A deed is the document that moves ownership of real property from one person or entity to another. In California, a deed isn't valid against the world until it's recorded — entered into the public record at the county recorder's office in the county where the property sits. Getting there takes four steps: choose the correct deed, fill out the supporting county forms, sign in front of a notary, and record.
The main California deed types
Different situations call for different deeds. The right one depends on what you're trying to do and what protections, if any, the new owner needs.
- Grant deed — the standard California deed for transferring title. It carries two implied promises: that the grantor hasn't already transferred the property to someone else, and that there are no undisclosed encumbrances the grantor created.
- Quitclaim deed — transfers whatever interest the grantor has, with no warranties at all. Common between family members, in divorces, and to clear up questions about title.
- Interspousal transfer deed — used to move property between spouses or domestic partners. It's exempt from documentary transfer tax and generally doesn't trigger a property-tax reassessment.
- Trust transfer deed — moves a home into (or out of) a revocable living trust. This is the step many homeowners skip after buying a house.
- Transfer on death deed — names a beneficiary who receives a home automatically at the owner's death, without probate.
Recording is the moment a deed becomes real — until then, ownership hasn’t changed in the eyes of the world.
Documentary transfer tax
When property changes hands in a sale, California counties collect a documentary transfer tax of generally $1.10 per $1,000 of value (some cities add their own). But many transfers aren't sales and owe nothing: gifts with no money changing hands, transfers into your own revocable living trust, and transfers between spouses are commonly exempt. When a transfer is exempt, the reason is stated on the face of the deed or on a cover sheet.
The SB 2 recording fee
California's SB 2 (the Building Homes & Jobs Act) adds a $75 fee per parcel — capped at $225 per transaction — to most recorded real estate documents. There are two exemptions worth knowing: documents tied to a sale that already pays transfer tax, and the transfer of a home to someone who will live in it. That's why a transfer of your own residence is usually exempt, while a rental or commercial property generally isn't.
Notarizing and recording
Every deed has to be signed in front of a notary before the county will record it. You can use any notary; many banks notarize for their customers at no charge. Once it's notarized, the deed is submitted to the county recorder — increasingly by electronic recording — along with a Preliminary Change of Ownership Report (PCOR) and any required transfer-tax declaration. The recorder stamps it and returns the recorded copy.
The mistake that costs families the most
The single most common deed problem we see has nothing to do with sales. People set up a living trust to keep their home out of probate, but the home was never actually deeded into the trust — escrow recorded the grant deed to them personally when they bought it, and the trust funding step was skipped. If the house isn't titled in the trust, it can still end up in probate. The fix is a trust transfer deed.
Doing it yourself vs. having it done
You can prepare and record a California deed on your own using county forms. The risk is in the details: the exact legal description, how title should be vested, the right exemption language, and the county's formatting rules. A small error gets the deed rejected — or worse, records a deed that doesn't do what you intended. As a registered Legal Document Assistant, we prepare the deed you direct, complete every county form, and record it for a flat $295. We're not attorneys and we don't give legal advice — we prepare the document you tell us you need.