Washington Quitclaim Deed
A Washington quitclaim deed (or quit claim deed) transfers your interest with no warranty. Notarize it, pay the Real Estate Excise Tax, and record with the county auditor.
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 marriage or divorce, moving a home into a living trust, or clearing up a possible claim on a title. In Washington the person giving up the interest is the grantor and the person receiving it is the grantee. Washington provides a statutory quitclaim form at RCW Section 64.04.050, whose operative words are that the grantor conveys and quitclaims all interest in the property. To be valid the deed must be in writing, signed by the grantor, and acknowledged before a notary under RCW Section 64.04.020; no witnesses are required. You record it with the county auditor, the county recording officer, in the county where the property sits (RCW Section 65.08.070), and before the auditor will record it you must pay the state Real Estate Excise Tax and file a REET affidavit. Attorney review is available as an option before you sign.
Key Things to Know
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A quitclaim deed (often typed 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 county auditor. Under RCW Section 65.08.070 a Washington conveyance is recorded in the office of the county recording officer, which RCW Section 65.08.060(4) defines as the county auditor (or, in charter counties, the county official charged with recording), for the county where the property is located.
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You must sign before a notary. RCW Section 64.04.020 requires every deed to be in writing, signed by the grantor, and acknowledged before an officer authorized to take acknowledgments. That notarial acknowledgment is what makes the deed recordable.
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No witnesses are required. Washington's deed-requisites statute (RCW Section 64.04.020) calls for a writing, the grantor's signature, and acknowledgment only. It sets no witness requirement, so a Washington quitclaim deed does not need subscribing witnesses.
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Pay the Real Estate Excise Tax before recording. Washington charges a graduated state Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) on real estate transfers under RCW Section 82.45.060, plus a local REET added on top, and a REET affidavit must be filed. RCW Section 82.45.090 bars the county auditor from recording the deed until the tax is paid and proof of payment is affixed.
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Washington has a statutory quitclaim form. RCW Section 64.04.050 sets out a short statutory quitclaim deed whose operative words are that the grantor conveys and quitclaims all interest in the described real estate. That form conveys the grantor's then-existing rights only and does not reach after-acquired title unless the deed adds words saying so.
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Both spouses must join to convey community property. Washington is a community property state, and RCW Section 26.16.030(3) requires both spouses (or both registered domestic partners) to join in and acknowledge a deed that conveys community real property, whatever the name on title. Common quitclaim uses include divorce transfers and moving a home into a living trust.
Key decisions before you file
Before you file a Quitclaim Deed in Washington, 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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Washington Requirements for Quitclaim Deed
To record a Washington quitclaim deed you must acknowledge it before a notary. RCW Section 64.04.020 requires every deed to be in writing, signed by the grantor, and acknowledged before an officer authorized to take acknowledgments, and that notarial acknowledgment is what makes the deed recordable.
Washington does not require witnesses to sign a deed. The deed-requisites statute (RCW Section 64.04.020) calls for a writing, the grantor's signature, and acknowledgment only, and sets no witness requirement, so a quitclaim deed does not need subscribing witnesses.
Record the signed, notarized deed with the county auditor, the recording officer, in the county where the property is located (RCW Sections 65.08.070 and 65.08.060(4)). Recording protects the grantee against a later good-faith purchaser under Washington's race-notice rule, because an unrecorded conveyance is void against a subsequent purchaser whose deed is first duly recorded.
Washington imposes a graduated state Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) on real estate transfers under RCW Section 82.45.060, starting at 1.10 percent on the portion of the price at or below the lowest bracket and rising for higher-value sales, plus a local REET added on top. RCW Section 82.45.090 bars the county auditor from recording the deed until the tax is paid and proof of payment is affixed.
WAC 458-61A-303 requires a Real Estate Excise Tax affidavit whenever title transfers by deed, grant, quitclaim, or any other document that effects the transfer. Even an exempt transfer generally still needs an affidavit, which must cite the exemption rule relied on and include the required documentation. Exempt transfers can include a gift, a transfer by inheritance, or an assignment between spouses under a decree of dissolution (RCW Section 82.45.010(3)).
Washington has a statutory quitclaim deed form at RCW Section 64.04.050 whose operative words are that the grantor conveys and quitclaims all interest in the described real estate. A deed in substantially that form conveys the grantor's then-existing rights only, states no warranty of title, and does not reach after-acquired title unless the deed adds words expressing that intention.
Washington is a community property state. RCW Section 26.16.030(3) requires both spouses, or both registered domestic partners, to join in and acknowledge a deed that sells, conveys, or encumbers community real property, whatever the name on title. A quitclaim of community property signed by one spouse alone may be ineffective.
The deed must meet Washington's recording format rules. RCW Section 65.04.045 requires the first page to show the return address, document title, grantor and grantee names, an abbreviated legal description, and the assessor's parcel number, with a top margin of at least 3 inches and one-inch bottom and side margins. If the first page lacks that indexing information, a cover sheet containing it must be attached and recorded as part of the deed (RCW Section 65.04.047).
Frequently Asked Questions
A quitclaim deed is a deed that transfers whatever interest you have in Washington real estate to someone else, without any warranty that the title is good. It is often typed as a quit claim deed. Washington's statutory form at RCW Section 64.04.050 has the grantor convey and quitclaim all interest in the property. It makes no promise that you own anything or that the title is clear; it simply passes along the interest you hold, if any.
The difference is the promise about title. A Washington warranty deed (RCW Section 64.04.030) guarantees that the grantor owns the property and that the title is clear, and the grantee can sue if that turns out to be false. The statutory quitclaim form (RCW Section 64.04.050) states no covenants of warranty; it conveys and quitclaims only the grantor's then-existing rights and does not even reach after-acquired title unless the deed adds words saying so.
Yes. RCW Section 64.04.020 requires every deed to be in writing, signed by the grantor, and acknowledged before a notary or other officer authorized to take acknowledgments. Without that notarial acknowledgment the county auditor will not record the deed, so notarization is the operative formality in Washington.
You record it with the county auditor, the recording officer, in the county where the property is located (RCW Sections 65.08.070 and 65.08.060(4)). Recording gives public notice and protects the grantee against a later good-faith purchaser under Washington's race-notice rule, because an unrecorded conveyance is void against a subsequent purchaser whose deed is first duly recorded.
You pay the county auditor's recording fee plus the Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) on the transfer. The state REET is graduated under RCW Section 82.45.060, starting at 1.10 percent on the portion of the price at or below the lowest bracket and rising for higher-value sales, and a local REET is added on top. A REET affidavit is filed with the county treasurer, and the auditor cannot record until the tax is paid.
Yes, in almost all cases. WAC 458-61A-303 requires a Real Estate Excise Tax affidavit when title transfers by deed, grant, quitclaim, or any other document that effects the transfer. Even a transfer that is exempt from the tax generally still needs an affidavit, and the affidavit must cite the exemption rule you are relying on and include the required documentation.
No. Recording your quitclaim deed with the county auditor, Washington's recording officer under RCW 65.08.060, moves your interest to the grantee but does not reach the lender's lien. If your name is on the note, you stay liable for the loan even after you quitclaim your interest away. The statutory form under RCW 64.04.050 conveys and quitclaims your then-existing rights only; it does not release the debt. The lender must refinance or formally remove you from the loan.
No. A quitclaim clears no liens and gives no title guarantee. Under RCW 64.04.050 the deed conveys and quitclaims only the grantor's then-existing rights, with no covenants of warranty and no after-acquired title. Washington is a race-notice state under RCW 65.08.070, so recording protects your priority against later buyers but not against claims that already burden the property. A title search and title insurance, not a quitclaim, are what guard against liens and defective title.