Why People File a Quitclaim Deed in Elbert County
Just Got Married
Some spouses ask to be added to a title as a wedding gift of sorts — a quitclaim deed is the document that actually makes it happen.
Going Through a Divorce
If a judge or mediator already decided who keeps the property, a quitclaim deed is the document that makes it official on record.
Inherited Property
Some heirs handle the deed right after probate closes; others wait — a quitclaim deed works the same either way.
Gifting to Family
A quitclaim deed lets you give property away formally, without pricing it or treating it like a market transaction.
About the Elbert County Clerk and Recorder
Elbert County was created in 1874 and named for Colorado territorial governor Samuel Hitt Elbert; its county seat, Kiowa, began in 1859 as a stage stop called 'Middle Kiowa' along the Smoky Hill Trail. The county's economy has long centered on wheat farming and cattle ranching -- Elbert County ranks among the top third of Colorado counties in wheat production and is also a notable producer of horses and other draft animals -- and it remains a largely rural, agricultural community on the plains southeast of the Denver metro area.
Cities and Communities Served
Recording jurisdiction runs countywide, not by city limits — if the property sits anywhere within Elbert County, this is the Elbert County Clerk and Recorder that will accept the deed. That includes:
Incorporated cities: Kiowa (county seat), Elizabeth, Simla.
Unincorporated communities: Agate, Elbert, Matheson.
Office Details
Address: 215 Comanche St, PO Box 7, Kiowa, CO 80117
Phone: 720-595-3605
Hours: Monday - Thursday, 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Recording Fee: A flat, statewide per-document recording fee set by Colorado statute (the same amount applies in every county), plus small state technology surcharges. A separate state documentary fee applies to real estate transfers above a small statutory consideration threshold, calculated as a percentage of the sale price rather than a flat charge.
E-recording: Elbert County accepts e-recording through Simplifile and CSC.
Good to know before you go: The Clerk and Recorder's lobby is open only Monday through Thursday and is closed Fridays, so time in-person recording visits accordingly.
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 Elbert 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 Elbert 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 Elbert 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 Elbert 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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