Updated October 11, 2026. Quick answer: An Iowa deed conveying real estate must be acknowledged under chapter 9B, and a document is not lawfully recorded unless it was previously acknowledged or proved. Iowa law has the county recorder collect five dollars for each page or fraction of a page recorded, plus one dollar per recorded transaction for the records management fund and a second dollar per recorded transaction for the county land record information system (Iowa Code 331.604(1), (2)(a) and (3)(b)(1)), so $7 for a one-page deed.
Iowa quitclaim deed at a glance
| Item | What the documents say |
|---|---|
| Signing | Iowa Code 558.19 gives a short quitclaim form in which the grantor states the consideration and says ’I hereby quitclaim’ all interest in the described land. |
| Witnesses | Not found in the documents read |
| Notary or acknowledgment | An Iowa deed conveying real estate must be acknowledged under chapter 9B, and a document is not lawfully recorded unless it was previously acknowledged or proved. |
| Statutory quitclaim form | Iowa Code 558.19 provides a short statutory quitclaim form that equivalent wording may follow. |
| Where to record, and the fee | County recorder of the county where the land is located. Iowa law has the county recorder collect five dollars for each page or fraction of a page recorded, plus one dollar per recorded transaction for the records management fund and a second dollar per recorded transaction for the county land record information system (Iowa Code 331.604(1), (2)(a) and (3)(b)(1)), so $7 for a one-page deed. |
| State transfer tax | Iowa taxes a deed at eighty cents for each five hundred dollars or fractional part of five hundred dollars of consideration over five hundred dollars, there is no tax when there is no consideration, and the grantor is liable for the tax. |
| Gift from a parent to a child | Deeds between husband and wife, or parent and child, without actual consideration are excepted from the tax. |
| Spouse or homestead | A conveyance of the homestead by a married owner is not valid until the owner’s spouse executes the same or a like instrument, subject to listed exceptions. |
| Source | Iowa Legislature, Legislative Services Agency |
Signing, witnesses and the notary in Iowa
Iowa Code 558.19 gives a short quitclaim form in which the grantor states the consideration and says ’I hereby quitclaim’ all interest in the described land.
An Iowa deed conveying real estate must be acknowledged under chapter 9B, and a document is not lawfully recorded unless it was previously acknowledged or proved.
Statutory form: Iowa Code 558.19 provides a short statutory quitclaim form that equivalent wording may follow.
The text itself:
- Iowa Code Chapter 558 Conveyances: “I hereby quitclaim to”
- Iowa Code Chapter 558 Conveyances: “shall not be deemed lawfully recorded, unless it has been previously acknowledged”
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 land is located. Iowa law has the county recorder collect five dollars for each page or fraction of a page recorded, plus one dollar per recorded transaction for the records management fund and a second dollar per recorded transaction for the county land record information system (Iowa Code 331.604(1), (2)(a) and (3)(b)(1)), so $7 for a one-page deed.
The text itself:
- Iowa Code Chapter 331 County Home Rule Implementation: “the recorder shall collect a fee of five dollars for each page”
Transfer tax and a gift to a family member
Iowa taxes a deed at eighty cents for each five hundred dollars or fractional part of five hundred dollars of consideration over five hundred dollars, there is no tax when there is no consideration, and the grantor is liable for the tax.
Between family members: Deeds between husband and wife, or parent and child, without actual consideration are excepted from the tax.
The text itself:
- Iowa Code Chapter 428A Real Estate Transfer Tax: “the tax is eighty cents for each five hundred dollars”
- Iowa Code Chapter 428A Real Estate Transfer Tax: “Deeds between husband and wife, or parent and child, without actual consideration”
Spouse and homestead
A conveyance of the homestead by a married owner is not valid until the owner’s spouse executes the same or a like instrument, subject to listed exceptions.
The text itself:
- Iowa Code 561.13 Conveyance or encumbrance: “unless and until the spouse of the owner executes the same”
Other filings the documents mention
A declaration of value signed by a seller, buyer or agent must be submitted to the county recorder with the deed, except for the deeds Iowa Code 428A.1(2) excuses, which include deeds between husband and wife, or parent and child, without actual consideration (428A.2(11)).
A groundwater hazard statement must be submitted with each declaration of value unless an exemption statement is placed on the deed.
The text itself:
- Iowa Code Chapter 558 Conveyances: “there shall be submitted a groundwater hazard statement”
- Iowa Code Chapter 428A Real Estate Transfer Tax: “a declaration of value signed by at least one of the sellers”
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 Iowa 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 Iowa requires witnesses on a deed: not found in the documents read, and that is not a statement that none are needed.
- County or city transfer taxes and local recording surcharges were not read unless named above.
Common mistakes
- Assuming the Iowa transfer-tax exemption for family gifts also removes the federal basis consequence shown in the example.
- Assuming the answer for one state applies to another, or that signing a deed ends the paperwork before recording.
Related: quitclaim vs warranty deed for a family transfer, Iowa probate cost, and whether Iowa has an estate tax.
Sources
- Iowa Code Chapter 558 Conveyances: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/558.pdf
- Iowa Code Chapter 428A Real Estate Transfer Tax: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/428A.pdf
- Iowa Code Chapter 331 County Home Rule Implementation: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/331.pdf
- Iowa Code 561.13 Conveyance or encumbrance: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/561.13.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.