Why People File a Quitclaim Deed in Rio Grande County
Just Got Married
If a lender required proof that both spouses are on title, a quitclaim deed is typically what satisfies that.
Going Through a Divorce
Divorces that involve real estate almost always end with a quitclaim deed as the final step in dividing the property.
Inherited Property
If your name isn't officially on the title of a property you inherited, a quitclaim deed is the usual way to fix that.
Gifting to Family
If your parents are ready to hand the family home over to you now, a quitclaim deed is the standard way to make that official.
About the Rio Grande County Clerk and Recorder
Del Norte was founded in 1871 as a supply and financial center for gold mining in the San Juan Mountains, and Rio Grande County was organized in 1874 with Del Norte as its seat. Once the mining boom faded, local ranchers and farmers turned to the fertile floor of the San Luis Valley, and agriculture -- especially potatoes, along with barley and alfalfa -- has anchored the county's economy ever since, with the valley supplying a substantial share of the nation's potato crop. The county spans roughly 912 square miles, ranging from the valley floor near 7,000 feet to peaks topping 13,000 feet.
Cities and Communities Served
Recording jurisdiction runs countywide, not by city limits — if the property sits anywhere within Rio Grande County, this is the Rio Grande County Clerk and Recorder that will accept the deed. That includes:
Incorporated cities: Del Norte (county seat), Monte Vista, South Fork.
Unincorporated communities: Homelake.
The town of Center sits mostly across the line in neighboring Saguache County, with only a small slice of its population inside Rio Grande County.
Office Details
Address: 965 6th Street, Del Norte, CO 81132 (mailing: PO Box 160, Del Norte, CO 81132)
Phone: (719) 657-3334
Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Recording Fee: a flat statewide per-document recording fee set by Colorado statute, the same regardless of page count, plus a small state technology surcharge, and a separate documentary fee calculated as a percentage of the sale price on deeds transferring real property
E-recording: Yes -- Rio Grande County accepts e-recording through CSC (erecording.com).
Good to know before you go: As of July 2026 the Clerk and Recorder's office returned to a five-day work week (Monday through Friday), after previously running a compressed four-day, longer-hours schedule with the office closed on Fridays. Confirm current hours before a Friday visit if you have an older reference bookmarked.
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 Rio Grande 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 Rio Grande 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 Rio Grande 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 Rio Grande 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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