Why People File a Quitclaim Deed in Butte County
Just Got Married
Newly married and updating who's on the title? That's exactly what a quitclaim deed is built for — a quick way to add your spouse's name to the property you already own.
Going Through a Divorce
Untangling ownership after a divorce usually comes down to one deed — this one — once you and your ex have settled who keeps the property.
Inherited Property
Inheriting a house doesn't automatically update the title — a quitclaim deed is usually how that final step gets handled.
Gifting to Family
Gifting a home to your kids or another family member? A quitclaim deed is how that gets recorded — no sale required.
About the Butte County Clerk-Recorder
Butte County was one of California's original 27 counties, organized in 1850 with the since-vanished Gold Rush town of Bidwell Bar as its first county seat. Gold discoveries along the Feather River in 1848 drew thousands of prospectors to the area, and the settlement that grew up as a supply hub -- first called Ophir City -- was renamed Oroville by 1855 and eventually became the permanent county seat. Decades after the initial rush, Oroville also became the site of one of California's largest bucket-line gold dredging operations, with as many as 35 dredges working the Feather River gravel beds by 1908, some of which continued operating into the early 1950s.
Cities and Communities Served
Recording jurisdiction runs countywide, not by city limits — if the property sits anywhere within Butte County, this is the Butte County Clerk-Recorder that will accept the deed. That includes:
Incorporated cities: Biggs, Chico, Gridley, Oroville, Paradise.
Unincorporated communities: Bangor, Berry Creek, Butte Meadows, Cohasset, Concow, Durham, Forest Ranch, Magalia, Palermo, Thermalito.
Recording is handled countywide from the single Oroville office; note that Paradise -- devastated by the 2018 Camp Fire -- remains an incorporated city and its property records are still recorded through this office.
Office Details
Address: 155 Nelson Avenue, Oroville, CA 95965
Phone: (530) 552-3400 (option 2 for Recorder)
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM-5:00 PM, closed for lunch 12:00 PM-1:00 PM; recording services close earlier, at 4:00 PM. The office is also closed 8:30 AM-9:00 AM on the first Wednesday of every month for staff training.
Recording Fee: A flat per-page recording fee applies, plus a county documentary transfer tax based on a percentage of the property's value. A Preliminary Change of Ownership Report (PCOR) should accompany the deed, or a penalty fee applies.
E-recording: Available -- Butte County has been part of the Simplifile e-recording network since 2017, allowing title companies, lenders, and attorneys to submit documents electronically and receive them back recorded within minutes to hours.
Good to know before you go: The Clerk-Recorder's office moved to a newer county government building at 155 Nelson Avenue in Oroville; older references (including some older web listings) still show the previous 25 County Center Drive address, so it's worth confirming the Nelson Avenue address before a visit. The office also closes its doors from 8:30 to 9:00 AM on the first Wednesday of every month for internal training, a detail that isn't obvious from the posted daily hours alone.
How to File a Document
- Sign in Front of a Notary: California requires the grantor's signature to be acknowledged before a notary public before the Butte County Clerk-Recorder will accept a deed for recording. California notaries also have to take the signer's right thumbprint in their journal specifically for deeds and other real-property documents -- a state-specific requirement that catches people off guard if their notary isn't prepared for it, so it's worth confirming ahead of time that whoever notarizes your deed has a journal and inkpad on hand.
- Attach a Full Legal Description, Not Just an Address: A street address alone won't satisfy California's requirements -- the deed needs the property's actual legal description (a metes-and-bounds description, a government survey reference, or a platted lot and block, depending on how the parcel was originally surveyed and subdivided). You can usually copy this directly from the deed that transferred the property to you.
- Complete a Preliminary Change of Ownership Report: California requires a separate Preliminary Change of Ownership Report (PCOR) to accompany most deeds when they're filed. It's a distinct form the county assessor's office uses to determine whether the transfer triggers a reassessment -- a penalty applies if it's missing or left incomplete, so it's worth getting right before you file. The Butte County Clerk-Recorder or county assessor can supply the current version.
- Know Where California Stands on Remote Online Notarization: Unlike some states, California-commissioned notaries can't yet offer remote online notarization -- that's not scheduled to change until January 1, 2030. In the meantime, an out-of-state online notary can still validly notarize a California deed, since California recognizes notarial acts performed under another state's laws. See our online notarization page for how that works.
- Record with the County Clerk-Recorder: Bring, mail, or (where the county supports it) e-file the signed, notarized deed and its Preliminary Change of Ownership Report with the Butte County Clerk-Recorder for the county where the property sits. California's recording fee is a flat, statute-set amount per document, and on top of that, a county documentary transfer tax applies based on a percentage of the property's value -- some cities also levy their own additional city transfer tax on top of the county's.
Still Have Questions About Filing With the Butte County Clerk-Recorder?
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Other Counties in California
Filing somewhere else in the state? Here are a few other county pages:
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