Arizona property deeds
Deed rules are state law, and Arizona's differ from its neighbors in ways that decide whether your document records or comes back. Here is the whole picture: which deeds exist here, how they have to be signed, what the recorder wants on the page, and what it costs.
- Recording office
- County Recorder
- Witnesses
- Notary only
- Transfer tax
- None
- First-page margin
- 2″ top
- Recording fee
- $30 per document
- E-recording
- Some counties open to the public
Deeds Arizona recognizes
| Deed | What it does | Available? |
|---|---|---|
| Quitclaim deed | Transfers whatever interest you have in a property, with no promises about the title. | Yes |
| General warranty deed | Transfers ownership with the strongest title guarantees the law allows. | Yes |
| Special warranty deed | Transfers ownership, but only guarantees the title for the period you owned it. | Yes |
| Beneficiary deed | Names who inherits your property, skips probate, and changes nothing while you're alive. | Yes |
| Lady Bird Deed | An enhanced life estate deed: you keep total control for life, and the property passes automatically at death. | No |
| Life estate deed | You keep the right to live in the property for life; named remaindermen own it after you. | Yes, less common |
| Gift deed | Transfers property to someone as an outright gift, for no payment. | Yes, less common |
Arizona does not recognize lady bird deeds, so recording one here may not do what you want.
How a deed has to be signed in Arizona
Arizona requires the grantor's signature to be acknowledged before a notary public. No witnesses are required.
| Requirement | Rule |
|---|---|
| Notarization | Required. Each signer must appear before the notary and acknowledge the signature. |
| Witnesses | None |
| Preparer statement | Customary, not required |
| Grantee address on the deed | Recommended |
| Prior deed reference | Optional |
| Spousal joinder | Both spouses must join in any conveyance of community real property (A.R.S. §§ 25-214(C), 33-452). |
Arizona document formatting rules
A safe layout for Arizona is 8.5 × 11 inch paper with a 2-inch clear space at the top of the first page for the county recorder's stamp, 0.5-inch margins elsewhere, and no type smaller than 10 point. That is the profile Deedly formats every Arizona document to.
- Arizona requires print no smaller than 10-point type, half-inch margins on all sides, and a 2-inch top margin on the first page reserved for recording information, whose left 3.5 inches may carry the requester and return address (A.R.S. § 11-480).
- An Arizona recorder may reject a document only if it has no caption stating what it is, is not an original legible enough to copy, lacks original signatures, is larger than 8.5 × 14 inches, or has type smaller than 10 point (A.R.S. § 11-480(A)). A first page without the 2-inch top margin needs a cover sheet with the document's title attached to the front (§ 11-480(C)). Text inside the half-inch margins may not give notice, but it is not a ground for rejection (§ 11-480(B)).
Arizona transfer tax and recording fees
Arizona has no state real estate transfer tax. Arizona has no transfer tax. A deed needs an Affidavit of Property Value (Department of Revenue Form 82162) unless an exemption in A.R.S. § 11-1134 applies, such as a deed of gift (A7) or a beneficiary deed (B12). There is no separate charge for the affidavit: Arizona's $2 transfer fee (A.R.S. § 11-1132) is included in the $30 recording fee.
The affidavit or an exemption code has to travel with the deed
Arizona requires an Affidavit of Property Value (Department of Revenue Form 82162) with every deed that is not exempt. An exempt deed instead carries its exemption code on its face, below the legal description (A.R.S. § 11-1134). The recorder must refuse a deed that has neither (A.R.S. § 11-1133(C)).
Recording fees run $30 per document. Arizona sets the recording fee by statute at $30 per document in every county, whatever the page count (A.R.S. § 11-475(A)(1)).
See how Arizona's transfer tax and recording fee compare with other states.
How to hold title in Arizona
- Sole ownership. One person owns everything.
- Tenancy in common. Separate, divisible shares with no survivorship. A deceased owner's share goes to their heirs.
- Joint tenancy with right of survivorship. Equal shares; the survivor takes the whole property automatically.
- Community property. Property acquired during marriage belongs to both spouses equally.
- Community property with right of survivorship, usually the best choice for married couples here: probate avoidance plus a full step-up in basis on the whole property at the first death.
What the law presumes for married couples
Property that either spouse acquires during the marriage is community property, except property acquired by gift, devise or inheritance (A.R.S. § 25-211). The tenancy-in-common default for co-owners does not apply to a grant to a married couple (A.R.S. § 33-431(A)).
Where to record a deed in Arizona
Deeds are recorded with the County Recorder in the county where the property is located. Arizona has 15 counties. Arizona law lets a county recorder accept electronic filings from title companies, banks, Arizona attorneys, government agencies, and trusted submitters that have an agreement with the recorder (A.R.S. § 11-461(C), (J)). Pima and Yavapai counties also take filings from the public through online portals, and Maricopa accepts a single document through a third-party submitter. Elsewhere, check the county recorder's website, or record in person or by mail.
Maricopa · Pima · Pinal · Yavapai · Mohave · Yuma · Coconino. all Arizona recording offices
Why deeds get rejected in Arizona
- Arizona calls a transfer-on-death deed a beneficiary deed (A.R.S. § 33-405). It must be recorded during the owner's lifetime. Recording it after death does nothing.
- The recorder must refuse a deed that has neither an Affidavit of Property Value (Form 82162) nor the specific exemption from it noted on its face (A.R.S. §§ 11-1133(C), 11-1134(C)). Deedly prints the exemption code below the legal description when your answers show which one applies.
- Arizona sets the recording fee at $30 per document in every county, so page count does not affect cost (A.R.S. § 11-475(A)(1)).
- Arizona is a community property state, and both spouses must sign to convey community real property.
- Community property with right of survivorship is available and is usually the best choice for married couples: it avoids probate and preserves a full step-up in basis.
From $29. Every Arizona rule above is applied automatically, and you read the finished document before you pay.
Common questions
You sign a deed, have it notarized, and record it with the County Recorder in the county where the property sits. Which deed depends on what you're doing: a quitclaim for family transfers and adding or removing a name, a warranty deed for a sale, and a transfer-on-death deed for probate avoidance.
No. Arizona does not require an attorney to prepare or record a deed. Use one when ownership is disputed, when the owner has died and the estate has not been probated, when the estate is large enough to owe tax, or when Medicaid planning is involved.
$30 per document. Arizona has no state transfer tax.
Yes. The statute is A.R.S. § 33-405. Arizona calls it a beneficiary deed. It must be recorded before the owner's death to be effective.
Keep reading
- Arizona quitclaim deedTransfers whatever interest you have in a property, with no promises about the title.
- Arizona general warranty deedTransfers ownership with the strongest title guarantees the law allows.
- Arizona special warranty deedTransfers ownership, but only guarantees the title for the period you owned it.
- Arizona beneficiary deedNames who inherits your property, skips probate, and changes nothing while you're alive.
- Arizona recording officesWhere to file in each county, with fees and contact details.
- Compare all 51 jurisdictionsWitness rules, transfer taxes, and recording fees side by side.
Deedly is not a law firm
Its software and documents are not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. We provide self-help software and state-specific deed forms; you make your own decisions about your property. Using Deedly does not create an attorney-client relationship, and nothing here is legal advice. If your situation is complex or contested, talk to a licensed attorney in your state.