Connecticut property deeds
Deed rules are state law, and Connecticut'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
- Town Clerk
- Witnesses
- 2 + notary
- Transfer tax
- 0.75% state plus 0.25% town
- First-page margin
- 3″ top
- Recording fee
- $70 first page
- E-recording
- Approved submitters
Deeds Connecticut 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 |
| Transfer-on-death deed | Names who inherits your property, skips probate, and changes nothing while you're alive. | No |
| 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 |
Connecticut does not recognize transfer-on-death deeds and lady bird deeds, so recording one here may not do what you want.
How a deed has to be signed in Connecticut
Connecticut is one of only 5 states that still require witnesses. Connecticut requires every deed to be signed in front of two witnesses, who sign the deed too, and acknowledged before a notary public or other authorized officer (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47-5(a)). The notary may be one of the two witnesses. A grantor or a grantee cannot be a witness.
| Requirement | Rule |
|---|---|
| Notarization | Required. Each signer must appear before the notary and acknowledge the signature. |
| Witnesses | Two (the notary may be one) |
| Preparer statement | Customary, not required |
| Grantee address on the deed | Required |
| Prior deed reference | Optional |
| Spousal joinder | Not generally required |
Connecticut document formatting rules
A safe layout for Connecticut is 8.5 × 11 inch paper with a 3-inch clear space at the top of the first page for the town clerk's stamp, 1-inch margins elsewhere, and no type smaller than 10 point. That is the profile Deedly formats every Connecticut document to.
- Connecticut law asks for a blank margin of at least 3/4 inch around every page and a return name and address at the top of page one (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 7-24(f)). A town clerk cannot refuse a deed that misses these. Deedly still leaves 3 inches at the top of page one for the clerk's stamp.
Connecticut transfer tax and recording fees
Connecticut charges Real estate conveyance tax at 0.75% state plus 0.25% town (up to 0.5% in some towns) of the price; the state portion is 1.25% for non-residential property other than vacant land, and on a home sold for $800,000 or more it is 0.75% of the first $800,000, 1.25% of the part up to $2.5 million and 2.25% of the part above that; no tax when the consideration is under $2,000. Customarily paid by the grantor. A mortgage the recipient takes over, or that stays on the property, counts as consideration, so a gift of a mortgaged home is taxed on the loan balance. By law the grantor pays the tax (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 12-495). The town's share is already included in the rate above, and Connecticut has no county transfer tax.
Common exemptions: deeds between spouses (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 12-498(a)(14); Form OP-236 exemption code 17), deeds for which the consideration is less than $2,000, such as a gift of property with no mortgage on it (§ 12-498(a)(10)), and deeds that only change the identity or form of ownership, with no change in beneficial ownership (§ 12-498(a)(17); code 20).
A form has to travel with the deed
Connecticut requires Form OP-236 Real Estate Conveyance Tax Return with most recorded deeds, including gifts and other exempt transfers. Recorders reject packages that are missing it.
Recording fees run $70 for the first page and $5 per additional page. Set by state law and the same in every Connecticut town: $70 for the first page and $5 for each additional page (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 7-34a). A deed for which money is paid costs $2 more. Add $5 if the deed leaves out the grantee's current mailing address, and $1 if the names of the signers, witnesses and notary are not printed under their signatures.
See how Connecticut's transfer tax and recording fee compare with other states.
How to hold title in Connecticut
- 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.
Where to record a deed in Connecticut
Deeds are recorded with the Town Clerk in the town where the property is located. Connecticut has 169 towns. Many offices accept e-recording, but usually only from approved submitters such as title companies, attorneys, and lenders.
Bridgeport · Stamford · New Haven · Hartford · Waterbury · Norwalk · Danbury · West Hartford · Greenwich. all Connecticut recording offices
Why deeds get rejected in Connecticut
- Connecticut records deeds with the TOWN clerk, not a county office. There are 169 separate land records offices and no county recorders at all.
- Every Connecticut deed needs two witnesses as well as the notary (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47-5). A town clerk will record a deed without them, but until two years after recording it can be challenged for the missing witnesses (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47-36aa).
- Form OP-236 (Real Estate Conveyance Tax Return) must be filed with the deed even when the transfer is exempt.
- Connecticut does not have tenancy by the entirety. A deed to a couple 'as tenants by the entirety' creates a joint tenancy with right of survivorship (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47-14a). Married couples who want the survivor to take the whole property should take title as joint tenants with right of survivorship.
- Connecticut does not recognize transfer-on-death deeds. Probate avoidance here means a living trust or survivorship titling.
From $29. Every Connecticut rule above is applied automatically, and you read the finished document before you pay.
Common questions
You sign a deed, have it notarized in front of 2 witnesses, and record it with the Town Clerk in the town 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 living trust for probate avoidance.
Connecticut does not require a lawyer to prepare a deed. But when money is paid for the property, Connecticut law requires the closing to be conducted by a Connecticut attorney (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 51-88a). For a sale, use a Connecticut real estate attorney. For a gift or another transfer where nothing is paid, you can prepare and record the deed yourself.
$70 for the first page and $5 per additional page. Connecticut also charges real estate conveyance tax at 0.75% state plus 0.25% town (up to 0.5% in some towns) of the price; the state portion is 1.25% for non-residential property other than vacant land, and on a home sold for $800,000 or more it is 0.75% of the first $800,000, 1.25% of the part up to $2.5 million and 2.25% of the part above that; no tax when the consideration is under $2,000.
No. Connecticut is not among the 34 states plus DC that authorize a transfer-on-death deed. The usual alternatives here are a revocable living trust or survivorship titling.
Keep reading
- Connecticut quitclaim deedTransfers whatever interest you have in a property, with no promises about the title.
- Connecticut general warranty deedTransfers ownership with the strongest title guarantees the law allows.
- Connecticut special warranty deedTransfers ownership, but only guarantees the title for the period you owned it.
- Connecticut life estate deedYou keep the right to live in the property for life; named remaindermen own it after you.
- Connecticut recording officesWhere to file in each town, 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.