If you are adding a spouse to title, removing a former spouse, transferring property to a family member, moving real estate into a trust, handling an inheritance, or cleaning up ownership records, a Nevada quitclaim deed may be the document you are looking for.
The deed itself is often the simple part. The details that cause confusion are usually the legal description, notarization, where to record the deed, whether both spouses need to sign because of Nevada's community property rules, and whether the Declaration of Value form and transfer tax apply.
The good news is that the process is manageable once you understand what Nevada actually requires and which office handles the recording.
Important Nevada Recording Note:
Nevada quitclaim deeds are recorded with the County Recorder in the county where the property is located.
Most quitclaim deeds are used for family transfers, trust transfers, estate planning, divorce-related transfers, inheritance matters, and other situations where the property is not being sold in a typical open-market sale.
Nevada deeds must show the Assessor's Parcel Number (APN) in the top left corner of the first page, along with a mailing address for the grantee and for whoever should receive the property tax statement.
Every Nevada deed, including gifts between family members, must be submitted with a completed Declaration of Value form. The county recorder generally cannot record the deed until this form is included and any tax due is paid.
What You Need Before Filling Out the Deed
Before you start typing names into a deed form, gather the information Nevada county recorders commonly expect.
- Current deed or previously recorded deed
- Grantor's full legal name and mailing address
- Grantee's full legal name and mailing address
- Complete legal description of the property
- The property's Assessor's Parcel Number (APN)
- Nevada county where the property is located
- Return mailing address after recording
- Notary acknowledgment for the grantor's signature
- A completed Declaration of Value form
- Your spouse's signature, if the property is community property
- Recording fee, transfer tax (or exemption paperwork), and any county formatting requirements
How to Fill Out a Nevada Quitclaim Deed
Step 1: Identify the Correct County Recorder
Nevada deeds are recorded with the County Recorder in the county where the real property is located.
This matters because recording in the wrong county can delay the transfer and may require the deed to be corrected or re-recorded.
Step 2: Enter the Grantor Information
The grantor is the current owner transferring their interest in the property.
Use the grantor's full legal name and mailing address. Nevada also requires the grantor's name to be printed or typed underneath the original signature, so that the signer's identity is clear on the recorded document.
Step 3: Enter the Grantee Information
The grantee is the person receiving the property interest.
Nevada requires a complete mailing address for the grantee, plus the name and address of whoever should receive the property tax statement, even if that is the same person.
Step 4: Choose the Ownership Wording Carefully
Nevada ownership wording matters when there is more than one grantee, and it matters even more here because Nevada is a community property state.
A deed to two people may create tenants in common unless the deed clearly says a different form of ownership, such as joint tenancy with right of survivorship. If the grantees are a married couple, the property may also be treated as community property depending on how it is worded and how it was acquired.
Step 5: Add the Legal Description and APN
Use the complete legal description from the current deed or a previously recorded deed. A street address may help identify the property, but it usually is not enough by itself for deed recording.
Nevada also requires the Assessor's Parcel Number in the top left corner of the first page, except on transfers involving only water rights. If you are not sure of the APN, the county assessor's office can look it up.
Step 6: Check Whether Both Spouses Need to Sign
Nevada is a community property state. If the property is community property, both spouses generally must sign the deed, even if only one spouse's name currently appears on title.
If you are not sure whether the property is community property or one spouse's separate property, it is worth reviewing how and when the property was acquired before deciding who needs to sign.
Step 7: Sign and Notarize the Deed
The grantor must sign the quitclaim deed, and the signature must be acknowledged before a notary public . A deed that is not properly notarized may be rejected for recording.
Nevada allows Remote Online Notarization (RON) , which lets you meet with a notary by secure live video instead of traveling to an office.
Before choosing online notarization, verify that your county recorder will accept a remotely notarized deed.
Learn more on our Remote Online Notarization by State page.
Step 8: Complete the Declaration of Value Form
A Declaration of Value form must accompany every Nevada deed presented for recording, even a gift between family members with no money changing hands.
The form reports the property's value so the county recorder can calculate the transfer tax, or it documents which of Nevada's exemptions applies. It is generally signed under penalty of perjury, so the information should be accurate.
Step 9: Record the Deed
Submit the signed and notarized deed, the completed Declaration of Value form, and the recording fee to the County Recorder. Any transfer tax due is generally collected at the same time.
Depending on the county, recording may be handled in person, by mail, or through approved electronic recording systems. Formatting matters in Nevada, so check paper size, margins, and the blank space required at the top of the first page before submitting.
Why the Declaration of Value Matters
The Declaration of Value is separate from the quitclaim deed itself, but Nevada county recorders generally will not record a deed without one.
In plain English, the deed transfers ownership in the county land records, while the Declaration of Value tells the county what the transfer is worth, or explains why no transfer tax is owed. Recorders can require additional support if they believe the declared value or exemption is incorrect.
This form matters even for family gifts. Do not assume that a $0 sale price means the form can be skipped.
Does Nevada Have Transfer Tax?
Yes. Nevada imposes a Real Property Transfer Tax on most deeds, based on the value of the interest transferred.
The statewide base rate is $1.95 for each $500 of value, or fraction of $500, once the value exceeds $100. Some counties add their own amount on top of the base rate. For example, Clark County adds $0.60 per $500, and Washoe and Churchill Counties each add $0.10 per $500.
Nevada also provides a number of exemptions from this tax. Common ones include transfers to a close family member within the first degree of lineal relation (such as parent to child), transfers between former spouses under a divorce decree, transfers without consideration between joint tenants or tenants in common, and no-consideration transfers to or from a trust when a certificate of trust is presented.
Even when an exemption applies, the Declaration of Value form is still required. It is simply used to document which exemption you are claiming instead of calculating a tax amount.
Nevada Signing and Recording Notes
- Nevada deeds are recorded with the County Recorder in the county where the property is located.
- The grantor's signature must be notarized before recording.
- The grantor's name should be printed or typed underneath the signature.
- Use the complete legal description, not just the street address.
- The Assessor's Parcel Number generally belongs in the top left corner of the first page.
- The grantee's mailing address, and an address for tax statements, must be included.
- If the property is community property, both spouses generally must sign.
- A Declaration of Value form is required with every deed, even gifts.
- Nevada's Real Property Transfer Tax generally applies unless a specific exemption is claimed.
- An unrecorded deed can lose priority to a later buyer who records first, so timely recording matters.
Official Nevada Sources
- Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 111 — Conveyances and Recording
- Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 247 — County Recorders
- Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 375 — Taxes on Transfers of Real Property
- Nevada Department of Taxation — Real Property Transfer Tax FAQs
- Recorders Association of Nevada — Property Transfer Tax Overview
Common Nevada Quitclaim Deed Mistakes
- Recording in the wrong county
- Using only the street address instead of the legal description
- Leaving off the Assessor's Parcel Number
- Forgetting that the deed needs a notary acknowledgment
- Leaving out the grantee's mailing address or tax-statement address
- Assuming a gift transfer does not need a Declaration of Value form
- Missing an available transfer tax exemption, or claiming one that does not apply
- Forgetting a spouse's signature on community property
- Using unclear ownership wording when there is more than one grantee
- Assuming a quitclaim deed changes responsibility for a mortgage
How This Fits Into the Nevada Quitclaim Deed Process
A Nevada quitclaim deed can be a practical way to update ownership, especially for family, trust, estate planning, inheritance, and divorce-related transfers.
The key is to prepare the deed carefully, include the APN and required addresses, notarize it correctly, complete the Declaration of Value, and record everything with the right county recorder.
Nevada Quitclaim Deed FAQ
Where do I record a Nevada quitclaim deed?
Record the deed with the County Recorder in the Nevada county where the property is located.
Does a Nevada quitclaim deed need to be notarized?
Yes. The grantor's signature must be acknowledged before a notary public before the deed can be recorded.
Does Nevada charge a real property transfer tax on a quitclaim deed?
Generally yes, based on the value of the interest transferred, unless an exemption applies, such as certain family transfers, divorce-related transfers, or no-consideration trust transfers.
Do I need my spouse's signature on a Nevada quitclaim deed?
Nevada is a community property state. If the property is community property, both spouses generally need to sign the deed.
What is the Declaration of Value form?
It is a form required with every Nevada deed, even gifts, that reports the property's value and either calculates the transfer tax or documents an exemption.
Is this legal advice?
No. This page provides general educational information and is not legal advice.