Why People File a Quitclaim Deed in Washington County
Just Got Married
Marrying into a household where the property was already owned is a common reason people end up filing a quitclaim deed to join the title.
Going Through a Divorce
A title left jointly held long after a divorce is more common than people think — a quitclaim deed is the standard way to separate it.
Inherited Property
If a family property has passed through more than one generation without a title update, a quitclaim deed is how that finally gets caught up.
Gifting to Family
If a family member is signing their share of a property over to you as a gift, a quitclaim deed is the standard way that gets recorded.
About the Washington County Clerk and Recorder
Washington County was formed in 1887 out of the eastern portion of Weld County and later took on its present boundaries in 1903 with land from Arapahoe County; it was named for George Washington. The county seat, Akron, grew alongside the railroad and the dryland wheat farming that still defines the local economy -- Washington County has long ranked among Colorado's top wheat-producing counties. Farmers here also grew sugar beets in the early twentieth century, but the Dust Bowl and Great Depression of the 1930s hit the county hard, with failed farms and a sharp population decline. More recently the county has weighed wind and solar development under zoning rules adopted in the early 2020s, though large-scale renewable projects remain limited on the ground.
Cities and Communities Served
Recording jurisdiction runs countywide, not by city limits — if the property sits anywhere within Washington County, this is the Washington County Clerk and Recorder that will accept the deed. That includes:
Incorporated cities: Akron (county seat), Otis.
Unincorporated communities: Anton, Cope, Last Chance, Lindon, Woodrow.
Office Details
Address: 150 Ash Avenue, Akron, CO 80720 (mailing: P.O. Box L, Akron, CO 80720-1510)
Phone: 970-345-6565
Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Recording Fee: As in the rest of Colorado, Washington County charges one flat, statute-set fee per recorded document regardless of its length, and separately collects a state documentary fee on property transfers, figured as a small percentage of the sale price above a statutory minimum.
Good to know before you go: Washington County keeps a drop box at the northeast corner of the Courthouse for after-hours document drop-off, and documents sent by mail are generally recorded the day they're received, with the originals mailed back within about two days -- so include a self-addressed return envelope and a return mailing address on anything you send in.
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 Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington County Clerk and Recorder?
Ask below and get an instant answer on Colorado quitclaim deeds.
Other Counties in Colorado
Filing somewhere else in the state? Here are a few other county pages:
You are not on the official Washington County government website. ColoradoQuitclaimDeed.com is a privately owned website and is not affiliated with any government agency.