Maryland Quitclaim Deed
Transfer your interest in a Maryland property — between family, into a trust or LLC, or after a divorce — and download a print-ready PDF with Maryland’s signing rules built in. Free, no signup.
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.
Maryland deed rules · as of 2026
- Witnesses (besides notary)
- None — notary only
- Where to record
- Clerk of the Circuit Court (county land records)
- Transfer tax
- Yes — see below
Source: Md. Code, Real Prop. §§ 4-101, 3-104 · verify ↗. A deed moves real property — have someone qualified review it before you sign, and record it promptly.
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Maryland signing & recording
No — in Maryland the grantor's notarized signature is enough; no separate witnesses are required (Md. Code, Real Prop. § 4-101 — deed sufficient 'if executed, acknowledged, and, where required, recorded'; § 4-101(b): 'the absence of a seal or attestation does not affect the validity of the deed', as of 2026). Md. Code, Real Prop. § 4-101(a) (deed must be acknowledged); recording prerequisites in Real Prop. § 3-104: complete intake sheet or assessment-office endorsement, county tax collector's certificate that taxes are paid, and certification that the deed was prepared by a Maryland attorney or by a party to the instrument (§ 3-104(f)) Record the signed deed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court (county land records). Transfer tax: Maryland state transfer tax: 0.5% of consideration (Md. Tax-Prop. § 13-203; 0.25% paid entirely by seller for qualifying first-time Maryland homebuyers), plus county transfer taxes and county recordation tax (varies); § 13-207 exempts instruments exempt under § 12-108, incl. transfers between spouses/domestic partners and between close relatives (no/nominal consideration) Check the current Maryland 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 Maryland require witnesses on a quitclaim deed?
No — in Maryland the grantor's notarized signature is enough; no separate witnesses are required (Md. Code, Real Prop. § 4-101 — deed sufficient 'if executed, acknowledged, and, where required, recorded'; § 4-101(b): 'the absence of a seal or attestation does not affect the validity of the deed', as of 2026). Md. Code, Real Prop. § 4-101(a) (deed must be acknowledged); recording prerequisites in Real Prop. § 3-104: complete intake sheet or assessment-office endorsement, county tax collector's certificate that taxes are paid, and certification that the deed was prepared by a Maryland attorney or by a party to the instrument (§ 3-104(f))
Where do I record the deed in Maryland?
With the Clerk of the Circuit Court (county land records) 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 Maryland?
Maryland state transfer tax: 0.5% of consideration (Md. Tax-Prop. § 13-203; 0.25% paid entirely by seller for qualifying first-time Maryland homebuyers), plus county transfer taxes and county recordation tax (varies); § 13-207 exempts instruments exempt under § 12-108, incl. transfers between spouses/domestic partners and between close relatives (no/nominal consideration) Check the current rate and exemptions before recording — the recorder will not accept the deed without the required tax forms or stamps.
How does Maryland compare? See the deed witness requirements in all 50 states, every rule cited to statute.
How Maryland compares
Computed from our 51-jurisdiction dataset (as of 2026). Source for Maryland: Md. Code, Real Prop. §§ 4-101, 3-104 ↗.
- Maryland 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 — Delaware (0), District of Columbia (0), Pennsylvania (0), Virginia (0), West Virginia (0). Every neighboring state with a rule matches Maryland.
The rest of what Maryland requires
The figures below are Maryland'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 Maryland page for that document.
- Security deposit cap · as of 2026
- 1 month's rent Md. Real Prop. §8-203 (Renters' Rights Act, eff. 10/1/2024) ↗
- Deposit return deadline · as of 2026
- 45 days after move-out Md. Real Prop. §8-203 (Renters' Rights Act, eff. 10/1/2024) ↗
- Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy · as of 2026
- 30 days Md. Real Prop. §8-203 (Renters' Rights Act, eff. 10/1/2024) ↗
- Notice for unpaid rent · as of 2026
- 10 days to pay or quit Md. Code, Real Prop. §§ 8-401, 8-402, 8-402.1 ↗
- Notice to cure a lease violation · as of 2026
- 30 days Md. Code, Real Prop. §§ 8-401, 8-402, 8-402.1 ↗
- Small claims limit · as of 2026
- $5,000 Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 4-405; Md. Rule 3-701 (procedure) ↗
- Where you file · as of 2026
- Small claim action in the District Court of Maryland · filing fee $44 for a new small claims contract/tort suit plus a service fee, per the official District Court Cost Schedule DCA-109 (Rev. 03/2026); counterclaims are $18. Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 4-405; Md. Rule 3-701 (procedure) ↗
- Rental application fee · as of July 2026
- No statutory limit Maryland General Assembly ↗
- Bill of sale notarization · as of 2026
- Required to transfer a vehicle title Maryland MVA (Form VR-181) ↗
- Power of attorney signing · as of 2026
- Notarization required · 2 witnesses Md. Code Est. & Trusts §17-110 (form §17-202) ↗
- LLC operating agreement · as of 2026
- Not required by statute, but it controls over the default rules Md. Code, Corps. & Ass'ns § 4A-101(q) (definition); § 4A-402 (operating agreement) ↗
Quitclaim deed in other states
More Maryland legal forms
Different state? See quitclaim deeds by state →