Why People File a Quitclaim Deed in Modoc County
Just Got Married
A courthouse wedding or a big one, the paperwork afterward tends to look the same — a quitclaim deed to add a spouse to the title.
Going Through a Divorce
If the settlement gave you full ownership, filing a quitclaim deed is how you make sure the public record actually reflects that.
Inherited Property
Inheriting doesn't mean the deed changes by itself — someone still has to file a quitclaim deed to make the title current.
Gifting to Family
Gifting property between siblings, parent and child, or other relatives usually comes down to filing a quitclaim deed.
About the Modoc County Assessor-Recorder
Modoc County split off from Siskiyou County in 1874 after settlers in the isolated Surprise Valley petitioned Sacramento for a government of their own rather than make the long trip over mountain passes to the Siskiyou county seat. Its name honors the Modoc people, whose defense of the Lava Beds -- a maze of volcanic lava-tube caves in the county's northeast corner -- against the U.S. Army during the 1872-73 Modoc War drew national newspaper attention after a badly outnumbered band of Modoc fighters held off federal troops for months from underground fortifications. The county seat, originally platted as Dorris Bridge, was renamed Alturas -- Spanish for 'the heights' -- in 1876. Sitting on the volcanic high desert of the Modoc Plateau at elevations above 4,000 feet, Modoc is one of California's least populous counties, and cattle ranching and irrigated alfalfa remain the backbone of its economy today.
Cities and Communities Served
Recording jurisdiction runs countywide, not by city limits — if the property sits anywhere within Modoc County, this is the Modoc County Assessor-Recorder that will accept the deed. That includes:
Incorporated city: Alturas.
Unincorporated communities: Cedarville, Fort Bidwell, Adin, Canby, Likely, New Pine Creek, Davis Creek, Eagleville, Newell.
Alturas is Modoc County's only incorporated city; every other community in the county, including all of Surprise Valley, is unincorporated, and recording for the entire county happens at the single Alturas office.
Office Details
Address: 204 South Court Street, Suite 106, Alturas, CA 96101
Phone: (530) 233-6217
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM, closed for lunch 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM, closed weekends; recording cut-off is 4:30 PM, with documents received after that processed the following business day. This is a small rural office (a handful of staff), so calling ahead before an in-person visit is worthwhile.
Recording Fee: A per-page recording fee applies to the first page and each additional page. Most real estate recordings also carry the state-mandated Building Homes and Jobs Act per-transaction fee (capped per transaction), waived for owner-occupied residential transfers and documents already subject to the documentary transfer tax. A county documentary transfer tax based on a percentage of property value applies to taxable transfers, and a Preliminary Change of Ownership Report must accompany deeds that change title, with a separate fee if it's missing or incomplete.
E-recording: The county's own recorder page states eRecording services are available through the department's online portal, though the specific third-party vendor isn't published -- confirm current availability and process with the office directly before relying on it, since this is a very small county office.
Good to know before you go: Modoc County's free online recorder index only covers documents from 1984 forward; anything recorded before then has to be requested in person or by mail at the Alturas office. Given the office's small staff and the 4:30 PM daily recording cut-off, calling ahead at (530) 233-6217 before an in-person visit is worthwhile.
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 Modoc 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 Modoc 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 Modoc 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 Modoc 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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