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State deed guide

California Deed Forms

California usually uses a grant deed for ordinary transfers and a quitclaim deed for no-warranty family, trust, divorce, or title-clearing transfers.

Recommended for most California conveyances

California Grant Deed

The usual California deed path for ordinary transfers, with limited statutory covenants under California law.

Best fit
  • sales and ordinary conveyances
  • limited-covenant transfers
Watch for
  • PCOR and transfer-tax details are separate recording issues
  • community property or registered domestic partner interests may require special signing care
View California Grant Deed
Available for no-warranty transfers

California Quitclaim Deed

Often used for family transfers, trust funding, divorce/title-clearing, and other situations where no warranty is intended.

Best fit
  • family transfers
  • trust funding
  • title-clearing
  • divorce-related transfers
Watch for
  • not the default deed for ordinary arm's-length sales
  • provides no deed warranty protection
View California Quitclaim Deed
California commonly uses grant deeds for this role

California Warranty Deed

California generally uses grant deeds for the limited-covenant role that many states handle through warranty concepts.

Best fit
  • comparison only
Watch for
  • for most California sale transactions, review the California grant deed path instead
See California Grant Deed details
Not currently offered for self-service

California Transfer-on-Death Deed

California recognizes transfer-on-death deeds, but the form must match current statutory requirements.

Best fit
  • estate-planning transfer at death
Watch for
  • not an ordinary sale deed
  • consult a lawyer for statutory-form and estate-planning questions
Not currently offered for self-service
Use attorney or title support

Specialty deed issues

Correction, easement, fiduciary, mineral, water, foreclosure, capacity, and similar specialty deed issues should not be handled as routine self-help purchases.

Watch for
  • use a lawyer, title company, lender, court, or agency path for specialty facts
Professional help recommended

Important California recording notes

  • Most California deed recordings also require the separate Preliminary Change of Ownership Report (PCOR / BOE-502-A).
  • Documentary transfer tax can include state, county, and local city components depending on the transfer.
  • Community real property may require both spouses or registered domestic partners to sign.
  • Ordinary California deeds generally do not require witnesses; transfer-on-death deeds have separate witness rules.

How to choose

Ordinary sale or conveyance

California commonly uses a grant deed for ordinary real-estate transfers.

Family, trust, title-clearing, or divorce transfer

A quitclaim deed may fit no-warranty transfers when that treatment is intended.

Estate-planning transfer at death

A California transfer-on-death deed is a separate statutory-form path and is not currently offered for PublicLegal self-service.

PublicLegal scope

Self-help scope

A self-help document you complete and record yourself — not legal advice and not a government-issued form.

Professional help

This guide helps compare deed paths. It does not replace advice from a lawyer, title company, escrow professional, lender, court, or recorder.