Idaho general warranty deed
Here is what Idaho 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
- 3″ top
- Recording fee
- $15 up to 30 pages
- E-recording
- Approved submitters
What a general warranty deed does in Idaho
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 Idaho law behind this deed
Idaho has no statutory form for a general warranty deed. Its covenants are written into the deed. Idaho Code § 55-612 sets the promises the word "grant" carries on its own. The table below lists the main statutes behind the rules on this page.
| What it governs | Citation |
|---|---|
| Covenants implied by the word "grant" | Idaho Code § 55-612 |
| Conveyances generally | Idaho Code § 55-601 |
| Recording with the County Recorder | Idaho Code § 55-808 |
| Homestead and spousal consent | Idaho Code § 55-1007 |
When Idaho property owners 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 Idaho 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 Idaho 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 | Must appear on the face of the deed. |
| 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, 3-inch clear space at the top of page one, 0.5-inch margins elsewhere, nothing under 10pt. This is the profile Deedly applies. |
In Idaho your spouse must sign if the property is community property or your home
Both spouses must join in a deed of community real property (Idaho Code § 32-912), and a married person's home cannot be conveyed unless both spouses sign and acknowledge the deed, even when it is one spouse's separate property (Idaho Code § 55-1007). A deed from one spouse to the other needs only the giving spouse's signature (Idaho Code §§ 32-906(2) and 55-1007(2)).
How to complete and record it in Idaho
- 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 3-inch first-page margin used for Idaho 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.
- Record it with the County RecorderFile in the county where the property is located and pay the recording fee. Many offices in this state also accept e-recording, but usually only from approved submitters such as title companies. 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 Idaho
| Cost | Typical amount |
|---|---|
| Recording fee | $15 for up to 30 pages and $3 for each page after that |
| Transfer tax | None in this state |
| Notary | An Idaho notary may charge no more than $5 for each notarial act, plus actual and reasonable travel expenses (Idaho Code § 51-133). |
| Deedly | $49, one time (launch price, regular $69) |
| Attorney (for comparison) | $150–$700 for the same statutory document |
Idaho imposes no state real estate transfer tax, so the recording fee is normally your only cost beyond notarization.
Where to record it in Idaho
Idaho deeds are recorded with the County Recorder in the county where the property sits, not where you live. There are 44 counties in Idaho.
Many Idaho recording offices accept e-recording through vendors such as Simplifile, CSC, or ePN. E-recording is generally open only to approved submitters such as title companies, attorneys, and lenders, so if you prepared the deed yourself, plan to record in person or by mail. Some offices accept filings from the public through those vendors; your county's website will say.
Recording offices we cover in Idaho: Ada, Canyon, Kootenai, Bonneville, Twin Falls, Bannock. See all Idaho 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 Idaho law that catch people out
- Idaho has no real estate transfer tax, state or local, and no transfer declaration form.
- Idaho is a community property state. Both spouses must sign to convey community real property, and both must sign and acknowledge a deed of a married person's home, even one that is separate property.
- Community property with right of survivorship has been available in Idaho since 2008 and is usually the best titling for married couples.
- Idaho does not recognize transfer-on-death deeds.
- Leave the top of page one blank for the recorder's stamp or label. Canyon County asks for a 3 by 3 inch space, and Ada County adds a cover sheet to a document with no room for its label. Deedly leaves the top 3 inches of page one blank.
How to hold title in Idaho
When two or more people take title in Idaho and the deed says nothing more, the law presumes a tenancy in common, unless they are a married couple acquiring community property (Idaho Code §§ 55-104, 55-508). If you want the survivor to take the whole property, the words have to be on the deed. Forms of co-ownership available in Idaho: joint tenancy with right of survivorship, tenancy in common, community property, and community property with right of survivorship.
Married couples
Property acquired during marriage is presumed community property (Idaho Code § 32-906).
$49, one time. Your finished deed appears in full before you pay, with Idaho's witness rules, margins, and recording instructions already applied.
Common questions
No. Idaho 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 $15 for up to 30 pages and $3 for each page after that. Idaho has no state real estate transfer tax, so the recording fee is normally the whole cost. Set by state law and the same in every Idaho county: a flat $15 to record a deed of up to 30 pages, so a short deed's second page costs nothing extra, plus $3 for each page over 30 (Idaho Code § 31-3205(1)(b)(i)).
No. Idaho 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. Idaho has 44 counties. Many offices in this state also accept e-recording, but usually only from approved submitters such as title companies.
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. In Idaho both spouses must join in a deed of community real estate (Idaho Code § 32-912), and a married person's home cannot be conveyed unless both spouses sign and acknowledge the deed (Idaho Code § 55-1007). For community property your spouse already co-owns the property even if only your name is on the title. A deed from one spouse to the other needs only the signature of the spouse who gives the property (Idaho Code §§ 32-906(2) and 55-1007(2)). Deedly adds a signature block for your spouse when you are married, unless the deed goes to your spouse alone.
Keep reading
- Idaho quitclaim deedTransfers whatever interest you have in a property, with no promises about the title.
- Idaho special warranty deedTransfers ownership, but only guarantees the title for the period you owned it.
- Idaho life estate deedYou keep the right to live in the property for life; named remaindermen own it after you.
- Idaho gift deedTransfers property to someone as an outright gift, for no payment.
- All deed rules for IdahoRecording offices, transfer tax, witness rules, and fees.
- Idaho 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.