DMVDeeds.com prepares no-consideration deeds for clients with properties in Maryland and the District of Columbia. These deeds are often referred to as “quit claim” or “quick claim” deeds. They are typically used to add or remove someone from title. For example, parties may use them to remove a spouse from title following a divorce, to add a spouse to title following marriage, to transfer the property to or from a trust or limited liability company, or to add or remove a child or family member from title. They are also used when a title owner’s name changes or if people want to change how they hold title to a property.

We also prepare Maryland and District of Columbia powers of attorney.

We charge a flat fee of $525.00 to prepare a deed, conduct a “remote online notarization” during which the person or people who need to sign the deed execute the deed (the process similar to a Zoom call), and then record the deed with the appropriate City or County.

In addition to our flat fee, you will need to pay the City or County recording fee for the deed. In Washington, D.C., this fee will be less than $71.50.)

In addition, in certain Maryland jurisdictions, you will also need to pay for a “tax lien certificate.” The cost of these certificates will vary but are all less than $55.00.

Finally, your deed may be subject to transfer and recordation taxes, depending upon the type of deed it is and who is being added to or removed from title. See the FAQ on transfer and recordation taxes.

All deeds must be executed before a notary public.

RON stands for “remote online notarization”. A RON signing is when a person signs before a notary remotely. This online process is similar to a Zoom call and you will need a computer, phone or tablet with a camera to participate in the signing. (It is easiest with a computer.)

Importantly, during a RON call, the person who is signing must pass a knowledge-based assessment (or “KBA”). The KBA is an online identity verification. Signatories are asked a series of questions based on information contained in their credit report to prove their identity. Signatories are asked questions and must answer 4 correctly within two minutes. If a signer cannot pass the KBA, they cannot sign the deed remotely. Signers are given two opportunities to pass the KBA.

If a signer cannot pass the KBA, we will send a notary to the person so they can sign in person. As described on this site, there is an additional $125.00 fee for the in-person notary.

For anti-fraud reasons, we will not allow a person signing a deed to pick the notary who conducts his or her deed signing.

Whether your deed is subject to transfer and recordation taxes depends upon who is being added to or coming off title. We will be able to advise you of this once we receive your order.

By way of example, most deeds between husbands and wives will be exempt from transfer and recordation taxes.

Other family transfers may not be exempt. For example, if you are conveying the property to your child, in some jurisdictions it will be exempt from all transfer and recordation taxes, while in others it may be subject to County or City transfer tax. A parent to child transfer in Montgomery County is fully exempt, while in Prince George’s County, it is subject to county transfer tax.

In Maryland, most transfers involving trusts are exempt from recordation and transfer taxes.

Typically, we will have your deed prepared within seven (7) days of receiving your signed retainer agreement and payment, which we require in advance.

Once the deed is signed before a notary, we will submit it for electronic recording to the appropriate City or County clerk. Depending upon the jurisdiction, recording takes between 1 day and 2 weeks.

Note to record your deed, all outstanding real estate taxes must be paid. In Maryland, this may delay recording of quit claim deeds from July to September, if a lender is making the tax payment on the owner’s behalf.

Submit the form on this website with the required information. After we receive your form, we will send you a retainer agreement and let you know whether your deed will be subject to transfer and recordation taxes. We will also send you an invoice for our services and any fees/taxes due. Once we receive your retainer agreement and invoice, we typically complete the deed within seven (7) business days.

Once you approve the deed, we will schedule a signing, and once signed, we will record it with the appropriate County or City. Depending upon the jurisdiction, it should be recorded by the Clerk within two weeks. Some jurisdictions are quicker.

If you have a loan that is secured by your property, t is important to talk to your lender about whether it will allow you to change the people who are on title to your property.

To secure their loans, lenders typically record a “deed of trust” or “mortgage” against the property that serves as the collateral for the loan. These documents typically have what is called a “due on sale provision” that allows the lender to demand immediate and full repayment of the loan if the property is sold. Thus, if someone who owns a property that is secured by a deed of trust conveys the property to a third party, the lender has the right to call the loan and demand its immediate repayment even if the property is transferred for no consideration by the owner to a family member or related entity.

The principal of our company is an AV-rated real estate attorney who has been practicing law for over 35 years and who has prepared thousands of deeds for clients in the DMV.