Kentucky property deeds
Deed rules are state law, and Kentucky'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 Clerk
- Witnesses
- Notary only
- Transfer tax
- $0.50 for each $500 of value or fraction of $500
- First-page margin
- 3″ top
- Recording fee
- ~$50 up to 5 pages
- E-recording
- Approved submitters
Deeds Kentucky 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 |
Kentucky 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 Kentucky
Kentucky requires no witnesses. The grantor's signature is acknowledged before a notary, and both the grantor and the grantee sign the Certificate of Consideration under oath before a notary (KRS 382.135).
| Requirement | Rule |
|---|---|
| Notarization | Required. Each signer must appear before the notary and acknowledge the signature. |
| Witnesses | None |
| Preparer statement | Required. The name and address of the person who prepared the deed, signed by that person (KRS 382.335). Deedly prints it at the top of page one with a line for the signature. |
| Grantee address on the deed | Required |
| Prior deed reference | Required (KRS 382.110): the deed book, page and recording date of the deed the grantor took title under, or how and from whom an inherited title came. Deedly prints it below the legal description. |
| Spousal joinder | If you are married, your spouse signs the deed to release dower or curtesy, even if your spouse is not on the title. Without that signature, your spouse can claim a life estate in one-third of the property after your death (KRS 392.020). |
Kentucky document formatting rules
A safe layout for Kentucky is 8.5 × 11 inch paper with a 3-inch clear space at the top of the first page for the county clerk's stamp, 1-inch margins elsewhere, and no type smaller than 10 point. That is the profile Deedly formats every Kentucky document to. Writing into the recorder's stamp area is the most common formatting rejection there is.
Kentucky transfer tax and recording fees
Kentucky charges Real estate transfer tax at $0.50 for each $500 of value or fraction of $500 ($1.00 per $1,000), a tax on the grantor (KRS 142.050(2)). A gift, or a deed for nominal consideration, is taxed on the property's estimated market value, the figure stated in the Certificate of Consideration (KRS 142.050(1)(b)). The county clerk collects the tax before recording the deed (KRS 142.050(3)(a)).
Common exemptions: transfers between spouses, or between former spouses as part of a divorce (KRS 142.050(7)(e)), transfers between parent and child or grandparent and grandchild for only nominal consideration (KRS 142.050(7)(l)), and transfers into or out of a trust when the grantor is its sole beneficiary, or when a direct transfer from the grantor to all of its other beneficiaries would itself be exempt (KRS 142.050(8)).
Recording fees run about $50 for up to 5 pages and $3 for each page after that. Kentucky county clerks charge the fees in KRS 64.012, but the published figures differ: the statute lists $33 for a deed of up to five pages plus $10 for permanent storage ($43), while the clerk schedules for Kenton, Jefferson, Trigg, Bourbon and Green counties list $50. Ask the clerk what a deed costs before you mail it. Each additional parcel number or reference on the same deed adds $4.
See how Kentucky's transfer tax and recording fee compare with other states.
How to hold title in Kentucky
- 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. The deed must say that the spouses take with right of survivorship, or they hold as tenants in common (KRS 381.050), and Deedly's deed says so. A creditor of one spouse can seize and sell that spouse's right of survivorship (KRS 426.190).
Dower or curtesy still applies here
Kentucky retains dower and curtesy (KRS § 392.020). A spouse should join to release those rights.
Where to record a deed in Kentucky
Deeds are recorded with the County Clerk in the county where the property is located. Kentucky has 120 counties. Many offices accept e-recording, but usually only from approved submitters such as title companies, attorneys, and lenders.
Jefferson · Fayette · Kenton · Warren · Boone · Hardin · Daviess. all Kentucky recording offices
Why deeds get rejected in Kentucky
- Kentucky requires a sworn consideration certificate signed by BOTH the grantor and the grantee, each before a notary, on the deed itself (KRS 382.135). A deed without it will be rejected.
- The deed must name the deed the grantor took title under, with its deed book, page and recording date, or say how and from whom the grantor inherited the property (KRS 382.110). The clerk cannot record a deed without it.
- The preparation statement must give the name and address of the person who prepared the deed and be signed by that person (KRS 382.335). Clerks reject an unsigned one.
- The deed must state the full names and mailing addresses of the grantor and the grantee, the full consideration, and the in-care-of address for the property tax bill for the year of the transfer (KRS 382.135).
- Kentucky has no transfer tax exemption form. An exempt deed must cite the exemption statute on its face, and clerks such as Jefferson County's reject one that does not.
- If you inherited the property from someone who died without a will, an Affidavit of Descent must be recorded at or before the time your deed is recorded (KRS 382.120). It lists the deceased owner, the date of death, any surviving spouse and every heir. The clerk will not record your deed without it.
- Kentucky still recognizes dower and curtesy. A married owner's spouse should sign to release those rights even if not on the title.
- Kentucky does not recognize transfer-on-death deeds.
From $29. Every Kentucky 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 Clerk 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 living trust for probate avoidance.
No. Kentucky 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 $50 for up to 5 pages and $3 for each page after that. Kentucky also charges real estate transfer tax at $0.50 for each $500 of value or fraction of $500 ($1.00 per $1,000), a tax on the grantor (KRS 142.050(2)).
No. Kentucky 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
- Kentucky quitclaim deedTransfers whatever interest you have in a property, with no promises about the title.
- Kentucky general warranty deedTransfers ownership with the strongest title guarantees the law allows.
- Kentucky special warranty deedTransfers ownership, but only guarantees the title for the period you owned it.
- Kentucky life estate deedYou keep the right to live in the property for life; named remaindermen own it after you.
- Kentucky 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.