New York Quitclaim Deed
Transfer your interest in a New York property — between family, into a trust or LLC, or after a divorce — and download a print-ready PDF with New York’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.
New York deed rules · as of 2026
- Witnesses (besides notary)
- None — notary only
- Where to record
- County Clerk (in the four NYC boroughs other than Staten Island, the NYC City Register)
- Transfer tax
- Yes — see below
Source: NY Real Property Law § 291 · verify ↗. A deed moves real property — have someone qualified review it before you sign, and record it promptly.
Need the document itself?
Fill in a New York quitclaim deed and download a print-ready PDF — free, no signup, and it runs entirely in your browser.
Open the generator →The generator opens with New York already selected.
New York signing & recording
No — in New York the grantor's notarized signature is enough; no separate witnesses are required (NY Real Property Law § 291, as of 2026). NY Real Property Law § 291 — a conveyance may be recorded by the county clerk only when 'duly acknowledged by the person executing the same, or proved' (proof by subscribing witness is the alternative, not a requirement) Record the signed deed with the County Clerk (in the four NYC boroughs other than Staten Island, the NYC City Register). Transfer tax: Real Estate Transfer Tax, NY Tax Law § 1402: $2 per $500 of consideration, imposed only when consideration exceeds $500 — pure no-consideration gifts owe no tax; supplemental taxes apply to $1M+ residences ('mansion tax', § 1402-a) and NYC imposes its own separate RPTT Check the current New York 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 New York require witnesses on a quitclaim deed?
No — in New York the grantor's notarized signature is enough; no separate witnesses are required (NY Real Property Law § 291, as of 2026). NY Real Property Law § 291 — a conveyance may be recorded by the county clerk only when 'duly acknowledged by the person executing the same, or proved' (proof by subscribing witness is the alternative, not a requirement)
Where do I record the deed in New York?
With the County Clerk (in the four NYC boroughs other than Staten Island, the NYC City Register) 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 New York?
Real Estate Transfer Tax, NY Tax Law § 1402: $2 per $500 of consideration, imposed only when consideration exceeds $500 — pure no-consideration gifts owe no tax; supplemental taxes apply to $1M+ residences ('mansion tax', § 1402-a) and NYC imposes its own separate RPTT Check the current rate and exemptions before recording — the recorder will not accept the deed without the required tax forms or stamps.
How does New York compare? See the deed witness requirements in all 50 states, every rule cited to statute.
How New York compares
Computed from our 51-jurisdiction dataset (as of 2026). Source for New York: NY Real Property Law § 291 ↗.
- New York 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 — Connecticut (2), Massachusetts (0), New Jersey (0), Pennsylvania (0), Vermont (0).
The rest of what New York requires
The figures below are New York'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 New York page for that document.
- Security deposit cap · as of 2026
- 1 month's rent N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law §7-108 ↗
- Deposit return deadline · as of 2026
- 14 days after move-out N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law §7-108 ↗
- Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy · as of 2026
- 30 days N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law §7-108 ↗
- Notice for unpaid rent · as of 2026
- 14 days to pay or quit N.Y. Real Prop. Acts. Law § 711(2); N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 226-c ↗
- Small claims limit · as of 2026
- $10,000 NYC Civil Court Act § 1801; UCCA § 1801; UJCA § 1801 ↗
- Where you file · as of 2026
- Small Claims Part of NYC Civil Court / City Court / Town or Village Justice Court · filing fee NYC Civil Court and City Courts: $15 for claims of $1,000 or less, $20 over $1,000 (CCA § 1803; UCCA § 1803). Town and Village Courts: $10 up to $1,000, $15 over (UJCA § 1803). NYC Civil Court Act § 1801; UCCA § 1801; UJCA § 1801 ↗
- Rental application fee · as of July 2026
- Capped at $20 (or actual cost, whichever is less) NY Senate — Real Property Law ↗
- Bill of sale notarization · as of 2026
- Not required New York DMV (Form MV-912) ↗
- Power of attorney signing · as of 2026
- Notarization required · 2 witnesses N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law §5-1501B (form §5-1513) ↗
- LLC operating agreement · as of 2026
- Required by statute N.Y. LLC Law § 417 (written operating agreement required; 90-day window) ↗
Quitclaim deed in other states
More New York legal forms
Different state? See quitclaim deeds by state →