Why People File a Quitclaim Deed in La Plata County
Just Got Married
If you're newly married and your lender or title company mentioned adding a spouse to the deed, this is the document they were referring to.
Going Through a Divorce
Once you and your ex have agreed on who keeps the house, the deed itself still needs updating — that's what a quitclaim deed does.
Inherited Property
A house inherited from a grandparent or parent often sits with an outdated title for a while — a quitclaim deed brings it current.
Gifting to Family
Some parents gift a home to their kids but keep a life estate for themselves — a quitclaim deed is often the document used to set that up.
About the La Plata County Clerk and Recorder
La Plata County was carved out of Lake and Conejos counties in 1874 and takes its name from the La Plata Mountains, Spanish for "the silver." Durango was founded in 1880 as a railroad and smelting town serving the San Juan Mountains' silver mines, and the county seat moved there from the earlier settlement of Parrott City soon after. The county spans roughly 1,700 square miles between the San Juan National Forest to the north and the Southern Ute Indian Reservation to the south, and today its economy blends tourism, higher education (Fort Lewis College), health care, and ranching alongside the historic narrow-gauge railroad running between Durango and Silverton.
Cities and Communities Served
Recording jurisdiction runs countywide, not by city limits — if the property sits anywhere within La Plata County, this is the La Plata County Clerk and Recorder that will accept the deed. That includes:
Incorporated cities: Durango (county seat), Bayfield, Ignacio.
Unincorporated communities: Hesperus, Marvel, Kline, Hermosa, Allison, Bondad.
Office Details
Address: 679 Turner Drive, Suite C, Durango, CO 81303
Phone: 970-382-6280
Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday: 7:00 AM - 5:30 PM; Wednesday: 8:00 AM - 5:30 PM; closed Friday
Recording Fee: Recording costs here follow Colorado's statewide fee schedule -- a flat charge per document set by state law, plus a state documentary fee that scales with a small percentage of the sale price on property transfers.
E-recording: La Plata County accepts e-recording through Simplifile.
Good to know before you go: The recording counter is closed on Fridays -- La Plata County's Clerk and Recorder office runs a four-day public schedule (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m. and Wednesday 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m.), so documents timed for a Friday walk-in need to go in a day earlier or be e-recorded instead.
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 La Plata 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 La Plata 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 La Plata 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 La Plata 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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