Rhode Island Quitclaim Deed
Transfer your interest in a Rhode Island property — between family, into a trust or LLC, or after a divorce — and download a print-ready PDF with Rhode Island’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.
Rhode Island deed rules · as of 2026
- Witnesses (besides notary)
- None — notary only
- Where to record
- Town Clerk (recorder of deeds) — Rhode Island records land evidence by TOWN/CITY, not county (R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 34-11-1, 34-13-1)
- Transfer tax
- Yes — see below
Source: R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-11-1 · verify ↗. A deed moves real property — have someone qualified review it before you sign, and record it promptly.
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Rhode Island signing & recording
No — in Rhode Island the grantor's notarized signature is enough; no separate witnesses are required (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-11-1, as of 2026). R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-11-1 — conveyance must be 'made in writing duly signed, acknowledged as hereinafter provided, delivered, and recorded in the records of land evidence in the town or city where the lands are situated'; no witnesses mentioned. If delivered but not acknowledged/recorded, still valid between the parties, their heirs, gift/devise takers, and those with notice. Record the signed deed with the Town Clerk (recorder of deeds) — Rhode Island records land evidence by TOWN/CITY, not county (R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 34-11-1, 34-13-1). Transfer tax: Real Estate Conveyance Tax: $3.75 per $500 of consideration (raised from $2.30 effective Oct 1, 2025), imposed only 'when the consideration paid exceeds one hundred dollars ($100)' — so no/nominal-consideration quitclaims are untaxed; additional $3.75/$500 Tier 2 on residential consideration above $800,000 (CPI-indexed, ~$824,000 for 2026). R.I. Gen. Laws § 44-25-1. Check the current Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island require witnesses on a quitclaim deed?
No — in Rhode Island the grantor's notarized signature is enough; no separate witnesses are required (R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-11-1, as of 2026). R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-11-1 — conveyance must be 'made in writing duly signed, acknowledged as hereinafter provided, delivered, and recorded in the records of land evidence in the town or city where the lands are situated'; no witnesses mentioned. If delivered but not acknowledged/recorded, still valid between the parties, their heirs, gift/devise takers, and those with notice.
Where do I record the deed in Rhode Island?
With the Town Clerk (recorder of deeds) — Rhode Island records land evidence by TOWN/CITY, not county (R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 34-11-1, 34-13-1) 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 Rhode Island?
Real Estate Conveyance Tax: $3.75 per $500 of consideration (raised from $2.30 effective Oct 1, 2025), imposed only 'when the consideration paid exceeds one hundred dollars ($100)' — so no/nominal-consideration quitclaims are untaxed; additional $3.75/$500 Tier 2 on residential consideration above $800,000 (CPI-indexed, ~$824,000 for 2026). R.I. Gen. Laws § 44-25-1. Check the current rate and exemptions before recording — the recorder will not accept the deed without the required tax forms or stamps.
How does Rhode Island compare? See the deed witness requirements in all 50 states, every rule cited to statute.
How Rhode Island compares
Computed from our 51-jurisdiction dataset (as of 2026). Source for Rhode Island: R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-11-1 ↗.
- Rhode Island 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).
The rest of what Rhode Island requires
The figures below are Rhode Island'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 Rhode Island page for that document.
- Security deposit cap · as of 2026
- 1 month's rent R.I. Gen. Laws §34-18-19 ↗
- Deposit return deadline · as of 2026
- 20 days after move-out R.I. Gen. Laws §34-18-19 ↗
- Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy · as of 2026
- 30 days R.I. Gen. Laws §34-18-19 ↗
- Notice for unpaid rent · as of 2026
- 5 days to pay or quit R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-35; § 34-18-36; § 34-18-37 ↗
- Notice to cure a lease violation · as of 2026
- 20 days R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-35; § 34-18-36; § 34-18-37 ↗
- Small claims limit · as of 2026
- $5,000 R.I. Gen. Laws § 10-16-1 (ch. 10-16, Small Claims and Consumer Claims) ↗
- Where you file · as of 2026
- District Court (Small Claims and Consumer Claims) · filing fee $55 filing fee per the District Court's official Civil Fees and Costs schedule; e-filing adds a one-time $17.50 processing fee + $3.25 technology surcharge. Some 2026 secondary sources report an increase to $75, not yet reflected on the official schedule. R.I. Gen. Laws § 10-16-1 (ch. 10-16, Small Claims and Consumer Claims) ↗
- Rental application fee · as of July 2026
- Application fees are prohibited Rhode Island General Laws ↗
- Bill of sale notarization · as of 2026
- Not required Rhode Island DMV / DMV.ORG ↗
- Power of attorney signing · as of 2026
- Notarization required R.I. Gen. Laws §18-16-2 ↗
- LLC operating agreement · as of 2026
- Not required by statute, but it controls over the default rules R.I. Gen. Laws § 7-16-2(23) ↗
Quitclaim deed in other states
More Rhode Island legal forms
Different state? See quitclaim deeds by state →