Why People File a Quitclaim Deed in Siskiyou County
Just Got Married
A newly married couple deciding to formally share ownership of a pre-marriage property typically reaches for a quitclaim deed to do it.
Going Through a Divorce
A quitclaim deed lets a divorcing couple separate the property title without treating it as a sale between them.
Inherited Property
If probate has already resolved who owns the property, all that's usually left is a quitclaim deed to update the county's records.
Gifting to Family
A relative giving up their share of jointly owned property, as a gift to the others, usually does so with a quitclaim deed.
About the Siskiyou County Assessor-Recorder
Siskiyou County was formed in March 1852 out of parts of Shasta and Klamath counties, taking its name from the Siskiyou Mountains along the Oregon border -- a name whose own origin is disputed, with one account tracing it to a Chinook word for a bob-tailed horse and another to a French fur trapper's term for a nearby river ford. Its county seat, Yreka, sprang up almost overnight in 1851 after a mule packer named Abraham Thompson discovered gold along the Siskiyou Trail, and the town's name is itself a rendering of the local Shasta word for Mount Shasta, whose peak still dominates the county's skyline. Between Yreka's gold-camp roots and Mount Shasta's volcanic presence, the county's geography and history remain closely intertwined.
Cities and Communities Served
Recording jurisdiction runs countywide, not by city limits — if the property sits anywhere within Siskiyou County, this is the Siskiyou County Assessor-Recorder that will accept the deed. That includes:
Incorporated cities: Yreka (county seat), Dorris, Dunsmuir, Etna, Fort Jones, Montague, Mount Shasta, Tulelake, Weed.
Unincorporated communities: Happy Camp, McCloud, Butte Valley, Grenada, Scott Bar.
Office Details
Address: 311 Fourth Street, Room 108, Yreka, CA 96097
Phone: 530-842-8065
Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM (closed for lunch). Note: this differs from the separate Siskiyou County Clerk-Registrar of Voters office (Room 201, same building), which keeps 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM hours.
Recording Fee: Siskiyou County charges a flat per-page recording fee for the first page plus an additional fee for each subsequent page, along with a county documentary transfer tax based on a percentage of the property's value. A separate penalty fee applies if a Preliminary Change of Ownership Report (PCOR) is not submitted or is incomplete at the time of recording.
E-recording: As of this writing, Siskiyou County is not yet live on the Simplifile e-recording network -- county officials have indicated it is planned but not yet available, so documents should be submitted by mail or in person.
Good to know before you go: Siskiyou County splits recording from general clerk duties into two separate offices in the same Yreka building: the Assessor-Recorder (Room 108) handles deeds and property documents on an 8-to-5 schedule with a lunch closure, while the Clerk-Registrar of Voters (Room 201) keeps different, shorter hours -- confirm you're headed to the right room and the right hours before a trip to the courthouse.
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 Siskiyou 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 Siskiyou 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 Siskiyou 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 Siskiyou 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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