Why People File a Quitclaim Deed in San Luis Obispo County
Just Got Married
Adding a name to a title you already hold is one of the more painless pieces of post-wedding paperwork, and a quitclaim deed is the document that does it.
Going Through a Divorce
A property that stayed jointly titled through a divorce doesn't fix itself — a quitclaim deed is what finally separates it.
Inherited Property
An estate's paperwork can take a while to close, but the deed update itself — a quitclaim deed — is usually one of the shorter steps.
Gifting to Family
Some families gift a share of a property gradually, using a quitclaim deed each time ownership shifts a bit further.
About the San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder
San Luis Obispo County takes its name from Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, founded by Father Junipero Serra on September 1, 1772 as the fifth of California's 21 Spanish missions, and named for Saint Louis of Anjou, the Bishop of Toulouse. Spanish scouts had earlier dubbed the area the Canada de los Osos, or Valley of the Bears, for the grizzly population that fed the mission's early colonists, on land long inhabited by the Chumash people. Today the county's stretch of the Central Coast, from Paso Robles wine country to Morro Bay and the Nipomo Mesa, blends agriculture, tourism, and Cal Poly's presence in the county seat.
Cities and Communities Served
Recording jurisdiction runs countywide, not by city limits — if the property sits anywhere within San Luis Obispo County, this is the San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder that will accept the deed. That includes:
Incorporated cities: Arroyo Grande, Atascadero, Grover Beach, Morro Bay, Paso Robles, Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo.
Unincorporated communities: Nipomo, Los Osos (Baywood-Los Osos), Cambria, Cayucos, Shell Beach, Oceano.
Office Details
Address: 1055 Monterey Street, Suite D120, San Luis Obispo, CA 93408
Phone: (805) 781-5080
Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM; Wednesday, 8:00 AM-4:00 PM. Last transactions are processed 30 minutes before closing; anything presented after that cutoff is processed the next business day.
Recording Fee: A flat per-page recording fee plus an additional per-title indexing fee when a document carries more than one title, plus a county documentary transfer tax based on a percentage of the value being transferred (unless exempt). A penalty fee applies if a required Preliminary Change of Ownership Report is missing or incomplete.
E-recording: Available through the Simplifile e-recording network for submitters with a scanner and high-speed internet access.
Good to know before you go: The Clerk-Recorder's own guidance warns that documents are commonly returned for two fixable errors: a missing or incorrect printed/typed name below a signature, and a missing or incorrect documentary transfer tax declaration on the face of the deed - both are easy to double-check before mailing or e-recording. The office also notes it sits in a busy downtown block with no dedicated parking, so anyone filing in person should plan extra time to park.
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 San Luis Obispo 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 San Luis Obispo 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 San Luis Obispo 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 San Luis Obispo 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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