Ohio property deeds
Deed rules are state law, and Ohio'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
- County Recorder
- Witnesses
- Notary only
- Transfer tax
- $1.00 per $1
- First-page margin
- 3″ top
- Recording fee
- ~$34 first page
- E-recording
- Generally available
Deeds Ohio 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 designation affidavit | Names who inherits your property, skips probate, and changes nothing while you're alive. | Yes, less common |
| 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 |
Ohio does not recognize lady bird deeds. Recording one here wouldn't achieve what you want.
How a deed has to be signed in Ohio
Ohio requires the grantor's signature to be acknowledged before a notary public. No witnesses are required. Ohio eliminated the two-witness requirement for deeds effective February 1, 2002. A notarial acknowledgment is all the statute requires today (Ohio Rev. Code § 5301.01).
| Requirement | Rule |
|---|---|
| Notarization | Required for every signature |
| Witnesses | None |
| Preparer statement | Required |
| Grantee address on the deed | Required |
| Prior deed reference | Optional |
| Spousal joinder | A spouse must sign to release dower rights in Ohio. This catches almost every DIY Ohio deed. |
Ohio document formatting rules
County recorders in Ohio 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.
Ohio transfer tax and recording fees
Ohio charges Conveyance fee at $1.00 per $1,000 of value at the state level, plus a permissive county fee of up to $3.00 per $1,000. Customarily paid by the grantor.
Common exemptions: transfers between spouses, gifts with no consideration, transfers to or from a revocable trust, and transfer on death designation affidavits.
A form has to travel with the deed
Ohio requires Form DTE 100 (Real Property Conveyance Fee Statement) or DTE 100(EX) for exempt transfers with most recorded deeds, including gifts and other exempt transfers. Recorders reject packages that are missing it.
Recording fees run about $34 for the first page plus roughly $8 per additional page. Typical figure. Counties set their own fees. Confirm with your recorder before mailing.
How to hold title in Ohio
- 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.
Dower or curtesy still applies here
Ohio is one of the last states to retain dower. A married owner's spouse must sign to release dower rights even if not on the title (Ohio Rev. Code § 2103.02).
Where to record a deed in Ohio
Deeds are recorded with the County Recorder in the county where the property is located. Ohio has 88 counties. Most offices accept e-recording through a submitting service, which is usually same-day.
Franklin · Cuyahoga · Hamilton · Montgomery · Summit · Lucas · Butler · Stark · Lorain · Warren · Delaware. all Ohio recording offices
Why deeds get rejected in Ohio
- Ohio does not use transfer-on-death deeds anymore. Since December 2009 the correct instrument is a transfer on death designation AFFIDAVIT under R.C. 5302.22. A TOD deed signed in Ohio today does nothing.
- Ohio still has DOWER. A married owner's spouse must sign the deed to release dower rights even when the spouse's name is nowhere on the title. This is the single most common Ohio DIY deed failure.
- Ohio eliminated the old two-witness requirement in 2002; a notary alone is sufficient. Online forms still showing witness lines are outdated.
- Form DTE 100 (or DTE 100EX for exempt transfers) must be filed with the county auditor, who stamps the deed before the recorder will accept it.
- Ohio abolished tenancy by the entirety for tenancies created after April 4, 1985. Use a survivorship tenancy under R.C. 5302.17 instead.
From $39. Every Ohio 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. Ohio 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 $34 for the first page plus roughly $8 per additional page. Ohio also charges conveyance fee at $1.00 per $1,000 of value at the state level, plus a permissive county fee of up to $3.00 per $1,000.
Yes. The statute is Ohio Rev. Code § 5302.22. Ohio calls it a transfer on death designation affidavit. It must be recorded before the owner's death to be effective.
Keep reading
- Ohio quitclaim deedTransfers whatever interest you have in a property, with no promises about the title.
- Ohio general warranty deedTransfers ownership with the strongest title guarantees the law allows.
- Ohio special warranty deedTransfers ownership, but only guarantees the title for the period you owned it.
- Ohio transfer on death designation affidavitNames who inherits your property, skips probate, and changes nothing while you're alive.
- Ohio 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
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.