San Diego County Quitclaim Deed: Form, Fees and Prop 19

San Diego County's free quitclaim form fits on one page, notary box included. The Recorder takes it at four offices or by mail. Its staff can't help you fill it in, and the office can't refuse a deed that meets the recording rules, even a forged one^1,2,3,4.

What does a San Diego County quitclaim deed do?

It hands over whatever share of the property the signer has, if any, and promises nothing about the title. The county's own definition says a quitclaim "contains no warranties of any kind"⁵.

A deed is the signed paper that moves real estate from one person to another, and title is the ownership it moves. The grantor signs it, and the grantee receives the property.

A grant deed adds two promises that California law reads into the word "grant"⁶. The grantor hasn't already transferred the property to someone else, and hasn't put liens (claims for money owed) or other claims on it.

Quitclaim deed or grant deed in San Diego County
	Quitclaim deed	Grant deed
What it passes	Any share the grantor may have, even none	The grantor's ownership
Promises about the title	None	Two, read into the word "grant" by state law
Free county form	Yes (form REC430)	Yes, plus a joint tenancy version
Notary, parcel number, PCOR	Same rules	Same rules

Sources: San Diego County Recorder document definitions, courtesy forms and recording rules^5,1,2, and California Civil Code 1113⁶.

That missing promise is the main difference. It matters less between spouses or close family, and more to a buyer paying for a property. Our plain guide to deeds and titles covers the other deed types.

How do you record a quitclaim deed with the San Diego County Recorder?

Fill in the county form, sign it before a notary, add the PCOR, and record it in person or by mail.

Download the free form. The county's Quitclaim Deed form (REC430) is on the Recorder's courtesy forms list. Fill it in yourself or with a legal professional, because county staff can't advise you^1,2.
Add the names, the property and the parcel number. List the grantor, the grantee, the legal description and the Assessor's Parcel Number (APN), the county's ID for the parcel. A local rule requires the APN on deeds. Keep the top 2½ inches of page one blank².
Fill in the tax line. Transfer tax is 55 cents per $500 of the price, not counting loans that stay on the property. If none is due, write "0" and state why on the deed^2,7.
Have the grantee sign the PCOR. The Preliminary Change of Ownership Report (BOE-502-A) tells the Assessor what changed. Only the grantee may sign it, not an agent, and it isn't public^8,9.
Sign before a notary. A notary is a state-licensed official who confirms your identity and, for a deed, takes your right thumbprint in a journal. The fee is capped at $15 per signature^10,11. The recording offices have no notary, but the Clerk of the Board offers one from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Room 402 of the downtown County Administration Center. It serves people doing other county business there first^2,12.
Record it. Go to the downtown San Diego, Chula Vista, Santee or San Marcos office, with no appointment; Kearny Mesa doesn't record. Or mail the original with a check or money order to P.O. Box 121750, San Diego, CA 92112-1750².

Then wait. New recordings reach the online index in about 24 to 48 hours, and processing generally takes 7 to 10 business days. If nothing comes back within 6 weeks, call recording staff at (619) 238-8158².

The Courtesy Recording Forms list on the San Diego County Recorder's website, with links for Grant Deed, Joint Tenancy Grant Deed, Quitclaim Deed, transfer on death deed forms and their instructions — Screenshot of the Recorder's Courtesy Recording Forms list on its Recording page, taken October 25, 2026.

How much does it cost to record a quitclaim deed in San Diego?

Recording costs $14 for the first page and $3 for each added page in 2026. A missing PCOR, the $75 SB 2 fee and transfer tax on a sale can add more⁷.

What recording a quitclaim deed can cost in San Diego County in 2026
Item	Cost	When it applies
First page	$14	Every deed
Each added page	$3	Pages after the first
Odd-size page	$3 more per page	Paper that isn't 8½ by 11 inches
Missing PCOR	$20	No ownership report filed with the deed
SB 2 housing fee	$75 per document, $225 at most per transfer	Unless the deed states an exemption
Documentary transfer tax	55 cents per $500	A sale over $100, not counting loans that stay on the property
Card payment	$2.50	Paying by card in person
Notary	Up to $15 per signature	Paid to the notary, not the county

Sources: San Diego County Recorder/County Clerk fee schedule effective Jan. 1, 2026, and Recording page^7,2; Government Code 8211¹¹.

The SB 2 fee goes to a state housing fund. It doesn't apply when transfer tax is paid, or when a home goes to an owner who will live in it. To use that exemption, claim it on the deed or on the county's exemption cover page^13,2.

When should you not use a quitclaim deed?

Slow down when a loan, a divorce, a sale or a stranger is involved. A quitclaim takes minutes to sign, and undoing one can take a court case.

Often a fit

No one needs a promise about the title

Divorcing spouses use one to give up any claim to a home held in the other's name. It can also clear a "cloud" on title, when a past owner or an heir may still have a claim¹⁴.

Ask a lawyer first

A loan, a divorce or a gift to family

A quitclaim doesn't take your name off the mortgage¹⁴. Spouses face special rules for changing who owns what between them¹⁵, and a gift to a child can raise the property tax.

Walk away

Someone pushes you to sign

The state Department of Real Estate warns: "Never sign over the title of your home to anyone claiming they can help you avoid foreclosure"¹⁶.

The District Attorney's office goes further: "DO NOT sign a quitclaim deed ... without first consulting an independent attorney"¹⁷.

Your loan stays where it is. For homes of one to four units, federal law bars a lender from calling the loan due when a spouse or child becomes an owner. The same applies when the home moves into a living trust you still benefit from¹⁸.

Will a quitclaim deed raise your property taxes?

Not usually between spouses or into your own living trust, but a gift to your child can. The Assessor reappraises a property, setting a new taxable value, when its ownership changes, unless an exclusion applies¹⁹.

Spouses: Transfers between spouses are exempt from reappraisal¹⁹.
Your living trust: A revocable trust isn't reappraised, though an irrevocable one can be¹⁹.
A new joint tenant: The Assessor says you can add one without a reappraisal¹⁹.
Your child: Prop 19 keeps your tax base only for the family home, and only if it becomes your child's main home. It's "not an automatic exclusion," so file the claim and a homeowners' exemption within one year for the full benefit^20,21.

The child exclusion has a ceiling. For transfers from Feb. 16, 2025 through Feb. 15, 2027, market value above the home's taxable value plus $1,044,586 is added to the tax base^21,22. A grandchild qualifies only if the parent linking them to the grandparent has died^20,21.

Ask before you sign. The Assessor says it's "always best" to review a planned ownership change in advance, and its title section answers at (619) 531-5557¹⁹. Giving one person a share worth more than $19,000 in 2026 can also mean filing IRS Form 709, the federal gift tax return²³.

How do forged quitclaim deeds get recorded in San Diego County?

The Recorder checks whether a deed meets the recording rules, not whether the signature is real. By law it can't refuse a document for lacking legal validity, and the county says it has "no authority to refuse" one that meets the rules^3,4.

65,707

documents were counted as deeds in the San Diego County Recorder's index from January through September 2026.

Source: San Diego Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk, Monthly Instrument Totals Summary Report, October 1, 2026

Most of those deeds are routine. We found no official count of forged ones in the county, so read the cases below as warnings, not odds. National figures are in our deed theft statistics.

Watch out

Valley Center: a thumbprint that didn't match

Three quitclaim deeds recorded on Jan. 30, 2024 moved a Valley Center ranch and two Los Angeles County properties from their owner to her foster son. An Escondido notary notarized all three. The Sheriff's Crime Lab later found that the thumbprint by the owner's name in the notary's journal was the foster son's^25,26.

In May 2025, prosecutors gave notice under Penal Code 115 that they will ask a court to void the deeds. In September 2025, a judge ordered both men to stand trial on counts including forgery and identity theft^25,27,26. Both are charged, not convicted, and the son's lawyers say she agreed to the transfers²⁶.

The lesson: a notary must take your thumbprint in the journal for a quitclaim deed. A notary who skips that step is a reason to stop¹⁰.

Stop and get help if:

Someone offers to save your home from foreclosure if you sign it over^16,17.
You're asked to sign blank pages or anything you don't understand¹⁷.
You're rushed to sign before someone you trust can read it¹⁷.
The notary doesn't check your ID or skips the journal thumbprint^12,10.

How can you tell if someone recorded a deed on your home?

Sign up for the county's free Owner Alert, and search the Official Records index now and then. The Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk runs both^4,2.

Owner Alert emails you when a document, liens included, is recorded and indexed under a name or parcel number you register. One email address can watch up to 10 names and 10 APNs, and each alert shows the first two pages⁴.

Sign up at arccprn.sandiegocounty.gov/Subscribe, choose Individual Name, Business Name or APN, and confirm by email. Put a trust in the Business Name field⁴.

It has gaps. It covers only documents recorded after you activate it, and not every name or APN reaches the index. The county also warns that the names and emails you enter may be released under the California Public Records Act⁴.

The Official Records index can be searched by name online, back to 1970, though it shows the index entry, not the document. Since Dec. 9, 2024, a state law (AB 1785) keeps parcel-number searches off the website, so an APN search means a kiosk at one of the five county offices².

The mailed notice. The Recorder posts its "Courtesy Notice" letter in nine languages. It reports a recorded deed, quitclaim deed, deed of trust or mortgage and attaches the first three pages²⁹.

Under SB 255, every county outside Los Angeles must mail notices like this by Jan. 1, 2027. They go to the tax-bill address on file before the recording, so keep yours current^30,4.

If something looks wrong, ask the District Attorney's Real Estate Fraud Unit for a complaint packet at 619-531-3552 or RealEstateFraudComplaints@sdcda.org⁴. The Legal Aid Society of San Diego (1-877-534-2524) helps people who qualify for free³¹. Our guide to undoing a fraudulent deed covers the police report and the court case.

Own land in another county too? Our county-by-county list of free alerts shows what each one offers.

Forms, fees, sign-up links and phone numbers on this page were checked on October 25, 2026.

Frequently asked questions about quitclaim deeds in San Diego County

Can you fill out a quitclaim deed yourself?

Yes. The county posts a free quitclaim form and says you can fill it in yourself or get help from a legal expert, though its staff can't advise you². If a mortgage, a divorce, a trust or a parent-child tax claim is involved, have a lawyer look at it before you sign¹⁷.

How much does it cost to do a quitclaim deed in California?

Costs differ by county. In San Diego County in 2026, recording costs $14 for the first page and $3 for each added page⁷. Add $20 without a PCOR, $75 unless an SB 2 exemption applies, transfer tax on a sale and up to $15 per signature for the notary^7,11.

Can someone contest a quit claim deed?

Yes, in court, so talk to a lawyer soon. Under Civil Code 3412, a person can ask a judge to cancel a deed that is void (never valid) or voidable (open to being undone)³². After a conviction for recording a forged deed, Penal Code 115 also lets a judge declare it void from the start, at the prosecutor's request²⁷.

How can I obtain copies of recorded documents in San Diego County?

Search the Official Records index online by name, then buy a copy online or at a county office. Copies cost $2 for the first page, 5 cents for each added page and $1 to certify⁷. Kiosks at the five county offices let you view documents for free and search by parcel number^4,2.

Read your current deed before you sign a new one

How your title is held today decides what a quitclaim can change. Find your deed and check whose names are on it before anyone signs.

Find the deed to your house

Sources

Quitclaim Deed courtesy form, REC430, San Diego County Recorder/County Clerk, revised June 30, 2025
Recording, San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk, checked October 25, 2026
California Government Code section 27201, California Legislative Information, read October 25, 2026
Owner Alert, San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk, checked October 25, 2026
Document Types and Definitions, San Diego County Recorder/County Clerk, checked October 25, 2026
California Civil Code section 1113, California Legislative Information, read October 25, 2026
Recorder/County Clerk Fee Schedule, effective January 1, 2026, San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk, revised November 3, 2025
California Revenue and Taxation Code section 480.3, California Legislative Information, read October 25, 2026
Preliminary Change of Ownership Report, BOE-502-A, State Board of Equalization form, San Diego County Assessor edition, rev. 19, May 2025
California Government Code section 8206, California Legislative Information, read October 25, 2026
California Government Code section 8211, California Legislative Information, read October 25, 2026
Notary Public Services, County of San Diego Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, checked October 25, 2026
California Government Code section 27388.1 (SB 2 fee), California Legislative Information, read October 25, 2026
Deeds FAQ, County of San Diego Employee Assistance Program (Anthem EAP, text from Nolo), undated, checked October 25, 2026
California Family Code section 852, California Legislative Information, read October 25, 2026
DRE Urges California Consumers to Be Aware of Real Estate and Mortgage Crimes, California Department of Real Estate, November 3, 2025
Protect Yourself from Foreclosure Fraud, San Diego County District Attorney's Office, checked October 25, 2026
12 U.S. Code section 1701j-3, due-on-sale clauses, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, read October 25, 2026
Real Estate Ownership and Title Information, San Diego County Assessor, checked October 25, 2026
Parent to Child Exclusion, San Diego County Assessor, checked October 25, 2026
BOE Adjusts the Proposition 19 $1 Million Intergenerational Transfer Exclusion Amount (NR 25-02), California State Board of Equalization, March 7, 2025
California Revenue and Taxation Code section 63.2, California Legislative Information, read October 25, 2026
Frequently asked questions on gift taxes, Internal Revenue Service, last reviewed July 23, 2026
Monthly Instrument Totals Summary Report, January 1 to September 30, 2026, San Diego Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk, October 1, 2026
Quadruplets victims of notary scam by their foster mother's caretaker, David Ross, Valley Roadrunner, July 17, 2025
Valley Center man to stand trial in alleged fraud tied to foster mother's death, City News Service, Times of San Diego, September 9, 2025
California Penal Code section 115, California Legislative Information, read October 25, 2026
Prison, Restitution Ordered for Woman Who Forged Real Estate Documents, San Diego County District Attorney, DA News Center, July 30, 2025
Recorder Notification Program Letter, San Diego County Recorder/County Clerk, checked October 25, 2026
SB 255 (Seyarto), Chapter 351, Statutes of 2025, California Legislature, approved October 6, 2025
Legal Aid Society of San Diego, home page with help line and hours, checked October 25, 2026
California Civil Code section 3412, California Legislative Information, read October 25, 2026

This article is general information, not legal advice. Laws and county practices vary and change. For advice about your situation, talk to a lawyer licensed in your state. Written by Mo Ayadi, founder of Still My Home, which offers a home title protection service.

How to File a San Diego County Quitclaim Deed (and When Not To)

Key takeaways