Rhode Island property deeds
Deed rules are state law, and Rhode Island'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
- City or Town Clerk (Land Evidence Records)
- Witnesses
- Notary only
- Transfer tax
- $2.30 per $500 of consideration
- First-page margin
- 3″ top
- Recording fee
- ~$84 first page
- E-recording
- Generally available
Deeds Rhode Island 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 |
Rhode Island does not recognize transfer-on-death deeds and lady bird deeds. Recording one here wouldn't achieve what you want.
How a deed has to be signed in Rhode Island
Rhode Island 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 |
Rhode Island document formatting rules
City and town clerks in Rhode Island 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.
Rhode Island transfer tax and recording fees
Rhode Island charges Real estate conveyance tax at $2.30 per $500 of consideration. Customarily paid by the grantor.
Common exemptions: transfers between spouses, gifts with no consideration, and transfers to or from a revocable trust.
Recording fees run about $84 for the first page. Typical figure. Counties set their own fees. Confirm with your recorder before mailing.
How to hold title in Rhode Island
- 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 Rhode Island
Deeds are recorded with the City or Town Clerk (Land Evidence Records) in the town where the property is located. Rhode Island has 39 towns. Most offices accept e-recording through a submitting service, which is usually same-day.
Providence · Cranston · Warwick · Pawtucket · East Providence · Woonsocket. all Rhode Island recording offices
Why deeds get rejected in Rhode Island
- Rhode Island records deeds with the CITY or TOWN clerk. There are 39 separate land evidence offices and no county recorders.
- Rhode Island does not recognize transfer-on-death deeds.
- Tenancy by the entirety is available for married couples.
- Rhode Island's conveyance tax is $2.30 per $500 of consideration.
From $39. Every Rhode Island 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 City or Town Clerk (Land Evidence Records) 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.
No. Rhode Island 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 $84 for the first page. Rhode Island also charges real estate conveyance tax at $2.30 per $500 of consideration.
No. Rhode Island is not among the 32 states plus DC that authorise a transfer-on-death deed. The usual alternatives here are a revocable living trust or survivorship titling.
Keep reading
- Rhode Island quitclaim deedTransfers whatever interest you have in a property, with no promises about the title.
- Rhode Island general warranty deedTransfers ownership with the strongest title guarantees the law allows.
- Rhode Island special warranty deedTransfers ownership, but only guarantees the title for the period you owned it.
- Rhode Island life estate deedYou keep the right to live in the property for life; named remaindermen own it after you.
- Rhode Island 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
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.