Why People File a Quitclaim Deed in Garfield County
Just Got Married
For couples who bought or inherited property before marrying, a quitclaim deed is the simplest way to bring both names onto the title afterward.
Going Through a Divorce
A property that was jointly held during the marriage often ends up solely titled after a divorce, once a quitclaim deed is filed.
Inherited Property
If you're buying out a sibling's share of an inherited property, a quitclaim deed is typically how that gets recorded.
Gifting to Family
If a family member wants to help you get established in a home, a quitclaim deed is how they can add your name (or hand it over) without a purchase.
About the Garfield County Clerk and Recorder
Garfield County was established in 1883 in west-central Colorado, with its seat, Glenwood Springs, growing up at the confluence of the Roaring Fork and Colorado Rivers around gold- and silver-era mining camps. Ranching, agriculture, and tourism have long shared the local economy with extractive energy industries, and the county remains at the center of Colorado's natural-gas production, accounting for roughly 40 percent of the state's natural gas development and output.
Cities and Communities Served
Recording jurisdiction runs countywide, not by city limits — if the property sits anywhere within Garfield County, this is the Garfield County Clerk and Recorder that will accept the deed. That includes:
Incorporated cities: Glenwood Springs (county seat), Rifle, Carbondale, New Castle, Silt, Parachute.
Unincorporated communities: Battlement Mesa.
Office Details
Address: 109 8th St, Suite 200, Glenwood Springs, CO 81601
Phone: 970-384-3700
Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30 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: Garfield County accepts e-recording through Simplifile; CSC is also used for certain filings such as deed-of-trust releases.
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 Garfield 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 Garfield 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. ยง 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 Garfield 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 Garfield 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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