Why People File a Quitclaim Deed in Humboldt County
Just Got Married
Getting married often prompts a quick title update — a quitclaim deed lets you add your spouse without reopening the whole purchase process.
Going Through a Divorce
Whether the divorce was amicable or not, once the property split is decided, a quitclaim deed is what updates the public record to match.
Inherited Property
After an estate names its heirs, a quitclaim deed is typically the document that finally moves the property title to them.
Gifting to Family
Transferring property to a relative at no cost is exactly the kind of transaction a quitclaim deed is built for.
About the Humboldt County Clerk-Recorder
Humboldt County was formed in 1853 out of territory taken from Trinity County, and it takes its name from Humboldt Bay, which an 1850 survey party aboard the ship Laura Virginia named for the German naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt -- a scientist who, by most accounts, never set foot in California. The bay quickly became the anchor for the towns of Eureka and Union, now Arcata, and for Fort Humboldt, built in 1853 to garrison the area during a period of conflict with local tribes. With roughly 110 miles of coastline, more than any other California county, and vast stands of old-growth Coast Redwoods stretching along the Eel and Mad river valleys, the county's economy shifted over generations from logging and fishing toward tourism, cannabis cultivation, and Cal Poly Humboldt in Arcata.
Cities and Communities Served
Recording jurisdiction runs countywide, not by city limits — if the property sits anywhere within Humboldt County, this is the Humboldt County Clerk-Recorder that will accept the deed. That includes:
Incorporated cities: Arcata, Blue Lake, Eureka, Ferndale, Fortuna, Rio Dell, Trinidad.
Unincorporated communities: McKinleyville, Willow Creek, Garberville, Hoopa, Redway, Samoa.
Recording is handled countywide out of the single Eureka office; McKinleyville, despite being the county's largest unincorporated community and a longtime subject of local cityhood debate, remains unincorporated.
Office Details
Address: 825 5th Street, 5th Floor, Eureka, CA 95501
Phone: (707) 445-7593 (toll-free: (888) 486-2732)
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM-4:30 PM.
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 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 -- Humboldt 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 Clerk-Recorder's office does not accept credit or debit cards for payment at all, a detail easy to miss if you're used to other California counties -- bring cash, check, or a money order. The office also cannot give legal advice or help prepare documents, directing anyone with substantive questions about their deed to consult an attorney instead.
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 Humboldt 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 Humboldt 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 Humboldt 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 Humboldt 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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