Updated October 11, 2026. Quick answer: A conveyance must have an acknowledgment or a proof, and any instrument to be recorded must have one of those two notarial acts. The county recorder charges twenty-five dollars ($25) for recording any deed or other instrument other than a mortgage. Add-ons can apply: a county that adopts an affordable housing fund ordinance may add $10 for each document, pages larger than 8 1/2 by 14 inches cost $25 for the first page and $5 for each additional page, and a county with a consolidated city may add $2.50 for the first page and $1 for each additional page (or $10 per document under its housing trust fund ordinance).
Indiana quitclaim deed at a glance
| Item | What the documents say |
|---|---|
| Signing | An Indiana conveyance of land must be in writing and signed by the grantor, and a deed worded as ’A.B. quitclaims to C.D.’ that is signed, sealed and acknowledged by the grantor is a good quitclaim conveyance. |
| Witnesses | Not found in the documents read |
| Notary or acknowledgment | A conveyance must have an acknowledgment or a proof, and any instrument to be recorded must have one of those two notarial acts. |
| Statutory quitclaim form | Indiana’s statute gives a short quitclaim wording (’A.B. quitclaims to C.D.’ plus the premises and the consideration) that, when signed, sealed and acknowledged by the grantor, is a sufficient quitclaim conveyance. |
| Where to record, and the fee | County recorder of the county where the property sits. The county recorder charges twenty-five dollars ($25) for recording any deed or other instrument other than a mortgage. Add-ons can apply: a county that adopts an affordable housing fund ordinance may add $10 for each document, pages larger than 8 1/2 by 14 inches cost $25 for the first page and $5 for each additional page, and a county with a consolidated city may add $2.50 for the first page and $1 for each additional page (or $10 per document under its housing trust fund ordinance). |
| State transfer tax | Not found in the documents read (the archived Indiana Code texts do not state whether Indiana levies a state-level real estate transfer tax.) |
| Gift from a parent to a child | Not found in the documents read |
| Spouse or homestead | Not found in the documents read |
| Source | Indiana General Assembly |
Signing, witnesses and the notary in Indiana
An Indiana conveyance of land must be in writing and signed by the grantor, and a deed worded as ’A.B. quitclaims to C.D.’ that is signed, sealed and acknowledged by the grantor is a good quitclaim conveyance.
A conveyance must have an acknowledgment or a proof, and any instrument to be recorded must have one of those two notarial acts. A conveyance must also include a statement of the grantee’s mailing address for tax statements (IC 32-21-2-3(e)), and a recorded instrument must state the name of the person who prepared it and carry a statement that each Social Security number in it has been redacted (IC 36-2-11-15).
Statutory form: Indiana’s statute gives a short quitclaim wording (’A.B. quitclaims to C.D.’ plus the premises and the consideration) that, when signed, sealed and acknowledged by the grantor, is a sufficient quitclaim conveyance.
The text itself:
- Indiana Code 2026, Title 32, Article 21 (Conveyance Procedures for Real Property): “(b) A conveyance must: (1) be in writing;”
- Indiana Code 2026, Title 32, Article 21 (Conveyance Procedures for Real Property): “signed, sealed, and acknowledged by the grantor”
- Indiana Code 2026, Title 32, Article 21 (Conveyance Procedures for Real Property): “worded in substance as “A.B. quitclaims to C.D.””
- Indiana Code 2026, Title 32, Article 21 (Conveyance Procedures for Real Property): “Any instrument to be recorded must have one (1)”
If you want a ready-made form
Review LawDepot’s quitclaim deed form
LawDepot builds a quit claim deed from guided questions for your state. Compare the form with the signing, notary and recording rules on this page before you sign anything.
A deed moves title and can change a family’s tax and benefit position. If you need advice about your situation, ask a real estate attorney before choosing a document service.
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Review LawDepot’s quitclaim deedOpens on LawDepot. Follow the signing, notary and recording rules for your state.
How our partner relationships workRecording: where to file and what it costs
Recording office: County recorder of the county where the property sits. The county recorder charges twenty-five dollars ($25) for recording any deed or other instrument other than a mortgage. Add-ons can apply: a county that adopts an affordable housing fund ordinance may add $10 for each document, pages larger than 8 1/2 by 14 inches cost $25 for the first page and $5 for each additional page, and a county with a consolidated city may add $2.50 for the first page and $1 for each additional page (or $10 per document under its housing trust fund ordinance).
The text itself:
- Indiana Code 2026, Title 36, Article 2 (County Offices and Government): “Twenty-five dollars ($25) for recording any deed or other instrument”
Transfer tax and a gift to a family member
UNVERIFIED: the archived Indiana Code texts do not state whether Indiana levies a state-level real estate transfer tax.
Between family members: Not found in the documents read.
Other filings the documents mention
A sales disclosure form filed with the county auditor (with a twenty dollar ($20) fee) applies to conveyance documents that transfer a real property interest for valuable consideration, including a quitclaim deed that serves as a source of title, and to documents for compulsory transactions such as divorce or court order and partitions of land; a quitclaim deed not serving as a source of title is excluded. No fee is due when the conveyance is to a charity or is one of those compulsory or partition documents.
The text itself:
- Indiana Code 2026, Title 6, Article 1.1 (Property Taxes): “shall pay a fee of twenty dollars ($20) to the county auditor”
- Indiana Code 2026, Title 6, Article 1.1 (Property Taxes): “Quitclaim deeds not serving as a source of title.”
A worked example: a parent deeds the home to an adult child
An illustration, not a return: a parent bought a home for $100,000, and it is worth $300,000 when the parent deeds it to an adult child by quitclaim deed, with no payment. The child later sells it for $350,000. For a gift, federal law says the child’s basis is “the same as it would be in the hands of the donor”, so the basis stays $100,000 and the gain is $250,000 ($350,000 minus $100,000). Had the child received the same home at the parent’s death, when it was worth $300,000, the statute sets the basis at “fair market value of the property at the date of the decedent’s”, so the gain would be $50,000 ($350,000 minus $300,000). Federal gift tax filing rules are outside this page and outside the documents read.
Read the Indiana transfer-tax rule above for the state side of the same transfer. See CMG’s quitclaim vs warranty deed for a family transfer page for the choice of deed.
What the documents do not say
- Whether Indiana requires witnesses on a deed: not found in the documents read, and that is not a statement that none are needed.
- Whether a gift from a parent to a child is exempt from the transfer tax: not found in the documents read.
- Whether Indiana has a state transfer tax on deeds: not found in the documents read.
- Whether a spouse must join in the deed: not found in the documents read.
- County or city transfer taxes and local recording surcharges were not read unless named above.
Common mistakes
- Assuming the answer for one state applies to another, or that signing a deed ends the paperwork before recording.
Related: quitclaim deeds by state, quitclaim vs warranty deed for a family transfer, Indiana transfer on death deed, Indiana probate cost, and whether Indiana has an estate tax.
Sources
- Indiana Code 2026, Title 32, Article 21 (Conveyance Procedures for Real Property): https://iga.in.gov/ic/2026/Title_32/Article_21.pdf
- Indiana Code 2026, Title 36, Article 2 (County Offices and Government): https://iga.in.gov/ic/2026/Title_36/Article_2.pdf
- Indiana Code 2026, Title 6, Article 1.1 (Property Taxes): https://iga.in.gov/ic/2026/Title_6/Article_1.1.pdf
- 26 U.S.C. 1015, Basis of property acquired by gifts and transfers in trust (U.S. Code, GovInfo): https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2023-title26/html/USCODE-2023-title26-subtitleA-chap1-subchapO-partII-sec1015.htm
- 26 U.S.C. 1014, Basis of property acquired from a decedent (U.S. Code, GovInfo): https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2023-title26/html/USCODE-2023-title26-subtitleA-chap1-subchapO-partII-sec1014.htm
Sources: the primary documents linked above, read on October 11, 2026. General information, not tax advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and a tax professional or the state agency itself is the right place to confirm anything consequential.