District of Columbia Quitclaim Deed

Transfer your interest in a District of Columbia property — between family, into a trust or LLC, or after a divorce — and download a print-ready PDF with District of Columbia’s signing rules built in. Free, no signup.

Reflects current District of Columbia rules · 2026 Official source linked Free PDF · no signup · nothing uploaded

Maintained by Rapi Stack · Every state-specific figure on this page is cited to its statute or official agency page · Dataset last verified 2026 · Not legal advice.

District of Columbia deed rules · as of 2026

Witnesses (besides notary): None — notary only
Where to record: Recorder of Deeds (DC Office of Recorder of Deeds — single district-wide office)
Transfer tax: Yes — see below

Source: D.C. Code § 42-401 · verify ↗. A deed moves real property — have someone qualified review it before you sign, and record it promptly.

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District of Columbia signing & recording

No — in District of Columbia the grantor's notarized signature is enough; no separate witnesses are required (D.C. Code § 42-401 — a deed must be 'executed and acknowledged and certified' as provided; no witness requirement (secondary sources confirm notary acknowledgment alone), as of 2026). D.C. Code § 42-401: a deed is effective against creditors and subsequent bona fide purchasers only from delivery to the Recorder of Deeds for record, and must be acknowledged and certified per §§ 42-121 et seq./§ 42-407 (acknowledgment may be taken in DC or in any state). Record the signed deed with the Recorder of Deeds (DC Office of Recorder of Deeds — single district-wide office). Transfer tax: Double-barreled: deed transfer tax (D.C. Code § 47-903) AND deed recordation tax (§ 42-1103), each 1.1% of consideration plus an additional 0.35% except residential under $400,000 (i.e., effectively 1.1%/1.45% each, ~2.2%–2.9% combined); where consideration is nominal or absent the tax applies to fair market value — so gifts are NOT automatically exempt; specific exemptions listed at § 42-1102 (e.g., certain spousal/domestic-partner and parent-child deeds) Check the current District of Columbia deed rules before recording.

Married? If the property is (or may be) your homestead, your spouse may need to sign the deed even if they are not on title — several states require it, and a deed missing that signature can be rejected for recording or invalid. Use the “Co-grantor / spouse” field above to add their signature line, and check your state’s rule before recording.

Existing mortgage? Transferring mortgaged property can trigger the loan’s “due-on-sale” clause. Federal law (12 U.S.C. §1701j-3(d), the Garn–St Germain Act) bars lenders from enforcing it for several transfers of residential property with fewer than five dwelling units — including a transfer to the borrower’s spouse or children, a transfer resulting from a divorce decree, and a transfer into an inter vivos (living) trust in which the borrower is and remains a beneficiary. The loan itself stays in place either way — nobody is released until it is refinanced. Read the statute ↗

Frequently asked questions

Does District of Columbia require witnesses on a quitclaim deed?

Where do I record the deed in District of Columbia?

With the Recorder of Deeds (DC Office of Recorder of Deeds — single district-wide office) where the property is located. Recording is what makes the transfer visible to the world — an unrecorded deed can be valid between the parties but lose to a later buyer or lender who records first. Take the original signed deed, pay the recording fee, and keep the returned stamped copy.

Is there a transfer tax in District of Columbia?

Double-barreled: deed transfer tax (D.C. Code § 47-903) AND deed recordation tax (§ 42-1103), each 1.1% of consideration plus an additional 0.35% except residential under $400,000 (i.e., effectively 1.1%/1.45% each, ~2.2%–2.9% combined); where consideration is nominal or absent the tax applies to fair market value — so gifts are NOT automatically exempt; specific exemptions listed at § 42-1102 (e.g., certain spousal/domestic-partner and parent-child deeds) Check the current rate and exemptions before recording — the recorder will not accept the deed without the required tax forms or stamps.

How does District of Columbia compare? See the deed witness requirements in all 50 states, every rule cited to statute.

How District of Columbia compares

Computed from our 51-jurisdiction dataset (as of 2026). Source for District of Columbia: D.C. Code § 42-401 ↗.

District of Columbia is one of 38 of 51 jurisdictions that charge a transfer or documentary tax when a deed is recorded (13 charge no state transfer tax on deeds).

Witnesses required (beyond the notary)

Witnesses required (beyond the notary): 0, exactly the national median.

This is the most common figure nationally — shared by 45 other states.

Witnesses required (beyond the notary) in neighboring states — Maryland (0), Virginia (0). Every neighboring state with a rule matches District of Columbia.

The rest of what District of Columbia requires

The figures below are District of Columbia's, not national averages — each one is the value we verified for this state, with the statute it comes from. Follow a row to the full District of Columbia page for that document.

Security deposit cap · as of 2026: 1 month's rent D.C. Code §42-3502.17; 14 DCMR 308-311 ↗
Deposit return deadline · as of 2026: 45 days after move-out D.C. Code §42-3502.17; 14 DCMR 308-311 ↗
Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy · as of 2026: 30 days D.C. Code §42-3502.17; 14 DCMR 308-311 ↗
Notice for unpaid rent · as of 2026: 10 days to pay or quit D.C. Code § 42-3505.01(a-1) (RENTAL Act, D.C. Law 26-80, eff. 12/31/2025); § 42-3202 ↗
Notice to cure a lease violation · as of 2026: 30 days D.C. Code § 42-3505.01(a-1) (RENTAL Act, D.C. Law 26-80, eff. 12/31/2025); § 42-3202 ↗
Small claims limit · as of 2026: $10,000 D.C. Code §11-1321 ↗
Where you file · as of 2026: Small Claims and Conciliation Branch, Civil Division, Superior Court of the District of Columbia · filing fee $5 (claims up to $500) / $10 ($500.01-$2,500) / $45 ($2,500.01-$10,000), plus service costs D.C. Code §11-1321 ↗
Rental application fee · as of July 2026: Capped at $54 in 2026 (CPI-adjusted $50 base) D.C. Council Code ↗
Bill of sale notarization · as of 2026: Not required DC DMV / DMV.ORG ↗
Power of attorney signing · as of 2026: Notarization required D.C. Code §21-2601.05 (form §21-2603.01) ↗
LLC operating agreement · as of 2026: Not required by statute, but it controls over the default rules D.C. Code § 29-801.02(10) ↗

Quitclaim deed in other states

More District of Columbia legal forms

Different state? See quitclaim deeds by state →