Why People File a Quitclaim Deed in Fresno County
Just Got Married
If you owned the property before you married and now want your spouse on title too, a quitclaim deed is typically all that's needed.
Going Through a Divorce
After a divorce is finalized, a quitclaim deed is typically how the losing spouse's name gets removed from the deed for good.
Inherited Property
Many people end up filing after losing a parent or relative, using a quitclaim deed to move the title into their own name.
Gifting to Family
Want a family member's name added to your property title as a gift? A quitclaim deed is the straightforward way to do it.
About the Fresno County Clerk-Recorder
Fresno County was formed in 1856 out of pieces of Mariposa, Merced, and Tulare counties, taking its name from the Spanish word for "ash tree," reportedly inspired by a pair of ash trees that grew along the Kings River near what's now the town of Minkler -- one of which was said to still be standing generations later. Fed by irrigation canals off the Kings and San Joaquin rivers, the flat valley floor turned Fresno into the anchor of one of the most productive agricultural regions on Earth, and it remains one of the top farm-revenue counties in the entire United States. The Sanger area became the birthplace of Sun-Maid, the farmer-owned raisin cooperative founded in 1912 that turned trays of grapes sun-dried on the valley floor into a national household name, and the raisin and table-grape industry Sun-Maid grew out of is still closely tied to Fresno County's identity today.
Cities and Communities Served
Recording jurisdiction runs countywide, not by city limits — if the property sits anywhere within Fresno County, this is the Fresno County Clerk-Recorder that will accept the deed. That includes:
Incorporated cities: Clovis, Coalinga, Firebaugh, Fowler, Fresno, Huron, Kerman, Kingsburg, Mendota, Orange Cove, Parlier, Reedley, San Joaquin, Sanger, Selma.
Unincorporated communities: Auberry, Friant, Tollhouse, Prather, Shaver Lake, Caruthers, Riverdale, Del Rey, Easton.
Recording is handled countywide out of the single Fresno office regardless of which of the county's 15 incorporated cities the property is in.
Office Details
Address: 1250 Van Ness Avenue, Fresno, CA 93721
Phone: (559) 600-3471
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM-4:30 PM.
Recording Fee: A flat per-page recording fee applies (a lower rate applies to the first page when the document is subject to documentary transfer tax), plus a county documentary transfer tax based on a percentage of the property's value. A separate state-mandated fee applies to many real estate documents to fund affordable housing programs, with common exemptions including most owner-occupied residential transfers. A Preliminary Change of Ownership Report (PCOR) should accompany a deed, or a penalty fee applies.
E-recording: Available -- Fresno County is part of the Simplifile e-recording network, allowing title companies, lenders, and attorneys to submit documents electronically.
Good to know before you go: The Recorder's Office relocated in July 2022 from the old Hall of Records at 2281 Tulare Street into a repurposed bank building at 1250 Van Ness Avenue -- older listings and some third-party sites still show the Tulare Street address, so it's worth double-checking before a visit. The new location offers an hour of free parking and put in California's first drive-through window for vital records requests, though recording of deeds is still handled at the counter inside.
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 Fresno 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 Fresno 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 Fresno 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 Fresno 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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