Connecticut Quitclaim Deed
A Connecticut quit claim deed transfers your interest with no title covenants. Sign it before two witnesses, notarize it, and record with the town clerk.
Introduction
A quitclaim deed is a document that transfers whatever ownership interest you have in a piece of real estate to someone else, with no promise that your title is good or even that you own anything at all. That is the key difference from a warranty deed, which does promise clear title and lets the grantee sue if the title turns out to be flawed. A quitclaim simply passes along whatever interest you hold, so people use it for lower-risk transfers between people who already trust each other: adding or removing a spouse after a divorce, moving a home into a living trust, or clearing up a possible claim on a title. In Connecticut the person giving up the interest is the grantor (the releasor) and the person receiving it is the grantee. Connecticut has a codified statutory quitclaim form at Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47-36c, and Section 47-36f says a Quitclaim Deed conveys the grantor's right, title, and interest but without any covenants of title. To be valid the deed must be signed by the grantor, attested by two witnesses, and acknowledged before a notary (Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47-5). You then record it with the town clerk where the property lies (Section 47-10), not a county office. Attorney review is available as an option before you sign.
Key Things to Know
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A quitclaim deed (often typed as quit claim deed) transfers only the interest you actually have. It passes whatever ownership you hold in the property to the grantee and makes no promise that the title is clear, or even that you own anything. A warranty deed, by contrast, guarantees the title, which is why a quitclaim is used mainly between people who trust each other.
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Record it with the town clerk. Connecticut records land at the town level, not the county level. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47-10 a conveyance is not effectual against anyone but the grantor and the grantor's heirs unless it is recorded on the land records of the town in which the land lies.
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You must sign before two witnesses and a notary. Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47-5 requires a conveyance of land to be in writing, subscribed by the grantor, attested to by two witnesses with their own hands, and acknowledged by the grantor to be a free act and deed. All three formalities are needed.
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Connecticut is a two-witness state. Section 47-5(a)(4) requires two attesting witnesses, and the statutory quitclaim form in Section 47-36c prints two Witnessed by signature lines. Missing witnesses is a defect in how the deed is executed, so do not skip them.
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Expect a real estate conveyance tax. Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 12-494 imposes a conveyance tax in two parts on deeds where the consideration (the value paid) is two thousand dollars or more: a state portion payable to the Commissioner of Revenue Services and a municipal portion payable to the town.
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File the conveyance tax return to record. Section 12-497 says the town clerk may not record a taxable deed unless the return prescribed by the Commissioner of Revenue Services has been filed and the tax paid. That return is Form OP-236, the Connecticut Real Estate Conveyance Tax Return, filed with the town clerk.
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There is a statutory quitclaim form, and common exemptions exist. Section 47-36c gives the form and Section 47-36f states its effect (no covenants of title). Deeds between spouses and deeds made under a divorce decree (Section 46b-81) are exempt from the conveyance tax under Section 12-498, which covers many divorce and family transfers.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a Quitclaim Deed in Connecticut, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Quitclaim Deed guide walks through them.
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Connecticut Requirements for Quitclaim Deed
Connecticut is a two-witness state. Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47-5(a)(4) requires a conveyance of land to be attested to by two witnesses with their own hands, and the statutory quitclaim form in Section 47-36c prints two Witnessed by signature lines. Both witnesses must sign for the deed to be properly executed.
The grantor must acknowledge the deed to be a free act and deed before a notary or other authorized officer. Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47-5(a)(3) requires this acknowledgment in addition to the two attesting witnesses, so a valid Connecticut quitclaim deed needs both the witnesses and the notary.
Record the signed, witnessed, and notarized deed with the town clerk of the town where the property lies. Connecticut records land at the town level, not the county level. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47-10 a conveyance is not effectual against anyone but the grantor and the grantor's heirs unless it is recorded on that town's land records.
Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 12-494 imposes a real estate conveyance tax in two parts on deeds where the consideration (the value paid) is two thousand dollars or more: a state portion payable to the Commissioner of Revenue Services (a base of three-quarters of one percent for residential property, higher for nonresidential and for residential value above eight hundred thousand dollars) and a municipal portion of one-quarter of one percent payable to the town.
Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 12-497 provides that the town clerk may not record a taxable deed unless the return prescribed by the Commissioner of Revenue Services has been filed and the tax paid. That return is Form OP-236, the Connecticut Real Estate Conveyance Tax Return, filed with the town clerk at recording, either online through myCTREC or on the fillable OP-236 for towns that are not electronic.
Some deeds are exempt from the conveyance tax under Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 12-498. Deeds between spouses are exempt under Section 12-498(a)(14), deeds made pursuant to a divorce decree under Section 46b-81 are exempt under Section 12-498(a)(9), and a transfer where the consideration is less than two thousand dollars is exempt under Section 12-498(a)(10).
Connecticut has a codified statutory quitclaim form at Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47-36c, which uses the phrase with quitclaim covenants. Section 47-36f states its force and effect: a Quitclaim Deed conveys all of the grantor's right, title, and interest but without any covenants of title, so despite the form's wording it carries no warranty of title and passes only the interest the grantor actually holds.
The deed must include the grantee's current mailing address (Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47-5(b)). Under Section 7-24(f) each recorded instrument must have a blank margin of at least three-fourths of an inch around each page and a return address and addressee at the top of the first page. The town clerk cannot refuse a nonconforming instrument and nonconformity does not affect priority, but correct formatting avoids delay.
Frequently Asked Questions
A quitclaim deed is a deed that transfers whatever interest you have in Connecticut real estate to someone else, without any covenants of title. It is often typed as a quit claim deed. Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47-36f says a Quitclaim Deed conveys all of the grantor's right, title, and interest but without any covenants of title, so it makes no promise that the title is good or that you own anything at all.
The difference is the promise about title. A Connecticut warranty deed conveys with warranty covenants, meaning the grantor guarantees the title and the grantee can sue if it turns out to be flawed. A quitclaim deed conveys without any covenants of title under Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47-36f. The statutory quitclaim form uses the phrase with quitclaim covenants, but Section 47-36f is explicit that its force and effect carries no covenants of title, so it passes only whatever interest the grantor actually holds.
Yes. Connecticut is a two-witness state. Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47-5 requires a conveyance of land to be subscribed by the grantor, attested to by two witnesses with their own hands, and acknowledged before a notary. The statutory quitclaim form in Section 47-36c prints two Witnessed by lines and an acknowledgment block, so a valid deed needs both two witnesses and a notary.
You record it with the town clerk of the town where the property is located. Connecticut records land at the town level, not the county level; counties have no recording function. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47-10 a conveyance is not effectual against anyone but the grantor and the grantor's heirs unless it is recorded on the land records of that town.
Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 12-494 imposes a real estate conveyance tax in two parts on deeds where the consideration is two thousand dollars or more: a state portion (a base rate of three-quarters of one percent for residential property, higher for nonresidential and for residential consideration above eight hundred thousand dollars) and a municipal portion of one-quarter of one percent. A transfer for less than two thousand dollars is not taxed under Section 12-498.
Yes, if the deed is taxable. Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 12-497 says the town clerk may not record a taxable deed unless the return prescribed by the Commissioner of Revenue Services has been filed and the tax paid. That return is Form OP-236, the Connecticut Real Estate Conveyance Tax Return, which the grantor files with the town clerk at recording (online through myCTREC or on the fillable OP-236).
No. Recording a quitclaim deed with the town clerk under Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47-10 passes your right, title, and interest in the property, but it does not reach the lender's mortgage lien. If your name is on the note, you stay personally liable for the loan even after you release your interest. To come off the mortgage you need the lender to refinance it or sign a release; the deed alone cannot do that.
No. Receiving a quitclaim deed does not clear liens, mortgages, or other claims against the property, and it gives no guarantee that the grantor actually owned anything. You receive only whatever interest the grantor had, if any. Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 47-36f does allow a Quitclaim Deed to be used to release a mortgage, attachment, or judgment lien that the grantor holds, but that is different from clearing claims that others hold.