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

A New York 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 New York'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 New York-specific thing to know

New York real estate transfers traditionally require attorney involvement. Non-attorney deed preparation is permitted for the parties themselves but is heavily disfavored - title companies, lenders, and counterparties generally expect attorney representation. For anything beyond an intra-family transfer where everyone is in agreement, retain a New York real estate attorney.

New York requirements at a glance

Subscribing witnesses	None required
Notarization	Required (notary acknowledgment block on the deed)
Transfer / documentary tax	Real Estate Transfer Tax: $2 per $500; NYC adds Real Property Transfer Tax (1%-2.625%)
Recording office	County Clerk (NYC: City Register) in the county where the property is located
Recording fee	$45 + $5 per page
Top margin (page 1)	3 inches
Required forms	RP-5217 (Real Property Transfer Report) AND TP-584 (Combined Transfer Tax Returns) required.
Notarization method	Remote Online Notarization (RON) available, or in-person

Witnesses + notarization

New York 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

New York's Real Property Transfer Tax (RPTT) is $2 per $500 of consideration at the state level (NY Tax Law §1402). New York City adds a significant city RPTT - 1% (residential under $500k) to 2.625% (commercial $500k+). The Mansion Tax adds another 1%+ (graduated up to 3.9%) on residential sales of $1M and above. Family transfers without consideration are generally exempt but still require a TP-584 form filed at recording.

Recording

Once the deed is signed and notarized, you take it (along with any required forms and the recording fee) to the County Clerk (NYC: City Register) 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 $45 + $5 per page.

NYC-specific rules

If the property is in any of the five boroughs, additional New York City requirements apply: NYC RPT Form NYC-RPT (in addition to state TP-584), the city Department of Finance review, and longer processing times. Co-ops are NOT recorded with deeds at all - they're transferred via stock certificate assignment, not deed. Condos use standard deeds.

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. New York requires 3 inches 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 New York 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 New York-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 New York-compliant quitclaim deed PDF. You handle the notary and county recording yourself. Free, no email required.

Use the free generator ↓

New York does NOT have a Transfer on Death Deed statute. Estate planning typically uses revocable living trusts. For our overview of why and what to use instead, see our New York TODD article.

Free New York Quitclaim Deed generator

Fill in the fields below and we'll generate a New York-compliant quitclaim deed PDF you can print, sign in front of a notary, and take to the County Clerk (NYC: City Register) for recording. Free, no email required.

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