Free Quitclaim Deed Templates

What is a Quitclaim Deed?

The quitclaim deed is a legal document the grantor (seller) issues to transfer their interests in a certain real estate property to the grantee (buyer). A quitclaim deed meaning indicates that the grantor doesn’t provide any guarantees to the grantee if the property is free of liens or defects.

Therefore, this type of document is most often used between family members or parties that have a certain level of mutual trust and that want to transfer the property’s ownership without the additional formalities.

The quitclaim deed can also be used to correct errors in the property’s title. It can be used for simple errors like misspelled names or wrong dates, as well as the more complex issues in the title.

Quitclaim Deed Forms By State

When to Use a Quitclaim Deed Form

Here, you can see the most common situations in which the grantor and grantee can use the quitclaim deed:

How Does the Quitclaim Deed Work?

The grantor uses the quitclaim deed to transfer all of their interests in the property to the grantee. Depending on the type of ownership the grantor has, the interests they are transferring are different.

Quitclaim Deed vs. Warranty Deed

Quitclaim and warranty deeds are both used to transfer property ownership from one person to another. However, the terms of the transfer between these two differ considerably. 

Firstly, the quitclaim deed offers no warranty in regards to the property’s title. By signing the quitclaim deed, the grantor simply transfers their interests in the property without making any promises about the title’s validity. On the other hand, the warranty deed provides a guarantee that the property title is free from any defects or encumbrances.

Secondly, the quitclaim deed doesn’t offer any protection to the buyer in regards to the property’s condition and title. With the warranty deed, if there is any problem after the property sale, the buyer can seek legal protection and compensation from the seller.

Finally, as a result of the first two differences between the quitclaim and warranty deeds, the quitclaim deed is more commonly used in situations where there is a high level of trust between the grantor and grantee. Contrary to that, the warranty deed is used in standard real estate transactions.

What Information Goes on a Quitclaim Deed

When creating a quitclaim deed, you should include the following elements in your document:

Additional Quitclaim Deed Terms

Besides the general elements that should be included in every quitclaim deed, depending on the particular situation, you can include the following elements:

How to File a Quitclaim Deed

This section provides a step-by-step guide on how to prepare, draft, and file the quitclaim deed for the property transfer.

Step #1. Negotiate the Terms of the Transfer

Before drafting the quitclaim deed, the grantor and grantee should determine all the details about the property transfer, such as the interests the grantor will transfer to the grantee, the property description, and other relevant details.

Only after this step will the parties have sufficient information to start drafting the quitclaim deed.

Step #2. Fill Out the Quitclaim Deed Form

Here, the parties will enter their full names, mailing addresses, and marital status. The form should also include the date of the transfer.

After entering their details, the parties should provide information about the transferred property. This includes a description of the property’s location (state, city, ZIP code, and address) and the legal description of the property.

The third important element is consideration. Here, the parties should describe the compensation the grantee owes to the grantor for transferring their interests in the property. This can be a certain amount of money, or the document can provide that the interests are transferred as a gift.

After filling out all the necessary details, you can print or download the quitclaim deed and proceed to sign and notarize it.

Step #3. Get the Quitclaim Deed Form Notarized

Depending on the state where the quitclaim deed will be filed as well as the location of the property, some state laws require the quitclaim deed to be notarized. If that is the case, the parties will sign the quitclaim deed form before the notary public. The form should also include a section for the notary's acknowledgment.

Step #4. File the Quitclaim Deed Form

Finally, the grantee should record the transfer of property ownership by filing the finalized quitclaim deed with the local county recorder’s office. 

Where to Record a Quitclaim Deed Form

Quitclaim Deed FAQ