Why People File a Quitclaim Deed in Bonner County
Just Got Married
Just got married and want your spouse's name on the title? A quitclaim deed is the standard way to add them — no sale, no mortgage payoff, just an updated deed on file with the county.
Going Through a Divorce
Going through a divorce and need an ex's name off the title? A quitclaim deed handles that cleanly, once your settlement or court order says who keeps the property.
Inherited Property
Inherited property from a family member? Depending on how the estate was handled, a quitclaim deed may be how ownership formally moves into your name.
Gifting to Family
Adding an adult child to the title, or gifting property to family outright? A quitclaim deed is the usual way to make that transfer official.
About the Bonner County Clerk / Recorder's Office
Bonner County was formed on February 21, 1907 and named for Edwin L. Bonner, who operated a ferry across the Kootenai River at the site that became the town of Bonners Ferry. The county was itself later reduced in size when Boundary County split off from its northern end in 1915. Sandpoint, the county seat, sits on Lake Pend Oreille and today anchors a economy built on tourism and outdoor recreation alongside a long timber and rail history.
Cities and Communities Served
Recording jurisdiction runs countywide, not by city limits — if the property sits anywhere within Bonner County, this is the Bonner County Clerk / Recorder's Office that will accept the deed. That includes:
Incorporated cities: Sandpoint, Ponderay, Priest River, Dover, Kootenai, Oldtown, East Hope, Clark Fork.
Office Details
Address: 1500 Highway 2, Suite 335, Sandpoint, ID 83864 (Administration Building)
Phone: (208) 265-1490
Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.; recording of documents cuts off at 4:30 p.m.
Recording Fee: Recording fees are set by Idaho state statute and charged per document rather than based on property value, with flat rates for standard deeds, higher base fees plus per-page charges for mortgages and trust deeds once they exceed a set length, and separate flat rates for reconveyances, releases, and powers of attorney.
E-recording: Simplifile and CSC
Good to know before you go: The Recorder's function operates out of the Administration Building at 1500 Highway 2, which is a separate building from the Bonner County Courthouse at 215 S. First Ave where court records are kept — worth knowing so a visit isn't misdirected to the courthouse.
How to File a Document
- Sign in Front of a Notary: Idaho law requires a deed to be acknowledged before a notary public before the Bonner County Clerk / Recorder's Office can record it (Idaho Code § 55-805). The deed is actually valid between you and the person you're transferring to as soon as it's signed and delivered — the notarized acknowledgment is what makes it eligible for recording, which is the step that protects you against someone else claiming the property later.
- Give the Grantee's Full Mailing Address: Idaho requires the deed itself to state the complete mailing address of the person receiving the property, not just their name. This is a simple detail that's easy to miss and a common reason a deed gets sent back.
- Attach a Full Legal Description, Not Just an Address: A street address alone isn't enough — Idaho deeds need the property's actual legal description (the metes-and-bounds, government survey, or platted-lot description used in the county's own records). You can usually copy this directly from the deed that transferred the property to you.
- Consider Online Notarization if an In-Person Visit Is Hard: Idaho has allowed remote online notarization since 2020, so if getting to a notary's office in person is difficult, a signer may be able to complete the acknowledgment through video with an Idaho-commissioned online notary instead.
- Record with the County Recorder: Bring, mail, or (where the county supports it) e-file the signed and notarized deed with the Bonner County Clerk / Recorder's Office for the county where the property sits. Idaho charges a flat recording fee set by state statute and based on the document and page count, not a percentage of the property's value — and unlike some states, Idaho has no separate real estate transfer tax or transfer declaration form to file alongside the deed.
Still Have Questions About Filing With the Bonner County Clerk / Recorder's Office?
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Other Counties in Idaho
Filing somewhere else in the state? Here are a few other county pages:
You are not on the official Bonner County government website. IdahoQuitclaimDeed.com is a privately owned website and is not affiliated with any government agency.