Utah property deeds
Deed rules are state law, and Utah'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
- None
- First-page margin
- 2.5″ top
- Recording fee
- ~$40 first page
- E-recording
- Generally available
Deeds Utah 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 |
Utah does not recognize lady bird deeds. Recording one here wouldn't achieve what you want.
How a deed has to be signed in Utah
Utah 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 |
Utah document formatting rules
County recorders in Utah expect 8.5 × 11 inch paper with a 2.5-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.
- Utah requires a 2.5-inch top margin on the first page and 1-inch margins elsewhere (Utah Code § 17-21-20).
Utah transfer tax and recording fees
Utah has no state real estate transfer tax. Utah imposes no real estate transfer tax.
Recording fees run about $40 for the first page. Typical figure. Counties set their own fees. Confirm with your recorder before mailing.
How to hold title in Utah
- 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 Utah
Deeds are recorded with the County Recorder in the county where the property is located. Utah has 29 counties. Most offices accept e-recording through a submitting service, which is usually same-day.
Salt Lake · Utah · Davis · Weber · Washington · Cache. all Utah recording offices
Why deeds get rejected in Utah
- Utah has no real estate transfer tax.
- Utah's statutory warranty deed form under Utah Code § 57-1-12 conveys full covenants in just a few lines.
- Utah recognizes transfer-on-death deeds under its Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act.
- Utah abolished tenancy by the entirety; married couples use joint tenancy with survivorship.
From $39. Every Utah 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. Utah 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 $40 for the first page. Utah has no state transfer tax.
Yes. The statute is Utah Code § 75-6-401 et seq. It must be recorded before the owner's death to be effective.
Keep reading
- Utah quitclaim deedTransfers whatever interest you have in a property, with no promises about the title.
- Utah general warranty deedTransfers ownership with the strongest title guarantees the law allows.
- Utah special warranty deedTransfers ownership, but only guarantees the title for the period you owned it.
- Utah transfer-on-death deedNames who inherits your property, skips probate, and changes nothing while you're alive.
- Utah 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.