Virginia Quitclaim Deed
Transfer your interest in a Virginia property — between family, into a trust or LLC, or after a divorce — and download a print-ready PDF with Virginia’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.
Virginia deed rules · as of 2026
- Witnesses (besides notary)
- None — notary only
- Where to record
- Clerk of the Circuit Court of the county or city where the land lies (Va. Code § 55.1-600)
- Transfer tax
- Yes — see below
Source: Va. Code §§ 55.1-600, 55.1-612 · verify ↗. A deed moves real property — have someone qualified review it before you sign, and record it promptly.
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Virginia signing & recording
No — in Virginia the grantor's notarized signature is enough; no separate witnesses are required (Va. Code § 55.1-600 — writing is recorded 'when it shall have been acknowledged by him, or proved by two witnesses' (two witnesses only an alternative to acknowledgment), as of 2026). Va. Code § 55.1-600 (when and where writings recorded — original signature + acknowledgment or two-witness proof) and § 55.1-612 (acknowledgment within the U.S. before a notary public, clerk, or commissioner). Record the signed deed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court of the county or city where the land lies (Va. Code § 55.1-600). Transfer tax: State recordation tax $0.25 per $100 on the greater of consideration or actual value (Va. Code § 58.1-801) plus grantor tax ($0.50/$500, § 58.1-802, plus regional additions in some areas); BUT § 58.1-811(D): NO recordation tax on a deed of gift or quitclaim deed 'when no consideration has passed between the parties,' provided the deed states on its face that it is a deed of gift or quitclaim deed without consideration. Check the current Virginia 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 Virginia require witnesses on a quitclaim deed?
No — in Virginia the grantor's notarized signature is enough; no separate witnesses are required (Va. Code § 55.1-600 — writing is recorded 'when it shall have been acknowledged by him, or proved by two witnesses' (two witnesses only an alternative to acknowledgment), as of 2026). Va. Code § 55.1-600 (when and where writings recorded — original signature + acknowledgment or two-witness proof) and § 55.1-612 (acknowledgment within the U.S. before a notary public, clerk, or commissioner).
Where do I record the deed in Virginia?
With the Clerk of the Circuit Court of the county or city where the land lies (Va. Code § 55.1-600) 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 Virginia?
State recordation tax $0.25 per $100 on the greater of consideration or actual value (Va. Code § 58.1-801) plus grantor tax ($0.50/$500, § 58.1-802, plus regional additions in some areas); BUT § 58.1-811(D): NO recordation tax on a deed of gift or quitclaim deed 'when no consideration has passed between the parties,' provided the deed states on its face that it is a deed of gift or quitclaim deed without 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 Virginia compare? See the deed witness requirements in all 50 states, every rule cited to statute.
How Virginia compares
Computed from our 51-jurisdiction dataset (as of 2026). Source for Virginia: Va. Code §§ 55.1-600, 55.1-612 ↗.
- Virginia 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 — District of Columbia (0), Kentucky (0), Maryland (0), North Carolina (0), Tennessee (0), West Virginia (0). Every neighboring state with a rule matches Virginia.
The rest of what Virginia requires
The figures below are Virginia'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 Virginia page for that document.
- Security deposit cap · as of 2026
- 2 months' rent Va. Code §55.1-1226 ↗
- Deposit return deadline · as of 2026
- 45 days after move-out Va. Code §55.1-1226 ↗
- Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy · as of 2026
- 30 days Va. Code §55.1-1226 ↗
- Notice for unpaid rent · as of 2026
- 14 days to pay or quit Va. Code § 55.1-1245 (as amended eff. 7/1/2026); § 55.1-1253 ↗
- Notice to cure a lease violation · as of 2026
- 21 days Va. Code § 55.1-1245 (as amended eff. 7/1/2026); § 55.1-1253 ↗
- Small claims limit · as of 2026
- $5,000 Va. Code § 16.1-122.1 et seq. ↗
- Where you file · as of 2026
- Small Claims Division of the General District Court · filing fee Approximately $50-$75 total depending on locality, number of defendants, and service method (e.g., Prince William County GDC: $50 filing without sheriff service, $62 with service on one defendant); exact amount via the vacourts.gov GDC civil fee calculator. Va. Code § 16.1-122.1 et seq. ↗
- Rental application fee · as of July 2026
- Capped at $50 ($32 in HUD/public housing) Virginia Law ↗
- Bill of sale notarization · as of 2026
- Not required Virginia DMV (Form SUT-1, price certification) ↗
- Power of attorney signing · as of 2026
- Notarization recommended Va. Code §64.2-1603 ↗
- LLC operating agreement · as of 2026
- Not required by statute, but it controls over the default rules Va. Code Ann. § 13.1-1023 ↗
Quitclaim deed in other states
More Virginia legal forms
Different state? See quitclaim deeds by state →