Why People File a Quitclaim Deed in Costilla County
Just Got Married
One of the most routine reasons a deed gets filed: a wedding happened, and now the title needs to reflect both spouses' names.
Going Through a Divorce
A lot of post-divorce paperwork ends here: filing a quitclaim deed so the title reflects only the spouse awarded the property.
Inherited Property
Sorting out a relative's property after they've passed usually involves a quitclaim deed as the step that updates who's on title.
Gifting to Family
If the plan is to keep property in the family, a quitclaim deed is often how that gets formalized while everyone's still around to sign.
About the Costilla County Clerk and Recorder
Costilla County traces its recorded history back to 1540 and Coronado's exploration of the Southwest, and it originated as a Mexican land grant issued in 1843, becoming one of Colorado's original 17 counties in 1861. Its county seat, San Luis, was founded on April 5, 1851 by Hispano settlers from Taos, New Mexico on the Sangre de Cristo Land Grant, making it the oldest continuously occupied town in Colorado. The county's economy today remains largely pastoral and agricultural, with the town's strong ties to Spanish religious and artistic traditions still visible in its historic plaza and shrine.
Cities and Communities Served
Recording jurisdiction runs countywide, not by city limits — if the property sits anywhere within Costilla County, this is the Costilla County Clerk and Recorder that will accept the deed. That includes:
Incorporated cities: San Luis (county seat), Blanca.
Unincorporated communities: Fort Garland, Chama, San Pedro, Los Fuertes, Garcia, Jaroso, San Francisco, San Acacio, Mesita.
Office Details
Address: 400 Gasper Street, San Luis, CO 81152
Phone: 719-937-7671
Hours: Monday - Thursday, 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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 — Costilla County is a live jurisdiction for Simplifile e-recording; CSC is also referenced as an available provider.
Good to know before you go: The office runs a four-day week, open Monday through Thursday from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and is closed on Fridays.
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 Costilla 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 Costilla 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 Costilla 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 Costilla 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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