A Washington quitclaim deed has to be in writing, signed and acknowledged before a notary (RCW 64.04.020), formatted to the recorder's first-page rules, and filed with a Real Estate Excise Tax affidavit even when no money changes hands. The surprise is the recording bill: King County charges $303.50 for the first page of a deed, plus $10 to process a no-tax affidavit.
This is general information, not legal advice. A real estate attorney in your state can confirm how it applies to you.
If you need the basics first, read how a quitclaim deed works in general.
What does a Washington quitclaim deed form say?
RCW 64.04.050 gives the short form: the grantor, "for and in consideration of" something, "conveys and quitclaims" to the grantee "all interest in the following described real estate," located in a named county of Washington, with a date. A deed in that substance is a good conveyance of "all the then existing legal and equitable rights of the grantor." It does not reach after-acquired title unless the deed adds words saying so.
That last line is the quitclaim in one sentence: you get what the grantor has today, nothing promised, and nothing later. Quitclaim deed vs warranty deed shows what you give up compared with a deed that carries covenants.
Does a Washington quitclaim deed need a notary or witnesses?
A notary, no witnesses. RCW 64.04.020 says a deed must be "in writing, signed by the party bound thereby, and acknowledged by the party before some person authorized" to take acknowledgments. RCW 64.04.010 requires every conveyance of real estate to be by deed. Nothing in either section asks for a witness.
What does the recorder look for on the first page?
RCW 65.04.045(1) is the first place a Washington deed can stall. The first page must have:
- A top margin of at least three inches and one inch on the bottom and sides.
- The name and address to return the deed to, top left.
- The document title, immediately below the three-inch margin.
- Grantor and grantee names.
- An abbreviated legal description (lot, block, plat, or section, township, range and quarter-quarter), with a page reference if the full description is attached.
- The assessor's tax parcel number, set apart from the legal description.
Text has to be eight-point or larger, sheets no larger than 14 by 8.5 inches, and subsection (3) bars a Social Security number, a birth date tied to a person, or a parent's maiden name from the instrument. Page one and the excise tax affidavit are the two places a deed gets stuck, and the affidavit is next.
Do you need an excise tax affidavit for a quitclaim deed?
Yes, even for a gift. WAC 458-61A-303(2) says an affidavit must be filed when title transfers by "conveyance, deed, grant, assignment, quitclaim, or any other document," and lists divorce transfers, transfers to heirs, and deeds under court order among the examples. King County adds that excise taxes have to be paid before the deed is recorded and that all parties sign the affidavit.
The gift exemption has a catch (WAC 458-61A-201). A gift has no consideration. If the grantee agrees to assume the grantor's debt on the land, that debt is consideration and REET is due on it. A refinance within six months of the transfer is presumed to make it a sale. And for a gift, the affidavit has a supplemental statement, signed by both sides, that says whether there is debt, whether the grantee will pay on it, and whether a refinance has occurred or is planned. The grantor keeps the records in case of audit.
The other exempt transfers worth knowing:
- Inheritance, by will or intestacy, is exempt whether or not the land is encumbered, but the heir's later sale is taxable on the full price (WAC 458-61A-202).
- Dissolution of marriage: a transfer from one spouse to the other in fulfillment of the settlement agreement incident to the decree is exempt. A sale to a third party is not, and a transfer between ex-spouses that is independent of the decree is taxable unless some other exemption fits (WAC 458-61A-203). See our guide to quitclaim deeds in a divorce.
How much is the Washington excise tax on land?
The tax is the seller's obligation (RCW 82.45.080) and is measured by the selling price, including the amount of any liens or debts. The state graduated rate in RCW 82.45.060 is 1.1% on the part of the price up to $525,000 under the thresholds the Department of Revenue set for 2023, with higher tiers above that. Agricultural land and timberland pay a flat 1.28%. Counties, cities and towns may add a local tax on top.
Thresholds are indexed every four years under 82.45.060(2), and the section shows a 2026 amendment, so confirm the current tier ceiling on the Department of Revenue's site before you rely on the $525,000 figure. For a vacant lot priced in five figures the first tier applies either way.
How much does it cost to record a quitclaim deed in Washington?
RCW 36.18.010(1) sets $5 for the first page and $1 for each added page, then a stack of surcharges brings the bill up. King County's fee page lists $303.50 for the first page of a deed and $1 per added page. Pierce and Spokane list the same $303.50 on schedules dated July 27, 2025. King's excise affidavit fee is $10 when no tax is due and $5 plus the tax when it is.
| Transfer | State REET | Recording (King) | Affidavit fee (King) | Total, before any local REET |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gift to a child, no debt | $0 | $303.50 | $10 | $313.50 |
| $40,000 vacant lot sale | $440 (1.1%) | $303.50 | $5 | $748.50 |
| $40,000 agricultural parcel sale | $512 (1.28%) | $303.50 | $5 | $820.50 |
Figures assume one-page deeds, and the sale rows show the seller's side of the state tax. The recording fee is the same flat charge whether the lot is worth $4,000 or $400,000, so on a small parcel the paperwork can cost more than the tax. Our quitclaim deed cost guide puts the states side by side.
What a quitclaim deed does not do in Washington
It does not touch a mortgage. A deed changes who owns the land. The loan is a contract with the lender, and a quitclaim to a spouse or child neither removes the borrower from it nor stops the lender from calling the loan. That is its own page: quitclaim deed and a mortgage.
It also does not give the grantee a title insurer's comfort, because nobody warranted anything. If you are moving land to a buyer rather than a relative, the title company will usually draft a different deed. Washington owners weighing a sale can sell land in Washington for cash and close in 7 to 21 days, and check Washington land prices first. Other states' forms are collected in our forms-by-state guide.
FAQs
How much does it cost to record a quitclaim deed in Washington?
In King County, $303.50 for the first page plus $1 per added page, and a $10 affidavit fee when no excise tax is due. Pierce and Spokane list the same $303.50 for the first page.
Does a quitclaim deed need to be notarized in Washington?
Yes. RCW 64.04.020 requires the grantor's signature to be acknowledged before an authorized officer. Witnesses are not required.
Do I owe excise tax on a gift of land in Washington?
Not if there is no consideration, but you still file the affidavit and a supplemental statement, and any debt the grantee takes on counts as consideration (WAC 458-61A-201).
Is there a statutory quitclaim deed form in Washington?
Yes, RCW 64.04.050. A deed in that substance conveys the grantor's existing rights and does not pass after-acquired title unless the deed says so.