What does a quitclaim deed actually transfer?

A quitclaim deed transfers whatever ownership interest the grantor has at the time of conveyance, without warranties that the grantor actually owns clear title. It does not guarantee freedom from liens or competing claims; a title search is recommended for grantees.

Can a Quitclaim Deed remove a mortgage or lien?

No. A quitclaim deed transfers ownership interest but does not extinguish existing mortgages, liens, or judgments; lenders or lienholders must be satisfied separately and may require payoff or release.

Is a Quitclaim Deed legally enforceable if e-signed?

Yes in most cases under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. ch.96) and UETA (adopted by 49 states plus DC), provided the e-signature satisfies intent, consent, attribution, and retention requirements; verify state exceptions and county recording acceptance.

Does the deed require notarization or witnesses?

Most states require a notary acknowledgement for deed recording; some states (e.g., Florida, South Carolina) also require witnesses. Confirm county-specific rules before execution.

How do I correct an error on a recorded deed?

Minor errors typically require a corrective deed (sometimes called a corrective or reformed deed) executed and recorded to amend the prior instrument; consult a title attorney to determine the appropriate corrective document.

Can I revoke or cancel a Quitclaim Deed after recording?

A recorded deed is presumptively effective and generally cannot be unilaterally revoked; reversal typically requires a subsequent conveyance or court action if fraud or mistake occurred.

Quitclaim Deed

This template is fully customizable. Edit the text, fill out the fields, and send it for signature. Give it a try!

What a Quitclaim Deed Is and how it works

A Quitclaim Deed transfers whatever interest the grantor currently holds in real property to the named grantee without any warranty of title. It conveys only the grantor's present rights and does not promise the title is free of liens, encumbrances, or competing claims. Common uses include intra-family transfers, divorce property adjustments, clearing name errors, and moving property into trusts. To be effective the deed must identify the parties and the property, be signed by the grantor, acknowledged before a notary where required, and typically recorded in the county where the property sits to provide public notice.

When a Quitclaim Deed is the appropriate choice

A Quitclaim Deed is useful when you need a quick, low-cost transfer of existing interest and the parties accept the lack of title warranties. It reduces transactional formality compared with warranty deeds but shifts risk to the grantee, who receives no indemnity against prior claims or liens.

Who commonly completes Quitclaim Deeds

Common users include homeowners, family members, attorneys, and title professionals handling non-sale transfers or title clarifications.

Homeowners transferring property between relatives, spouses, or to trusts for estate planning.
Divorce settlements where one spouse conveys any interest to the other without warranty of title.
Title companies and attorneys using quitclaims to remove clouds or correct recording errors.

Step-by-step: prepare, sign, notarize, record

Follow these sequential steps to prepare, sign, notarize, and record a Quitclaim Deed correctly with clear parties and the legal description.

01

Prepare Deed: Draft the deed with exact grantor and grantee information and complete legal description.
02

Legal Description: Verify the description matches the recorded deed or title report; street addresses are insufficient.
03

Sign & Notarize: All grantors sign in presence of a notary or use authorized RON where allowed by state law.
04

Record Deed: Submit the executed deed to the county recorder for indexing and return recorded copies to parties.

Where to file and how recording works

Recording a Quitclaim Deed creates public notice of the conveyance and establishes priority; follow the local county recorder process for acceptance and indexing.

Prepare Document: Use a county-acceptable form and include required attachments and recording cover sheet if applicable.
Sign and Notarize: Signatures must be acknowledged before a notary or executed via permitted RON workflow in your state.
Record with County: Deliver the original deed to the county recorder or e-recording service for official filing and indexing.
Receive Recorded Copy: Recorder returns a stamped copy; distribute to grantee, title company, and tax assessor as needed.

How to customize an online Quitclaim Deed workflow

Configure your e-sign and optional e-notarization workflow to match state rules and recording requirements before sending for signatures.

Field	Configuration
Document Upload	Accept PDF or DOCX; convert to flattened PDF for recording where required.
Field Placement	Add signature, notary, initials, and date fields in the correct locations on the deed.
Authentication	Use email verification, SMS code, or stronger KBA where state rules or lender requirements demand it.
RON Enabled	Enable RON only if the county and state accept remote notarizations for deeds.

Digital signing and e-submission requirements

Electronic completion and e-recording workflows require platform support for signatures, attachments, notarization, and signer authentication.

File Formats: PDF/A or flattened PDF accepted
Authentication Options: Email, SMS code, or KBA available
Integrations: Salesforce, NetSuite, Google Workspace, Procore supported

Essential information fields on a Quitclaim Deed

Grantor Name: Full legal name

Grantee Name: Full legal name

Legal Description: Complete parcel description

Consideration: Stated monetary value

Effective Date: MM/DD/YYYY format

Notary Block: Acknowledgement and seal

Key risks and consequences of errors

Clouded Title: May not remove prior claims

Recording Rejection: Missing notarization blocks recording

Tax Liability: Transfer taxes or reporting issues

Mortgage Liability: Lender obligations may remain

Fraud Risk: Improper signatures can void transfer

Priority Loss: Delayed recording may affect priority

Common mistakes to avoid when preparing a Quitclaim Deed

Using an incomplete or inaccurate legal description that causes the recorder to reject the deed or misindex the parcel, triggering delays and additional county fees.
Failing to obtain a proper notary acknowledgement or using an unauthorized remote notarization process where the state or county has not authorized RON for deeds.
Entering abbreviated or mismatched party names; differing names between title records and the deed frequently lead to costly title corrections or re-execution.
Assuming the quitclaim provides warranties; grantees who accept quitclaims without a title search can inherit liens, claims, or unresolved title defects.

Timing and processing expectations

There is no fixed federal deadline to record a deed, but timely recording preserves priority; local processing times and tax reporting obligations vary.

Recording Priority:

Record promptly to preserve priority against subsequent claims

County Processing Time:

Many counties process within 1–14 business days; times vary by jurisdiction

Tax Reporting Window:

Transfer tax reporting deadlines vary by state and county treasuries

Notary Timing:

Execute and notarize before recording to avoid rejection

Title Search Timing:

Complete a title search before acceptance to identify liens or defects

Key milestones from drafting to recorded deed

A typical timeline lists drafting, execution, recording, and distribution as the primary milestones for completing a quitclaim transfer.

01

Drafting Completed

Prepare deed with accurate names and legal description.

02

Execution & Notarization

All grantors sign and a notary acknowledges signatures.

03

County Recording

Submit original for filing and pay recording fee.

04

Document Distribution

Return stamped recorded copy to grantee and relevant parties.

Practical tips for accurate and efficient completion

Adopt these best practices to reduce rework, prevent recording rejections, and protect grantee interests.

Verify legal description from prior deed

Always copy the legal description verbatim from the chain-of-title or prior recorded deed; small errors or omissions can cause rejection or incorrect parcel indexing and may require re-execution to correct.

Confirm names and authority

Match grantor and grantee names exactly to government ID or recorded title documents; if an entity signs, attach resolution or authorization to prove signatory authority and avoid recording disputes.

Coordinate with title company

Ask the title company for guidance on acceptable form language and recording cover sheets and order a title search when grantee requires assurance against hidden liens or defects before acceptance.

Record and confirm indexing

File the original with the county recorder, obtain the stamped copy, and verify proper parcel indexing and grantor/grantee name accuracy to ensure public notice and priority protection.

Real-world examples of digital document handling for property transfers

These client voices describe how digital signing and secure workflows reduced friction when managing property and transactional documents.

Martin Properties — Tim Martin

Use case: Martin Properties processed property transfer paperwork and closing documents online to reduce in-person steps and speed closings.

Quitclaim deeds and closing forms signed remotely to maintain transaction momentum.
"I can process and execute all of these documents online with 100% compliance and built-in security. Whether on mobile or working offline, I can get forms back to their necessary parties efficiently."

Optica Ventures — Brian Fitzgibbons

Use case: Optica Ventures relied on simple, customer-facing signing flows for property and investor documents to keep transactions moving.

Remote signing reduced turnaround and customer friction for routine transfers.
"The interface is simple and easy-to-use for our team; more importantly, it is just as easy for our customers."

How a Quitclaim Deed compares with a Warranty Deed

Compare the two deed types to understand differences in promises, typical uses, and protections for grantees.

Criteria	Quitclaim Deed	Warranty Deed
Guarantee of title
Typical use	family or corrective transfers	sale with title warranty
Risk to grantee	higher	lower
Title insurance support	limited	full support often available

eSignature vendor pricing and feature snapshot

Basic pricing and feature availability for common eSignature vendors. signNow is shown first for comparison; verify plan details with each vendor before purchasing.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	7-day free trial	No	No	Yes, limited	Yes, limited
Bulk Send	Available (Premium)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Envelope Cap	No envelope cap	100 envelopes/user/year	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan

Frequently asked questions about Quitclaim Deeds

Answers to the most common questions about validity, notarization, e-signing, correction, and cancellation of Quitclaim Deeds.

Need help? Contact support

What does a quitclaim deed actually transfer?
A quitclaim deed transfers whatever ownership interest the grantor has at the time of conveyance, without warranties that the grantor actually owns clear title. It does not guarantee freedom from liens or competing claims; a title search is recommended for grantees.
Can a Quitclaim Deed remove a mortgage or lien?
No. A quitclaim deed transfers ownership interest but does not extinguish existing mortgages, liens, or judgments; lenders or lienholders must be satisfied separately and may require payoff or release.
Is a Quitclaim Deed legally enforceable if e-signed?
Yes in most cases under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. ch.96) and UETA (adopted by 49 states plus DC), provided the e-signature satisfies intent, consent, attribution, and retention requirements; verify state exceptions and county recording acceptance.
Does the deed require notarization or witnesses?
Most states require a notary acknowledgement for deed recording; some states (e.g., Florida, South Carolina) also require witnesses. Confirm county-specific rules before execution.
How do I correct an error on a recorded deed?
Minor errors typically require a corrective deed (sometimes called a corrective or reformed deed) executed and recorded to amend the prior instrument; consult a title attorney to determine the appropriate corrective document.
Can I revoke or cancel a Quitclaim Deed after recording?
A recorded deed is presumptively effective and generally cannot be unilaterally revoked; reversal typically requires a subsequent conveyance or court action if fraud or mistake occurred.

Explore Templates

Notice of Objection Form Severance Agreement Agreement for Performing Artist General Affidavit Domain Purchase Agreement Letter Thanking Customer for Purchase

be ready to get more

Join over 28 million airSlate SignNow users

Sign Now