California Quitclaim Deed: Step-by-Step Guide (with Free Form Generator)

A California quitclaim deed transfers whatever interest the grantor has in real property to another party without warranting the quality of that interest. It's the right tool for transfers between family members, into or out of a trust or LLC, after a divorce, or to clear minor title defects. This guide walks through California's state-specific requirements - witnesses, transfer tax, recording office, and the practical gotchas - and gives you a free interactive form builder at the bottom.

The biggest California-specific thing to know

If this is a parent-to-child (or grandparent-to-grandchild) transfer and the receiving party will NOT use the property as their primary residence, Prop 19 will reassess to current fair market value, often increasing annual property tax by $5,000-$50,000+. Talk to a CA estate attorney before transferring rental properties, vacation homes, or investment properties between generations.

California requirements at a glance

Subscribing witnesses	None required
Notarization	Required (notary acknowledgment block on the deed)
Transfer / documentary tax	$1.10 per $1,000 of consideration ($0.55 in some counties); plus county/city transfer taxes
Recording office	County Recorder in the county where the property is located
Recording fee	$25 (varies by county); +$75 SB-2 Building Homes and Jobs Act fee for non-sale transfers
Top margin (page 1)	2.5 inches top of page 1
Required forms	Requires Preliminary Change of Ownership Report (PCOR, form BOE-502-A) submitted with the deed; some transfers also need a separate Documentary Transfer Tax exemption affidavit.
Notarization method	In-person only (no RON for deeds)

Witnesses + notarization

California does NOT currently permit Remote Online Notarization in a way that works for deeds. You'll need an in-person notary - at a UPS Store, bank, law office, or via a mobile notary who comes to you. ClosingDesk dispatches a mobile notary as part of the $199 fee.

Transfer / documentary tax

California's Documentary Transfer Tax is $1.10 per $1,000 of consideration (county level) but many cities add city-level DTT: Los Angeles ($4.50/$1,000), San Francisco (graduated $5-$30/$1,000), Oakland/Berkeley/San Jose ($10-$15/$1,000). Common exemptions (claim on the face of the deed): gift with no consideration, interspousal transfer, joint-tenant transfer, transfer to/from revocable trust, parent-child transfer with no consideration. Even when fully exempt, the deed needs a DTT declaration with the statutory exemption code.

Recording

Once the deed is signed and notarized, you take it (along with any required forms and the recording fee) to the County Recorder in the county where the property is located. The clerk stamps it with a recording number and date and adds it to the public record. From that moment, the world is on notice that title has transferred. Expect to pay roughly $25 (varies by county); +$75 SB-2 Building Homes and Jobs Act fee for non-sale transfers.

The PCOR is mandatory

California requires a Preliminary Change of Ownership Report (PCOR) filed with the county assessor at the same time the deed is recorded (Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code §480). Skip it and the recorder charges $20 extra AND the assessor mails a Change in Ownership Statement requiring response within 90 days under penalty of perjury. There's no upside to skipping it - the form is free from your county assessor's website.

California also does not permit Remote Online Notarization for real estate deeds. Notarization must be in person, with California's specific statutory acknowledgment language (Cal. Civ. Code §1189).

Common mistakes

Triggering Prop 19 reassessment unnecessarily. Single biggest, most expensive California deed mistake. Talk to an attorney for non-residence parent-child transfers.
Missing the PCOR. Slows recording and creates a 90-day post-recording obligation.
Missing APN. County recorder will reject the deed (Cal. Rev. & Tax. Code §11911.1).
Wrong notary form. California's §1189 acknowledgment language must be exact.
Forgetting city DTT. If property is in LA, SF, Oakland, etc., city tax is additional to county tax.
Format defects. Wrong top margin, font too small, double-sided, colored paper - all cause rejection.

When NOT to use a California quitclaim

You're selling to a stranger. A quitclaim gives the buyer no chain-of-title protection. Use a warranty deed (or in some states, a special warranty / grant deed) for arm's-length sales. See our comparison.
There's an existing mortgage with a due-on-sale clause. Most modern mortgages let the lender call the loan when title transfers. Talk to the lender first.
Title is contested or there's a dispute among co-owners. A quitclaim doesn't resolve disputes - it can paper over them and create future problems. Resolve the underlying dispute first.
You're not sure you actually own the interest you're conveying. A quitclaim transfers "whatever you have" - if that's nothing, the grantee gets nothing.

Two ways to do this

Have us handle the whole thing

$199 flat. We draft the California-compliant deed, arrange an in-person mobile notary (${s.state} requires in-person), file with your county recorder, and email you the recorded copy. Typically 48-96 hours end-to-end.

Start with ClosingDesk

Or use the free generator below

Fill in the fields and download a California-compliant quitclaim deed PDF. You handle the notary and county recording yourself. Free, no email required.

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For estate planning, California recognizes Revocable Transfer on Death Deed (Cal. Prob. Code §§ 5600 et seq., re-extended through 2032). TODD avoids probate and can sidestep some Prop 19 reassessment scenarios, but the statutory form has very specific requirements - using current statutory language is essential.

Free California Quitclaim Deed generator

Fill in the fields below and we'll generate a California-compliant quitclaim deed PDF you can print, sign in front of a notary, and take to the County Recorder for recording. Free, no email required.

This guide and the generated form are general information about California deed law, not legal advice. ClosingDesk is a workflow automation service, not a law firm. California-specific issues can have material legal and tax consequences if mishandled. If your situation has any complexity (existing mortgage, contested ownership, divorce in progress, tax planning concerns, parent-child transfers in states with reassessment rules), consult a licensed California real estate attorney before transferring title.