Arizona general warranty deed
Here is what Arizona actually requires on a general warranty deed. The witness rules, the notary block, the margins, the forms that have to travel with it, and where to record it, plus what the deed does and does not do.
- Recording office
- County Recorder
- Witnesses
- Notary only
- Transfer tax
- None
- First-page margin
- 2″ top
- Recording fee
- $30 per document
- E-recording
- Some counties open to the public
What a general warranty deed does in Arizona
A general warranty deed transfers ownership and adds the full set of title covenants: the grantor promises they own the property, have the right to sell it, that it is free of undisclosed encumbrances, and that they will defend the title against any claim, including claims that arose long before they owned it. It is the standard instrument for an arm's-length sale between private parties.
The Arizona law behind this deed
Start with A.R.S. § 33-402 if you want to read the statute's own language. The table below lists the main statutes behind the rules on this page.
| What it governs | Citation |
|---|---|
| General warranty deeds specifically | A.R.S. § 33-402 |
| Conveyances generally | A.R.S. § 33-401 |
| Recording with the County Recorder | A.R.S. § 11-468 |
When Arizona homeowners use a general warranty deed
- Sell a property directly to a buyer without an agent
- Transfer a property where the buyer expects full title protection
- Satisfy a purchase contract that calls for a warranty deed
- Convey property where a title company requires warranty covenants
What Arizona requires on the deed
These are the execution and formatting rules county recorders enforce. Getting any of them wrong is the usual reason a deed comes back in the mail.
| Requirement | What Arizona says |
|---|---|
| Recording office | County Recorder |
| Notarization | Required. Each signer must appear before the notary and acknowledge the signature. Signing in front of the notary is the safest practice. |
| Witnesses | None required. A notarial acknowledgment is enough. |
| Legal description | Required, copied exactly from the prior recorded deed. A street address is not sufficient. |
| Grantee's address | Recommended. |
| Return address | Include a 'when recorded, return to' block so the original comes back to you. Deedly always prints one. |
| Preparer statement | Not required, but customary. |
| Prior deed reference | Not required, though it keeps the chain of title clean. |
| Page setup | 8.5 × 11 in, 2-inch clear space at the top of page one, 0.5-inch margins elsewhere, nothing under 10pt. This is the profile Deedly applies. |
| Accompanying form | Affidavit of Property Value (Department of Revenue Form 82162), signed by the seller and the buyer (or their agents) before a notary, unless the deed is exempt. An exempt deed carries its exemption code on its face instead (A.R.S. § 11-1134(C)). |
A spouse may have to sign even if they are not an owner
Both spouses must join in any conveyance of community real property (A.R.S. §§ 25-214(C), 33-452).
How to complete and record it in Arizona
- Find your current deedYou need the legal description from it, word for word. If you can't find your copy, the County Recorder can provide one, usually for a few dollars.
- Identify everyone by full legal nameNames must match the current deed and government ID exactly, middle names included. A mismatch creates a gap in the chain of title that shows up years later at closing.
- Complete the deedDeedly builds it with the wording, notary certificate, and 2-inch first-page margin used for Arizona deeds.
- Sign in front of a notaryBring photo ID. Wait to sign until you are in front of the notary: you have to appear before the notary anyway, and signing there leaves no question about who signed.
- Complete the Affidavit of Property Value, unless the deed is exemptIf your transfer is exempt, the exemption code goes on the deed below the legal description and you do not file the affidavit. Deedly prints the code when your answers show which one applies. If it is not exempt, the seller and the buyer complete Form 82162, sign it before a notary, and record it with the deed (A.R.S. §§ 11-1133, 11-1134).
- Record it with the County RecorderFile in the county where the property is located and pay the recording fee. Arizona law lets a county recorder accept electronic filings from title companies, banks, Arizona attorneys, government agencies, and trusted submitters that have an agreement with the recorder (A.R.S. § 11-461(C), (J)). Pima and Yavapai counties also take filings from the public through online portals, and Maricopa accepts a single document through a third-party submitter. Elsewhere, check the county recorder's website, or record in person or by mail. Keep the stamped receipt. It fixes your priority date.
- Update insurance and tax recordsA change of ownership can affect your homeowner's policy, your homestead or senior exemption, and in some states the assessed value. Do this within a few weeks.
What it costs in Arizona
| Cost | Typical amount |
|---|---|
| Recording fee | $30 per document |
| Transfer tax | None in this state |
| Notary | Arizona caps the notary fee for an acknowledgment at $10 per signature (A.A.C. R2-12-1102(E)(1); A.R.S. § 41-316(A)), and a notary who travels may charge no more than the mileage and per diem allowed to state employees (A.R.S. § 41-316(B)). |
| Deedly | $49, one time (launch price, regular $69) |
| Attorney (for comparison) | $150–$700 for the same statutory document |
Arizona imposes no state real estate transfer tax, so the recording fee is normally your only cost beyond notarization.
Where to record it in Arizona
Arizona deeds are recorded with the County Recorder in the county where the property sits, not where you live. There are 15 counties in Arizona.
Arizona law lets a county recorder accept electronic filings from title companies, banks, Arizona attorneys, government agencies, and trusted submitters that have an agreement with the recorder (A.R.S. § 11-461(C), (J)). Pima and Yavapai counties also take filings from the public through online portals, and Maricopa accepts a single document through a third-party submitter. Elsewhere, check the county recorder's website, or record in person or by mail.
Recording offices we cover in Arizona: Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, Yavapai, Mohave, Yuma, Coconino. See all Arizona recording offices.
What a general warranty deed does NOT do
Being honest about the limits is more useful than a sales pitch. Every one of these catches somebody out.
- The covenants only bind the grantor personally. If they have no assets, a covenant claim may be worth little.
- It does not replace title insurance or a title search. It gives you a claim after the fact, not clean title today.
- It does not avoid probate and cannot be revoked once delivered and recorded.
- Signing one when you don't actually know the property's history exposes you to real liability. Where that is a concern, a special warranty deed is the safer instrument.
Quirks of Arizona law that catch people out
- Arizona calls a transfer-on-death deed a beneficiary deed (A.R.S. § 33-405). It must be recorded during the owner's lifetime. Recording it after death does nothing.
- The recorder must refuse a deed that has neither an Affidavit of Property Value (Form 82162) nor the specific exemption from it noted on its face (A.R.S. §§ 11-1133(C), 11-1134(C)). Deedly prints the exemption code below the legal description when your answers show which one applies.
- Arizona sets the recording fee at $30 per document in every county, so page count does not affect cost (A.R.S. § 11-475(A)(1)).
- Arizona is a community property state, and both spouses must sign to convey community real property.
- Community property with right of survivorship is available and is usually the best choice for married couples: it avoids probate and preserves a full step-up in basis.
How to hold title in Arizona
When two or more people take title in Arizona and the deed says nothing more, the law presumes a tenancy in common, which means no automatic survivorship. If you want the survivor to take the whole property, the words have to be on the deed. Forms of co-ownership available in Arizona: joint tenancy with right of survivorship, tenancy in common, community property, and community property with right of survivorship.
Married couples
Property that either spouse acquires during the marriage is community property, except property acquired by gift, devise or inheritance (A.R.S. § 25-211). The tenancy-in-common default for co-owners does not apply to a grant to a married couple (A.R.S. § 33-431(A)).
$49, one time. Your finished deed appears in full before you pay, with Arizona's witness rules, margins, and recording instructions already applied.
Common questions
No. Arizona has no requirement that an attorney prepare a deed. What matters is the correct statutory language, an accurate legal description, proper notarization, and recording with the County Recorder. Deedly produces all of that for $49, versus roughly $150–$700 for an attorney to draft the same document. If ownership is disputed, the current owner has died without probate, or the transfer is tax-sensitive, use an attorney.
Expect $30 per document. Arizona has no state real estate transfer tax, so the recording fee is normally the whole cost. Arizona sets the recording fee by statute at $30 per document in every county, whatever the page count (A.R.S. § 11-475(A)(1)).
No. Arizona requires only that the grantor's signature be acknowledged before a notary public. Forms that show witness lines are usually generic templates borrowed from another state.
With the County Recorder in the county where the property is located, not where you live, and not where the buyer lives. Arizona has 15 counties. Arizona law lets a county recorder accept electronic filings from title companies, banks, Arizona attorneys, government agencies, and trusted submitters that have an agreement with the recorder (A.R.S. § 11-461(C), (J)). Pima and Yavapai counties also take filings from the public through online portals, and Maricopa accepts a single document through a third-party submitter. Elsewhere, check the county recorder's website, or record in person or by mail.
No, and this is the single most common misunderstanding about deeds. A deed changes who owns the property. The mortgage is a separate contract with the lender, and only a refinance or a written release from the lender removes a borrower. Someone can be off the deed and still fully liable on the loan.
Often, yes. Both spouses must join in any conveyance of community real property (A.R.S. §§ 25-214(C), 33-452). That surprises people, because the spouse is not becoming an owner. They are releasing rights the law gives them automatically. Deedly adds a joinder block for the signature when it applies.
Keep reading
- Arizona quitclaim deedTransfers whatever interest you have in a property, with no promises about the title.
- Arizona special warranty deedTransfers ownership, but only guarantees the title for the period you owned it.
- Arizona beneficiary deedNames who inherits your property, skips probate, and changes nothing while you're alive.
- Arizona life estate deedYou keep the right to live in the property for life; named remaindermen own it after you.
- All deed rules for ArizonaRecording offices, transfer tax, witness rules, and fees.
- Arizona recording officesWhere to file in each county.
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.