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 cleaning up ownership records, an Oregon 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, how to word the true and actual consideration statement for a gift, and whether any transfer tax applies to your situation.
The good news is that Oregon is one of the more transfer-tax-friendly states in the country, and most family transfers don't need to worry about a transfer tax at all.
Good News About Oregon Transfers:
Oregon law generally prohibits cities, counties, and other local governments from imposing a tax on real estate transfers. Recording is handled by the County Clerk in the county where the property is located.
Washington County (which includes part of the Portland area) is the one exception, with a small transfer tax grandfathered in from before 1997. Even there, gifts, inheritances, and divorce-related transfers are commonly exempt.
What You Need Before Filling Out the Deed
Before you start typing names into a deed form, gather the information Oregon county clerks commonly expect.
- Current deed or previously recorded deed
- Grantor's full legal name, mailing address, and marital status
- Grantee's full legal name, mailing address, and marital status
- Complete legal description of the property, plus the tax lot number if available
- Oregon county where the property is located
- A return address for the recorded deed
- A statement of the true and actual consideration
- The address future tax statements should be sent to
- Notary acknowledgment for the grantor's signature
- Recording fees, and Washington County transfer tax paperwork if applicable
How to Fill Out an Oregon Quitclaim Deed
Step 1: Identify the Correct County Clerk
Oregon deeds are recorded with the County Clerk in the county where the real property is located. A few counties use the title County Recorder instead, but the function is the same.
Oregon law encourages recording within 15 days of signing. Recording promptly helps protect your interest in the property.
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, mailing address, and marital status.
Step 3: Enter the Grantee Information
The grantee is the person receiving the property interest.
Include the grantee's full legal name, mailing address, and marital status, along with how they will hold title.
Step 4: Choose the Ownership Wording Carefully
Oregon has a distinctive rule here: traditional joint tenancy is abolished for individuals, except when the grantees are trustees or personal representatives. A deed to a married couple automatically creates tenancy by the entirety unless the deed says otherwise, while unmarried co-owners are generally tenants in common. If survivorship is the goal for unmarried co-owners, it is worth confirming the right approach for your situation.
Step 5: Add the Legal Description
Use the complete legal description from the current deed or a previously recorded deed, and include the tax lot number or assessor's map and tax lot reference if you have it. A street address may help identify the property, but it is not a substitute for the full legal description.
Step 6: State the True and Actual Consideration
Oregon requires deeds to state the true and actual consideration for the transfer, rather than an arbitrary placeholder amount. For a genuine gift, that generally means stating that the transfer is a gift, or otherwise honestly describing the nominal consideration involved.
Also include the required statement about where future property tax statements should be sent, since Oregon law requires this exact type of clause on the deed's first page.
Step 7: Sign and Notarize the Deed
The grantor must sign the deed, and the signature must be acknowledged before a notary public . Oregon does not require separate witnesses.
Oregon 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, confirm your county clerk will accept a remotely notarized deed. Learn more on our Remote Online Notarization by State page.
Step 8: Check Washington County's Transfer Tax, if Applicable
If the property is in Washington County, a small local transfer tax may apply, unless the transfer qualifies for an exemption. Common exemptions include gifts, inheritance, court-ordered transfers such as divorce, foreclosure-related deeds, and transfers below a modest consideration threshold.
If you believe an exemption applies, the proper application form is available through the Washington County Department of Assessment and Taxation.
Step 9: Record the Deed
Submit the signed and notarized deed and the recording fee to the County Clerk in the county where the property is located.
Oregon has specific formatting requirements, including paper size, font size, and blank space reserved for the recorder's stamp. If your deed's first page is missing required information, a cover sheet can be added, though it carries its own small fee.
Does Oregon Have Transfer Tax?
Almost never. Oregon law specifically bars cities, counties, and other local governments from imposing a tax on real estate transfers, which puts Oregon in a small group of states where this generally is not a cost to plan around.
Washington County, which includes part of the Portland area, is the one exception, with a modest local transfer tax grandfathered in from before March 1997. Even in Washington County, though, common transfers like gifts, inheritances, and divorce-related transfers are typically exempt, along with transfers below a modest consideration threshold.
Outside Washington County, the only cost tied to recording is the standard recording fee, not a transfer tax.
Oregon Signing and Recording Notes
- Oregon deeds are recorded with the County Clerk in the county where the property is located.
- The grantor's signature must be notarized; witnesses are not required.
- Use the complete legal description, not just the street address.
- Deeds must state the true and actual consideration, not an arbitrary placeholder.
- Deeds must include the required tax-statement mailing address clause.
- Oregon generally has no local transfer tax, except a small grandfathered tax in Washington County.
- Even in Washington County, gifts, inheritances, and divorce transfers are commonly exempt.
- A deed to a married couple automatically creates tenancy by the entirety.
- Traditional joint tenancy is abolished for individual grantees in Oregon.
- Oregon law encourages recording within 15 days of signing to help protect the transfer.
Official Oregon Sources
Common Oregon Quitclaim Deed Mistakes
- Recording in the wrong county
- Using only the street address instead of the legal description
- Listing an arbitrary consideration figure instead of the true and actual consideration
- Leaving out the required tax-statement mailing address clause
- Forgetting that the deed needs a notary acknowledgment
- Assuming joint tenancy applies automatically between unmarried co-owners
- Overlooking Washington County's transfer tax on a non-exempt transfer
- Not checking a specific county's current formatting requirements
- Delaying recording well past signing
- Assuming a quitclaim deed changes responsibility for a mortgage
How This Fits Into the Oregon Quitclaim Deed Process
An Oregon quitclaim deed can be a practical way to update ownership, especially for family gifts, trust transfers, estate planning, and divorce-related transfers.
The key is to prepare the deed carefully, state the true and actual consideration honestly, notarize it correctly, and record it promptly with the right county clerk. Since Oregon has no transfer tax outside one county, the paperwork here tends to be lighter than in many other states.
Oregon Quitclaim Deed FAQ
Where do I record an Oregon quitclaim deed?
Record the deed with the County Clerk (or County Recorder, in a few counties) in the Oregon county where the property is located.
Does Oregon charge a real estate transfer tax?
No, with one narrow exception. Oregon generally bars local transfer taxes statewide. Washington County has a small grandfathered tax, but gifts, inheritances, and divorce-related transfers there are commonly exempt.
Does an Oregon quitclaim deed need to be notarized?
Yes. The grantor's signature must be acknowledged before a notary public. Oregon does not require separate witnesses.
Do I have to state the exact value of a gift on the deed?
Oregon requires the deed to state the true and actual consideration. For a gift, this generally means stating that the transfer is a gift rather than listing an arbitrary dollar figure.
Is this legal advice?
No. This page provides general educational information and is not legal advice.