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

A Illinois 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 Illinois'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 Illinois-specific thing to know

Illinois requires Form PTAX-203 (Illinois Real Estate Transfer Declaration) with virtually every recorded deed (except clearly exempt transfers between spouses). Missing or incomplete PTAX-203 is the most common Illinois deed rejection reason. The form documents the consideration, claimed exemption (if any), and parties' relationship to the property.

Illinois requirements at a glance

Subscribing witnesses	None required
Notarization	Required (notary acknowledgment block on the deed)
Transfer / documentary tax	State: $0.50 per $500; County: $0.25 per $500; Chicago and some municipalities add their own
Recording office	County Recorder of Deeds in the county where the property is located
Recording fee	$57 (Cook County example - varies)
Top margin (page 1)	3 inches Cook County / varies
Required forms	PTAX-203 (Real Estate Transfer Declaration) required.
Notarization method	Remote Online Notarization (RON) available, or in-person

Witnesses + notarization

Illinois permits Remote Online Notarization (RON), so the entire signing + notarization can happen via video from anywhere - no need to leave your home.

Transfer / documentary tax

Illinois Real Estate Transfer Tax is $0.50/$500 at the state level + $0.25/$500 at the county level + additional city-level taxes (Chicago $5.25/$500, plus a buyer-paid CTA contribution). Exemptions for family transfers exist but must be properly claimed on PTAX-203.

Recording

Once the deed is signed and notarized, you take it (along with any required forms and the recording fee) to the County Recorder of Deeds 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 $57 (Cook County example - varies).

Cook County e-recording is the norm

Cook County (Chicago + suburbs) processes nearly all deeds via electronic recording. Paper-record submissions still work but take dramatically longer. ClosingDesk uses e-recording wherever a county supports it.

Common mistakes

Street address instead of legal description. Use the legal description verbatim from your existing recorded deed (lot/block/subdivision or metes-and-bounds). Street address alone is not sufficient.
Insufficient top margin. Illinois requires 3 inches Cook County / varies on page 1. Browser default print settings cause rejection.
Forgetting the transfer tax declaration. Even when fully exempt, most states require the deed to cite the exemption code or be accompanied by a transfer tax declaration form.
Not updating the county assessor / appraiser. Recording transfers legal title but tax records may need a separate notification to update ownership for property tax purposes.

When NOT to use a Illinois 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 Illinois-compliant deed, arrange a video notary or in-person mobile notary, file with your county recorder, and email you the recorded copy. Typically 24-72 hours end-to-end.

Start with ClosingDesk

Or use the free generator below

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

Use the free generator ↓

Illinois Transfer on Death Instrument (TODI) (765 ILCS 27/, enacted 2012) is the state's TODD-equivalent and one of the most-used estate planning tools for single-asset estates.

Free Illinois Quitclaim Deed generator

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

This guide and the generated form are general information about Illinois deed law, not legal advice. ClosingDesk is a workflow automation service, not a law firm. Illinois-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 Illinois real estate attorney before transferring title.