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, a Utah 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, and a form specific to Utah that catches almost everyone off guard: the Water Rights Addendum.
The good news is Utah has no state transfer tax at all, so most of the cost of a Utah quitclaim deed is just the standard recording fee.
Good News About Utah Transfers:
Utah does not impose a state real estate transfer tax on any property conveyance, including quitclaim deeds. Recording is handled by the County Recorder in the county where the property is located, for a flat recording fee.
The one form almost everyone forgets is the Water Rights Addendum. Utah requires this to accompany most deeds, confirming whether water rights are part of the transfer, even when the honest answer is "no." Skipping it can delay recording.
What You Need Before Filling Out the Deed
Before you start typing names into a deed form, gather the information Utah 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, plus the tax serial number if available
- Utah county where the property is located
- Notary acknowledgment for the grantor's signature
- A completed Water Rights Addendum
- A brief caption identifying the document as a Quitclaim Deed
- Recording fees
How to Fill Out a Utah Quitclaim Deed
Step 1: Identify the Correct County Recorder
Utah deeds are recorded with the County Recorder in the county where the real property is located.
Larger counties like Salt Lake, Utah, and Davis offer electronic recording through approved vendors, while some smaller counties may only accept documents in person or by mail.
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. Every grantor involved in the conveyance needs to sign.
Step 3: Enter the Grantee Information
The grantee is the person receiving the property interest.
Utah requires the grantee's mailing address on the deed for assessment and taxation purposes. Without it, the county recorder can reject the deed.
Step 4: Choose the Ownership Wording Carefully
Utah has a distinctive default rule: since May 1997, real estate deeded to a husband and wife is presumed to be held in joint tenancy with right of survivorship, unless the deed says otherwise. If you want a different outcome, such as tenants in common, the deed needs to state that clearly.
Step 5: Add the Legal Description
Use the complete legal description from the current deed or a previously recorded deed, whether by metes and bounds or a government survey reference. Including the property's tax serial number isn't strictly required, but it helps prevent recording errors.
Step 6: Add a Caption and Prepare the Document
Utah requires the document to include a brief caption stating what it is, such as "Quitclaim Deed," and expects the names of all signers to be printed or typed beneath their signatures.
Step 7: Sign and Notarize the Deed
The grantor must sign the deed, and the signature must be acknowledged before a notary public . Utah will not accept a deed for recording without this acknowledgment.
Utah 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 recorder will accept a remotely notarized deed. Learn more on our Remote Online Notarization by State page.
Step 8: Complete the Water Rights Addendum
Utah requires most deeds to be submitted with a Water Rights Addendum, which discloses whether water rights are included in the transfer. Even if the property doesn't involve any water rights, you still complete the addendum to confirm that.
Skipping this form is one of the most common reasons a Utah deed gets delayed at recording.
Step 9: Record the Deed
Submit the original signed and notarized deed, along with the Water Rights Addendum and the recording fee, to the County Recorder in the county where the property is located.
Utah charges a flat recording fee rather than a fee based on the property's value, and there is no state transfer tax added on top of it.
Does Utah Have Transfer Tax?
No. Utah does not impose a state real estate transfer tax on any property conveyance, quitclaim deeds included. That puts Utah among the more affordable states for the kinds of family, trust, and estate transfers described on this page.
Recording still comes with a flat fee, and completing the Water Rights Addendum is a required step regardless of the transfer's value or purpose. Neither of these is a tax, just standard paperwork.
Keep in mind that federal rules can still apply separately from anything Utah charges. A gift of significant value may trigger federal gift tax reporting, and a later sale could result in federal capital gains tax.
Utah Signing and Recording Notes
- Utah deeds are recorded with the County Recorder in the county where the property is located.
- The grantor's signature must be notarized; Utah won't record a deed without it.
- Use the complete legal description, not just the street address.
- The grantee's mailing address must be included.
- A Water Rights Addendum must accompany most deeds, even when no water rights are involved.
- Real estate deeded to a married couple is presumed joint tenancy by default since 1997.
- Utah has no state real estate transfer tax.
- Documents must be originals, with names printed beneath every signature.
- Larger counties offer electronic recording; smaller counties may not.
- Assuming a quitclaim deed changes responsibility for a mortgage is a common misconception.
Official Utah Sources
Common Utah Quitclaim Deed Mistakes
- Recording in the wrong county
- Forgetting the Water Rights Addendum entirely
- Using only the street address instead of the legal description
- Leaving off the grantee's mailing address
- Forgetting that the deed needs a notary acknowledgment
- Assuming married-couple deeds need special survivorship language, when it's actually the default
- Leaving out a printed name beneath a signature
- Submitting a copy instead of an original signed document
- Missing the required document caption
- Assuming a quitclaim deed changes responsibility for a mortgage
How This Fits Into the Utah Quitclaim Deed Process
A Utah 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, notarize it correctly, complete the Water Rights Addendum, and record it with the right county recorder. Since Utah has no transfer tax, the main thing to get right is the paperwork, not the cost.
Utah Quitclaim Deed FAQ
Where do I record a Utah quitclaim deed?
Record the deed with the County Recorder in the Utah county where the property is located.
Does Utah charge a real estate transfer tax?
No. Utah does not impose a state real estate transfer tax on any property conveyance, including quitclaim deeds. Only the standard recording fee applies.
Does a Utah quitclaim deed need to be notarized?
Yes. Utah will not accept a deed for recording without a notary acknowledgment.
What is Utah's Water Rights Addendum?
It's a required form that must accompany most Utah deeds, confirming whether water rights are included in the transfer. It must be completed even if no water rights are involved.
Is this legal advice?
No. This page provides general educational information and is not legal advice.