PA Realty Transfer TaxREV-183
Rhode Island Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • Record the deed with the city or town where the property is located.
  • Real estate conveyance tax is paid at recording when due.
 RI Conveyance Tax
South Carolina Witness + Notary

First page: Standard
  • Use two credible witnesses.
  • Source of title and address: South Carolina Code 30-5-35 expressly exempts quitclaim and non-warranty deeds from the derivation-clause requirement. Include the Grantee mailing address.
  • File the deed-recording-fee / value affidavit unless the recording officer waives it; if exempt, state the exemption basis.
 S.C. Code 27-7-10S.C. Code 30-5-35SC Deed Fee Manual
South Dakota Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • Pages: Use the Standard first page and Standard Notary signature page.
  • Preparer information goes in the upper-left: In the left half of the top 3-inch area of Page 1, type, stamp, or legibly print Prepared by: [name], [address], Telephone: [number]. Leave the right half of that area for the register of deeds. South Dakota specifically allows the preparer information in that upper-left area; completing only the Page 2 preparer block is not enough for the required placement.
  • Other entries and format: Include the Grantor and Grantee names, the Grantee's post-office address, and the complete legal description. Keep 1 inch clear on all edges outside the special first-page top area and use at least 10-point black text. Keep page numbers and new write-ins out of the required blank areas.
  • Separate value form: Submit the current Certificate of Real Estate Value (Form PT 56) when required. Follow the form's instructions for the transaction; do not assume that a quitclaim or transfer-fee exemption automatically eliminates the value-form requirement.
  • Transfer-fee exemption: When an exemption applies, add the required notation and the applicable statutory subdivision. For example, complete Exempt from transfer fee under SDCL 43-4-22([applicable subdivision]) because [actual reason] only after identifying the correct exemption.
  • Homestead: If the property is a homestead, the owner is married, and both spouses are South Dakota residents, both spouses generally must concur and sign or execute the conveyance, subject to statutory exceptions.
 SDCL 7-9-1: preparer legendSDCL 43-28-23: precise placement / formatCertificate of Value and filing guidanceSDCL 43-4: transfer-fee exemptionsSDCL 43-31-17: homestead
Tennessee Tennessee

First page: Standard
  • Pages: Use the Standard first page and Tennessee signature page. The Tennessee page supplies the Grantor acknowledgment and a separate Grantee consideration oath with its own notarial jurat.
  • Quitclaim consideration rule: For a true quitclaim conveying only the Grantor's interest, the taxable measure is actual consideration, not automatically the greater of consideration and fair market value. Do not add warranty or other language purporting to convey the property itself without checking how that changes the tax treatment. Consideration can include money or other value; no cash does not always mean no consideration.
  • Grantor signatures: Grantors execute the deed on the upper signature lines and acknowledge execution before the notary or other authorized officer, who completes the first certificate.
  • Grantee oath: Unless an applicable exemption removes the oath requirement, enter the actual consideration in the lower oath. The Grantee, the Grantee's authorized agent, or a trustee acting for the Grantee must swear or affirm it before an authorized officer and sign the oath. Identify any representative capacity. The officer completes the separate Subscribed and sworn jurat; the Grantor acknowledgment alone does not satisfy this oath.
  • Other entries: Complete Parcel ID No. and the preparer's name/address on the Tennessee page. Identify the tax-bill recipient and address. Add the current source-of-title/derivation information required by the register, ordinarily the prior deed's date and book/page or instrument reference near the legal description.
  • Exempt transfers and recording: Confirm the exemption and any required recital with the county register before omitting the oath or tax. Submit the actual complete instrument for recording and pay any tax or recording charges due.
 CTAS: transfer tax and quitclaim ruleCTAS: quitclaim tax law clarificationTenn. Code 67-4-409County deed filing checklist example
Texas Standard Notary

First page: Texas
  • Texas-specific first page included in the kit. If an individual is a party, use the Texas-specific first page in place of the Standard first page. It includes the statutory NOTICE OF CONFIDENTIALITY RIGHTS required by Texas Property Code 11.008(c). Do not use both first pages.
  • If the property is a married person's homestead, spouse joinder generally must be addressed.
  • Confirm county recording requirements and fees.
 Tex. Prop. Code 11.008Tex. Fam. Code ch. 5
Utah Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • Include the Grantee mailing address to be used for assessment and taxation.
  • Use a legal description that satisfies Utah's statutory requirements.
  • Confirm whether the county recorder requires a parcel / serial number in addition to the legal description.
 Utah Code 57-3-105
Vermont Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • File the current Property Transfer Tax Return (PTT-172) when the deed is delivered to the town clerk for recording.
  • The town clerk cannot record a deed without the required transfer-tax return.
 PTT-172 Instructions
Virginia Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • Pages: Use the Standard first page and Standard Notary signature page. Use the Virginia land-record cover sheet when required by the clerk or to provide permitted first-page indexing information. Number the assembled deed pages consecutively.
  • First-page indexing: Supply the consideration and actual value, parties identified as Grantor/Grantee, and any applicable recording-tax exemption with its legal authority as required. Follow the clerk's surname-format and cover-sheet instructions. Do not assume every first-page requirement is waived just because a cover sheet is attached.
  • Residential property with no more than four dwelling units: On Page 1, identify the title-insurance underwriter or state The existence of title insurance is unknown to the preparer. Use the unknown statement only when true. Also state that the deed was prepared by the owner or identify the Virginia-licensed attorney and Virginia State Bar number, as applicable under section 17.1-223.
  • Owner-prepared write-in: When true, add This deed was prepared by [name], owner of the real property. Do not name Harner Legal Forms or yourself as the owner/preparer unless the statement is accurate. These residential first-page statements are not replaced merely by the PREPARED BY block on Page 2.
  • Recording: Keep Social Security numbers out of the instrument except where legally required, complete the applicable clerk's tax and parcel-information requirements, and confirm any additional local cover-sheet fields.
 Va. Code 17.1-223Va. Cover Sheet Statute
Washington Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • Pages: Use the Standard first page and Standard Notary signature page. Use the county's Washington statutory recording cover sheet unless all required first-page information is properly added to the deed.
  • Required first-page information: Put the return address in the upper-left, identify the document title immediately below the 3-inch top area, list Grantors and Grantees, provide the abbreviated legal description and the location of the complete description, and state the assessor's parcel/account number separately. Include any required reference to an instrument being assigned, released, or amended when applicable.
  • Write-ins and page format: The abbreviated description is not a substitute for the full legal description. Preserve the first-page recording area and keep at least 1 inch clear on the sides and bottom of Page 1 and on every edge of later pages; text must be at least 8 point. The recorder can supply the appropriate cover sheet when the deed does not have room for the required first-page entries.
  • Separate excise-tax filing: Complete the current Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) Affidavit and submit it through the county's tax/recording process. Exempt transfers generally still require an affidavit unless an exception applies. Select the state form for the applicable transaction date; forms for May 1, 2026 and after are separately identified by the Department of Revenue.
  • Exemption claims: Identify the correct Washington Administrative Code section/subsection on the affidavit. A gift claim requires the applicable supplemental statement. No cash payment does not necessarily make a transfer exempt. Resolve tax payment or exemption processing with the county before recording.
 RCW 65.04.045: format and first-page entriesRCW 65.04.047: cover sheetCurrent REET forms by transaction dateREET filing guidanceREET exemption codes / supplemental statements
West Virginia West Virginia

First page: Standard
  • Pages: Use the Standard first page and West Virginia signature page. The Declaration of Consideration or Value is printed on that page. Complete the applicable amount and have the Grantor(s) sign the deed below it.
  • Declaration: Report the actual total consideration, including applicable assumed liens or obligations. If no consideration is paid, complete the true-and-actual-value entry to the best of the declarant's knowledge and belief. The statutory declaration may be signed by a Grantor, Grantee, or another responsible person familiar with the transaction. If someone other than the signing Grantor supplies the declaration, identify and obtain that declarant's signature.
  • When Grantees must sign: Under W. Va. Code 39-1-2, Grantee execution is generally required for a quitclaim deed without consideration, or a deed transferring property valued at $100 or less when no excise tax is paid. The required Grantee signature must also be acknowledged, or proved by two witnesses as the statute permits.
  • Family exceptions to that signing rule: The statute excepts qualifying transfers between husband and wife; parent and child; parent and child and the child's spouse; grandparent and grandchild; and grandparent and grandchild and the grandchild's spouse, when without consideration or for consideration of less than $2,000. A sibling transfer is not listed in this Grantee-signature exception. Do not apply an exception based only on a general description such as family transfer.
  • Where required Grantees sign: Use the unlabeled signature lines immediately below the Grantor signature lines on the West Virginia page. Print the signer's name and identify the person as Grantee. The acknowledgment must identify all persons whose signatures are actually acknowledged. If a Grantee appears separately from the Grantor, have the notary complete a proper separate acknowledgment rather than naming the absent person in the other acknowledgment.
  • Tax exemption is a different question: Section 11-22-1 contains tax exclusions that do not exactly match the Grantee-signature exceptions. For example, a qualifying no-consideration sibling transfer can be tax-exempt without being excepted from the no-consideration quitclaim Grantee-signature rule. Confirm and state the correct tax basis or exemption without assuming it determines who must sign.
  • Preparer and separate filing: Complete the preparer's name at the conclusion of the deed. Submit the required current Sales Listing Form with the deed, unless using an alternative expressly accepted under section 11-22-6. Confirm transfer-tax stamps/payment and local filing requirements with the county clerk.
 W. Va. Code 39-1-2: Grantee signatures / exceptionsW. Va. Code 11-22-6: declaration / sales listingW. Va. Code 11-22-1: tax definitions / exclusionsW. Va. Code 39-1-2a: preparer
Wisconsin Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • A Wisconsin cover sheet / first-page format is recommended with this kit.
  • Keep a 3 x 3 inch blank recording area in the upper-right; put the return name/address and parcel identification number in the designated first-page area; the document title must be within the required top area.
  • Add the name of the individual who drafted the instrument (when required) and print names below signatures.
  • File the Wisconsin Real Estate Transfer Return (RETR) through My Tax Account before recording.
 WI Recording RequirementsWisconsin RETR
Wyoming Standard Notary

First page: Standard
  • Submit a fully completed sworn Statement of Consideration with the deed unless the transfer qualifies for an exemption.
  • The county clerk generally cannot record a nonexempt transfer without the statement.
 Wyo. Stat. 34-1-142
No matching state found.

State and local forms: Use the current version from the applicable agency or recording office. A listed form can be revised, replaced, or moved to an electronic filing system. Sources describe legal or recording requirements; they are not endorsements of this kit.

Before recording: Recheck the selected pages, all required signatures and certificates, the legal description and attachments, first-page entries, applicable tax/exemption statements, and the recording office's current requirements. This chart does not replace a transaction-specific title or legal review.