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DC Quitclaim Deed Form (2026): Requirements, Notary, Recording Fee

Updated October 11, 2026. Quick answer: The Code speaks of a deed ’executed and acknowledged and certified’ to take effect, and the Recorder of Deeds states all signatures must be notarized to record. The Recorder of Deeds charges $25 to record any document other than a deed of trust or mortgage, plus a $5.00 surcharge.

District of Columbia quitclaim deed at a glance

ItemWhat the documents say
SigningA District deed takes effect from delivery once executed and acknowledged, and the Code requires that a deed be under seal.
WitnessesNot found in the documents read
Notary or acknowledgmentThe Code speaks of a deed ’executed and acknowledged and certified’ to take effect, and the Recorder of Deeds states all signatures must be notarized to record.
Statutory quitclaim formD.C. Code 42-601 gives a short statutory fee simple deed form ending ’Witness my hand and seal’ and accepts any other conforming form; no quitclaim-specific form was read.
Where to record, and the feeRecorder of Deeds (D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue). The Recorder of Deeds charges $25 to record any document other than a deed of trust or mortgage, plus a $5.00 surcharge.
State transfer taxThe District imposes a 1.1% recordation tax on the deed (parties jointly and severally liable) and a 1.1% transfer tax on the transferor, applied to fair market value when there is no consideration; each tax carries an additional 0.35% (1.45% in all) unless the property is residential and transferred for less than $400,000 (D.C. Code 42-1103(a-4) and 47-903(a-4)).
Gift from a parent to a childDeeds and transfers between spouses, parent and child, grandparent and grandchild, or domestic partners without actual consideration are exempt from both taxes.
Spouse or homesteadThe estates of dower and curtesy are abolished in the District.
SourceD.C. Office of Tax and Revenue, Recorder of Deeds; Council of the District of Columbia

Signing, witnesses and the notary in District of Columbia

A District deed takes effect from delivery once executed and acknowledged, and the Code requires that a deed be under seal.

The Code speaks of a deed ’executed and acknowledged and certified’ to take effect, and the Recorder of Deeds states all signatures must be notarized to record.

Statutory form: D.C. Code 42-601 gives a short statutory fee simple deed form ending ’Witness my hand and seal’ and accepts any other conforming form; no quitclaim-specific form was read.

The text itself:

  • D.C. Code 42-404 Failures in formal requisites of an instrument: “the requirement that a deed be under seal”
  • D.C. Code 42-601 Deed, mortgage, and lease forms: “Witness my hand and seal.”
  • D.C. Code 42-401 Effective date of deeds; exception: “executed and acknowledged and certified as provided in”
  • General Recording Requirements & Fees: “All signatures must be notarized.”

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.

The link goes to LawDepot, a paid legal-document service, not Clear Money Guide and not a law firm. LawDepot pays Clear Money Guide a commission if you buy a document there, at no extra cost to you. You are under no obligation to buy anything. We are not a law firm and this is not legal advice.

Review LawDepot’s quitclaim deed

Opens on LawDepot. Follow the signing, notary and recording rules for your state.

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Recording: where to file and what it costs

Recording office: Recorder of Deeds (D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue). The Recorder of Deeds charges $25 to record any document other than a deed of trust or mortgage, plus a $5.00 surcharge.

The text itself:

  • General Recording Requirements & Fees: “To record all other types of documents”
  • General Recording Requirements & Fees: “The $5.00 surcharge is added to the $150 or $25 fees”

Transfer tax and a gift to a family member

The District imposes a 1.1% recordation tax on the deed (parties jointly and severally liable) and a 1.1% transfer tax on the transferor, applied to fair market value when there is no consideration; each tax carries an additional 0.35% (1.45% in all) unless the property is residential and transferred for less than $400,000 (D.C. Code 42-1103(a-4) and 47-903(a-4)).

Between family members: Deeds and transfers between spouses, parent and child, grandparent and grandchild, or domestic partners without actual consideration are exempt from both taxes.

The text itself:

  • D.C. Code 42-1103 Imposition of tax; rate: “it shall be taxed at the rate of 1.1%”
  • D.C. Code 47-903 Imposition of tax; rate: “a tax at the rate of 1.1% of the consideration paid”
  • D.C. Code 42-1102 Deeds exempt from tax: “Deeds between spouses, parent and child, grandparent and grandchild, or domestic partners”
  • D.C. Code 47-902 Enumeration of transfers exempt from tax: “Transfers between spouses, parent and child, grandparent and grandchild”

Spouse and homestead

The estates of dower and curtesy are abolished in the District.

The text itself:

  • D.C. Code 19-102 Dower and curtesy abolished: “The estates of dower and curtesy are abolished.”

Other filings the documents mention

A completed Tax Form FP7C is required for all deeds, and a deed recorded more than 30 days after it is signed and notarized carries a $250 late fee.

The text itself:

  • General Recording Requirements & Fees: “A completed Tax Form (FP7C) is required for all Deeds”

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).

See CMG’s quitclaim vs warranty deed for a family transfer page for the choice of deed.

What the documents do not say

  • Whether District of Columbia 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 in District of Columbia were not read unless named above.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming the District of Columbia transfer-tax exemption for family gifts also removes the federal basis consequence shown in the example.
  • Assuming the District of Columbia rules above govern land in another state, or that signing the deed ends the paperwork before it is recorded with the recorder.

Related: quitclaim vs warranty deed for a family transfer, and District of Columbia probate cost.

Sources

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.