If you are adding a spouse to title, removing a former spouse, giving property to a family member, moving real estate into a trust, handling an inheritance, or clearing up a title question, an Indiana quitclaim deed may be the right document.
Filling out the deed is usually the easy part. What trips people up is the legal description, notarizing it, figuring out that Indiana actually involves two different county offices, whether your spouse needs to sign, and a form that many people don't realize applies to them.
The good news is that a true gift between family members, with no money changing hands, usually skips the biggest paperwork hurdle in Indiana. The part that surprises people is that Indiana won't record your deed at all until a second office signs off first.
Indiana Uses Two Offices, Not Just One:
Indiana quitclaim deeds are recorded with the County Recorder in the county where the property is located. But before the recorder will even look at it, the County Auditor has to endorse the deed first, confirming property taxes are current and the parcel is correctly identified.
Skip the auditor's office, and the recorder will simply turn your deed away. Some counties handle both steps in one visit; others want you to stop at the auditor's office first, so it's worth calling ahead.
What You Need Before Filling Out the Deed
Gather these things before you start:
- Your current deed or a copy of the county property record
- The grantor's full legal name and marital status
- The grantee's full legal name and mailing address
- The complete legal description of the property
- The Indiana county where the property is located
- The name and address of whoever prepared the deed
- A mailing address for the recorded deed to be returned to
- Your spouse's signature, if the property is your homestead
- A Social Security number redaction affirmation statement
- A Sales Disclosure Form, if your transfer needs one
- Recording fees and any disclosure filing fee that applies
How to Fill Out an Indiana Quitclaim Deed
Step 1: Find the Right County
Record your deed in the county where the property sits, not where you live. Both the auditor and recorder steps happen in that same county.
Step 2: Add the Preparer and Return Address
Write down the name and address of whoever prepared the deed, and where the recorded deed should be mailed back once it's done. Indiana also expects a short statement confirming that Social Security numbers have been removed from the document.
Step 3: Fill In the Grantor's Information
The grantor is the person giving up their ownership interest. Use their full legal name, and be sure to state whether they're single or married — Indiana recorders expect this, and leaving it out can get your deed sent back.
Step 4: Fill In the Grantee's Information
The grantee is the person receiving the property. Include their full legal name and mailing address.
Step 5: Add the Legal Description
Copy the complete legal description from the current deed, including the county, township, range, acreage, and any section numbers. A street address by itself isn't enough.
Step 6: Use the Right Wording
Indiana law expects specific phrasing for a quitclaim deed: something like "[Grantor] quitclaims to [Grantee] [legal description] for [amount paid]." Avoid words like "grant" or "warrant," since those imply promises about the title that a quitclaim deed doesn't make.
Step 7: Check Whether Your Spouse Needs to Sign
If the property is your homestead and you're married, your spouse needs to sign the deed too, even if only your name is on the current title. Your spouse doesn't have to be listed as a grantor, but their signature is what releases their homestead rights. Skipping this is one of the most common — and most overlooked — mistakes on an Indiana deed.
Step 8: Sign and Notarize the Deed
The grantor signs the deed in front of a notary public , who checks ID and adds their seal. Indiana doesn't require separate witnesses on top of this.
Indiana allows Remote Online Notarization (RON) , so a video call can sometimes take the place of an in-person visit.
Check with your county recorder first to make sure they'll accept a remotely notarized deed. More on our Remote Online Notarization by State page.
Step 9: Figure Out the Sales Disclosure Form
Indiana's Sales Disclosure Form generally applies to transfers made for real payment, not true gifts. If your transfer is a genuine gift with no money changing hands, it often falls outside this requirement — but many counties still expect to see the form or a clear explanation, so it's worth checking first. For the full breakdown, see our Indiana Sales Disclosure Form page.
Step 10: Get the Auditor's Endorsement, Then Record
Take your signed, notarized deed (and Sales Disclosure Form, if needed) to the County Auditor first. Once the auditor endorses it, bring everything to the County Recorder along with the recording fee.
Recording fees typically run $25 to $35 depending on the county, and a disclosure filing fee of around $10 to $20 may apply if your transfer needs the Sales Disclosure Form.
Indiana Signing and Recording Notes
- Indiana deeds need the County Auditor's endorsement before the County Recorder will accept them.
- The grantor's signature must be notarized; Indiana doesn't require separate witnesses.
- If the property is your homestead, your spouse must sign too, even if not on the title.
- The deed should state whether the grantor is single or married.
- A true gift with no payment often falls outside the Sales Disclosure Form requirement.
- Use the exact legal description from your current deed, not just the street address.
- Use quitclaim wording, not "grant" or "warrant" language.
- Indiana follows a race-notice recording system, so recording promptly protects your interest.
- Include a Social Security number redaction affirmation with the deed.
- A quitclaim deed doesn't remove anyone from a mortgage — that takes a separate step.
Official Indiana Sources
Common Indiana Quitclaim Deed Mistakes
- Going straight to the recorder and skipping the county auditor's endorsement
- Using only the street address instead of the full legal description
- Leaving out the grantor's marital status
- Forgetting a spouse's signature on homestead property
- Assuming a gift transfer needs no Sales Disclosure paperwork at all without checking
- Forgetting the deed needs a notary's signature and seal
- Leaving out the grantee's mailing address
- Using "grant" or "warrant" language that implies a title guarantee
- Skipping the Social Security number redaction affirmation
- Assuming a quitclaim deed removes someone from a mortgage
How This Fits Into the Indiana Quitclaim Deed Process
An Indiana quitclaim deed works well for family gifts, adding or removing a spouse, funding your own trust, and divorce-related transfers.
The main things to get right are the homestead signature question, the legal description, notarization, and figuring out whether the Sales Disclosure Form applies. Once those are settled, the auditor's endorsement and recording finish the job.
Indiana Quitclaim Deed FAQ
Where do I record an Indiana quitclaim deed?
Record it with the County Recorder in the county where the property is located. Before that, the County Auditor must endorse the deed.
Does an Indiana quitclaim deed need to be notarized?
Yes. The grantor's signature must be acknowledged before a notary public. Indiana does not require separate witnesses.
Do I need my spouse's signature on the deed?
If the property is your homestead, yes. Indiana law says a married person can't give away their homestead without the spouse joining in to release homestead rights, even if only one name is on the title.
Do I need to file a Sales Disclosure Form?
Often not for a true gift with no payment involved. Many counties still want to see the form or a clear note about why it doesn't apply, so check with your county auditor.
Is this legal advice?
No. This page provides general educational information and is not legal advice.