District of Columbia property deeds
Deed rules are state law, and District of Columbia's differ from its neighbours 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
- Recorder of Deeds (Office of Tax and Revenue)
- Witnesses
- Notary only
- Transfer tax
- 1.1% each
- First-page margin
- 3″ top
- Recording fee
- ~$31.50 first page
- E-recording
- Generally available
Deeds District of Columbia 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. | 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 |
District of Columbia does not recognize lady bird deeds. Recording one here wouldn't achieve what you want.
How a deed has to be signed in District of Columbia
District of Columbia requires the grantor's signature to be acknowledged before a notary public. No witnesses are required.
| Requirement | Rule |
|---|---|
| Notarization | Required for every signature |
| Witnesses | None |
| Preparer statement | Customary, not required |
| Grantee address on the deed | Required |
| Prior deed reference | Optional |
| Spousal joinder | Not generally required |
District of Columbia document formatting rules
The Recorder of Deeds in District of Columbia expect 8.5 × 11 inch paper with a 3-inch top margin on the first page and 1-inch margins elsewhere. Type must be at least 10 point. That top margin is the recorder's stamp area. Writing into it is the most common formatting rejection there is.
District of Columbia transfer tax and recording fees
District of Columbia charges Recordation tax and transfer tax at 1.1% each (recordation + transfer) on consideration of $400,000 or less; 1.45% each above $400,000. Customarily paid by the negotiated.
Common exemptions: transfers between spouses or domestic partners, gifts with no consideration, and transfers to a revocable trust for the grantor's benefit.
A form has to travel with the deed
District of Columbia requires FP-7/C Real Property Recordation and Transfer Tax Form with most recorded deeds, including gifts and other exempt transfers. Recorders reject packages that are missing it.
Recording fees run about $31.50 for the first page. Typical figure. Counties set their own fees. Confirm with your recorder before mailing.
How to hold title in District of Columbia
- 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.
- Tenancy by the entirety. Married couples only, with automatic survivorship and, in most states that allow it, protection from one spouse's creditors.
Where to record a deed in District of Columbia
Deeds are recorded with the Recorder of Deeds (Office of Tax and Revenue) in the city where the property is located. District of Columbia has 1 city. Most offices accept e-recording through a submitting service, which is usually same-day.
District of Columbia. all District of Columbia recording offices
Why deeds get rejected in District of Columbia
- The District has a single Recorder of Deeds within the Office of Tax and Revenue. There is no county layer.
- Form FP-7/C must accompany every deed, including exempt transfers.
- DC recognizes transfer-on-death deeds under its version of the Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act.
- Both recordation tax and transfer tax apply to the same transaction, which effectively doubles the rate people expect.
From $39. Every District of Columbia 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 Recorder of Deeds (Office of Tax and Revenue) in the city 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. District of Columbia 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.
About $31.50 for the first page. District of Columbia also charges recordation tax and transfer tax at 1.1% each (recordation + transfer) on consideration of $400,000 or less; 1.45% each above $400,000.
Yes. The statute is D.C. Code § 19-604.01 et seq. It must be recorded before the owner's death to be effective.
Keep reading
- District of Columbia quitclaim deedTransfers whatever interest you have in a property, with no promises about the title.
- District of Columbia general warranty deedTransfers ownership with the strongest title guarantees the law allows.
- District of Columbia special warranty deedTransfers ownership, but only guarantees the title for the period you owned it.
- District of Columbia transfer-on-death deedNames who inherits your property, skips probate, and changes nothing while you're alive.
- District of Columbia recording officesWhere to file in each city, with fees and contact details.
- Compare all 51 jurisdictionsWitness rules, transfer taxes, and recording fees side by side.
Deedly is not a law firm
We provide self-help software and state-specific statutory 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.