Why People File a Quitclaim Deed in Mariposa County
Just Got Married
Some spouses ask to be added to a title as a wedding gift of sorts — a quitclaim deed is the document that actually makes it happen.
Going Through a Divorce
If a judge or mediator already decided who keeps the property, a quitclaim deed is the document that makes it official on record.
Inherited Property
Some heirs handle the deed right after probate closes; others wait — a quitclaim deed works the same either way.
Gifting to Family
A quitclaim deed lets you give property away formally, without pricing it or treating it like a market transaction.
About the Mariposa County Assessor-Recorder
Mariposa County was one of California's original 27 counties at statehood in 1850, and it was so large at the time -- covering roughly a fifth of the state -- that all or part of eleven other California counties were later carved out of its territory, earning it the nickname 'the Mother of Counties.' The town of Mariposa grew up during the Gold Rush along the southern end of the Mother Lode, on land tied to explorer and military officer John C. Fremont's Las Mariposas land grant, and its 1854 courthouse remains in active use today as the oldest continuously operating superior courthouse west of the Rocky Mountains. The county is best known now as the southern gateway to Yosemite National Park, whose core Valley and the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias were carved out of Mariposa's original territory when President Lincoln set them aside for protection in 1864.
Cities and Communities Served
Recording jurisdiction runs countywide, not by city limits — if the property sits anywhere within Mariposa County, this is the Mariposa County Assessor-Recorder that will accept the deed. That includes:
Unincorporated communities: Mariposa (the unincorporated county seat), Coulterville, Catheys Valley, El Portal, Midpines, Wawona.
Mariposa is one of only three California counties (with Alpine and Trinity) that has no incorporated cities -- every community, including the county seat, is unincorporated, and recording is handled countywide from the single Recorder's office in the town of Mariposa.
Office Details
Address: 4982 10th Street, Mariposa, CA 95338 (mailing: P.O. Box 35, Mariposa, CA 95338)
Phone: (209) 966-2332
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; recording hours are 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., closed county holidays.
Recording Fee: Recording fees are charged per page for the first page and each additional page of a document. A county documentary transfer tax based on a percentage of the property's value applies to most transfers; since Mariposa has no incorporated cities, there is no separate city transfer tax anywhere in the county. A state-mandated per-document fee supports affordable housing programs, and a penalty fee applies if a required PCOR is missing from a deed evidencing a change of ownership.
Good to know before you go: Mariposa's recording function sits under the Assessor-Recorder office rather than the County Clerk (the Clerk is a separate department), and recording cuts off at 3:30 p.m. even though the office stays open until 5 p.m. A small staff serves the entire county from one office in the Hall of Records building next to the 1854 courthouse, so arriving early in the day -- and calling ahead if you're combining the trip with a visit to Yosemite -- is worth doing.
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 Mariposa County Assessor-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 Mariposa County Assessor-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 Mariposa County Assessor-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 Mariposa County Assessor-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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