Why People File a Quitclaim Deed in Adams County
Just Got Married
Just got married and want your spouse's name on the title? A quitclaim deed is the standard way to add them — no sale, no mortgage payoff, just an updated deed on file with the county.
Going Through a Divorce
Going through a divorce and need an ex's name off the title? A quitclaim deed handles that cleanly, once your settlement or court order says who keeps the property.
Inherited Property
Inherited property from a family member? Depending on how the estate was handled, a quitclaim deed may be how ownership formally moves into your name.
Gifting to Family
Adding an adult child to the title, or gifting property to family outright? A quitclaim deed is the usual way to make that transfer official.
About the Adams County Clerk and Recorder
Adams County was carved out of the old Arapahoe County in 1901 and named for Alva Adams, who served three terms as Colorado's governor. Brighton was chosen as the permanent county seat by voters in 1904. In a notable later boundary shift, a 1989 vote transferred roughly 53 square miles of the county to the City and County of Denver to make way for Denver International Airport, permanently redrawing the county's northeastern edge.
Cities and Communities Served
Recording jurisdiction runs countywide, not by city limits — if the property sits anywhere within Adams County, this is the Adams County Clerk and Recorder that will accept the deed. That includes:
Incorporated cities: Brighton (county seat), Commerce City, Federal Heights, Northglenn, Thornton, Bennett, portions of Arvada, Aurora, Lochbuie, and Westminster.
Unincorporated communities: Todd Creek, Welby, Derby.
Office Details
Address: 4430 S. Adams County Parkway, Suite E2400, Brighton, CO 80601
Phone: 303-659-2120
Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM; Wednesday: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM (closed holidays)
Recording Fee: a flat, statewide per-document recording fee set by state statute (which includes a small technology/records-modernization surcharge), plus a separate documentary fee calculated as a small percentage of the property's sale price on deeds transferring real estate for value
E-recording: Yes — Adams County accepts e-recording through approved vendors, including Simplifile.
Good to know before you go: The Clerk and Recorder's office keeps slightly shorter hours on Wednesdays, opening at 8:30 AM instead of the usual 8:00 AM the rest of the week, and recording services are handled out of Suite E2400 within the Adams County Government Center rather than a separate building.
How to File a Document
- Sign in Front of a Notary: Colorado requires the grantor's signature to be acknowledged before a notary public before the Adams County Clerk and Recorder will accept a deed for recording. No witnesses are required beyond the notary, and the grantee doesn't need to sign at all -- just the person giving up their interest in the property.
- Attach a Full Legal Description, Not Just an Address: A street address alone won't satisfy Colorado's requirements -- the deed needs the property's actual legal description (a metes-and-bounds description, a government survey reference, or a platted lot and block, depending on how the parcel was originally surveyed). You can usually copy this directly from the deed that transferred the property to you.
- Complete a Real Property Transfer Declaration (TD-1000): Colorado requires a separate Real Property Transfer Declaration (TD-1000) to accompany most deeds when they're filed, signed by the buyer or seller. It's a distinct form with its own signature, not a box you check on the deed -- the Adams County Clerk and Recorder can provide the current version and confirm whether your situation qualifies for an exemption.
- Consider Online Notarization if an In-Person Visit Is Hard: Colorado has permitted remote online notarization since Senate Bill 20-096 took effect on December 31, 2020 (C.R.S. § 24-21-514.5) -- so if getting to a notary's office in person is inconvenient, a signer may be able to complete the acknowledgment over live video with a Colorado-commissioned online notary instead.
- Record with the County Clerk and Recorder: Bring, mail, or (where the county supports it) e-file the signed, notarized deed and its Transfer Declaration with the Adams County Clerk and Recorder for the county where the property sits. Colorado's recording fee is set by state statute -- a flat rate per document -- and on top of that, Colorado charges a documentary fee calculated as a small percentage of the sale price, separate from the flat recording fee.
Still Have Questions About Filing With the Adams County Clerk and Recorder?
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Other Counties in Colorado
Filing somewhere else in the state? Here are a few other county pages:
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