California has more boxes to tick than most states when property changes hands, but every one of them is knowable in advance. The form is below, and after it the full sequence from signing to the recorder's counter.
A free template can work -- until it doesn't. California county clerk-recorders bounce a lot of them, almost always for the same reasons: the legal description isn't complete, the Preliminary Change of Ownership Report never got attached, or the notary block doesn't meet what California actually requires.
Every rejection costs you the recording fee you already paid and a second trip to file again. These forms are drafted specifically for California, backed by Standard Legal's refund policy if yours gets rejected anyway.
The guidance on this page is written by Toby Kay, a retired real estate broker formerly licensed in California, Arizona, and Nevada. The forms themselves come from Standard Legal.
California Quitclaim Deed, Ready to Fill In
- No attorney required: Standard Legal's forms are attorney-drafted, ready for you to complete.
- Built for California: drafted to meet the state's recording requirements.
- Plain-English instructions walk you through every blank.
- Instant access right after checkout, on any device.
- Private & secure: fill it out locally, no uploads required.
- Risk-free: Standard Legal's refund policy applies if your county clerk-recorder rejects it.
- Bonus formats: warranty and survivorship deed versions included, if your situation calls for them.
One-time $14.95 -- a fraction of what an attorney would charge to draft the same document, and cheaper than the recording fee you'd forfeit on a rejected form.
Checkout is completed securely on Standard Legal, our trusted partner.
Want It Handled for You Instead?
Estate situations, a divorce, several parties on the deed, or a legal description that's a pain to copy accurately -- any of those is a good reason to get help rather than DIY it.
Standard Legal's document preparation service is not available to California residents, so this is the route to take if you'd rather not do it yourself.
Getting Your California Deed on Record
Filling out the form is the easy part. Here's what still needs to happen before a California county will actually record it:
- Fill in every field. Both grantor and grantee names need to be there, along with the property's complete legal description -- the street address alone won't cut it. You'll usually find that description sitting in the deed that transferred the property to you, or you can pull it from your county's property records.
- Sign in front of a notary. No notary acknowledgment, no recording -- that's a hard line for every county clerk-recorder. One thing to know ahead of time: California notaries are required to take your right thumbprint in their journal for real estate documents, so make sure whoever's notarizing your deed has that ready. If getting to an in-person notary is the sticking point, our online notarization page explains how an out-of-state RON notary can still handle it validly.
- Attach a Preliminary Change of Ownership Report. Almost every California deed needs this separate PCOR form riding along with it. Your county clerk-recorder or assessor's office has the current version if you need one.
- Take it to your county clerk-recorder. File where the property physically sits, not where you live. Expect a flat, statute-set recording fee on top of a documentary transfer tax tied to the property's value, and check whether your city adds its own transfer tax as well. County-by-county contact info lives in our county directory.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why not just grab a free quitclaim deed template?
Because incomplete legal descriptions, missing PCORs, and notary blocks that don't meet California's rule are the top reasons county clerk-recorders reject deeds -- and a rejection costs you both the fee and the return trip. This form is drafted specifically for California, backed by Standard Legal's refund policy if it's rejected.
What comes with the download?
Three deed formats from Standard Legal -- quitclaim, warranty, and survivorship -- each drafted to meet California's recording requirements, with instructions in plain English.
Do I need to hire an attorney to use it?
No -- it's designed for you to complete on your own from start to finish.
Does this work in every California county?
Yes. It's built to meet California's statewide standard for recording in all 58 counties.
What does California require beyond the deed itself?
A notarized signature (with the state's right-thumbprint journal rule), the property's legal description, and a Preliminary Change of Ownership Report. Plan on a flat recording fee plus a documentary transfer tax based on the property's value.
What happens if my county rejects it?
Standard Legal backs it with a full refund, no hassle.
Can someone else just prepare it for me?
Yes -- Standard Legal's preparation service drafts the whole thing; you only need to review, sign, notarize, and file it.
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