Why People File a Quitclaim Deed in Butte County
Just Got Married
Newly married and updating who's on the title? That's exactly what a quitclaim deed is built for — a quick way to add your spouse's name to the property you already own.
Going Through a Divorce
Untangling ownership after a divorce usually comes down to one deed — this one — once you and your ex have settled who keeps the property.
Inherited Property
Inheriting a house doesn't automatically update the title — a quitclaim deed is usually how that final step gets handled.
Gifting to Family
Gifting a home to your kids or another family member? A quitclaim deed is how that gets recorded — no sale required.
About the Butte County Clerk, Auditor and Recorder
Butte County was carved out of parts of Bingham, Blaine, and Jefferson counties on February 6, 1917, with Arco as its county seat, and later gained additional territory from Custer County in 1937. The county takes its name from the volcanic buttes — most notably Big Southern Butte — that rise dramatically from the Snake River Plain and long served as landmarks for trappers and pioneers crossing the Lost River country. Arco itself holds a place in nuclear history as the first town in the world lit by atomic power, in 1955, owing to its proximity to the National Reactor Testing Station.
Cities and Communities Served
Recording jurisdiction runs countywide, not by city limits — if the property sits anywhere within Butte County, this is the Butte County Clerk, Auditor and Recorder that will accept the deed. That includes:
Incorporated cities: Arco, Butte City, Moore.
Unincorporated communities: Howe, Darlington, Lost River.
Butte County is entirely rural per the 2020 census (0% urban population). Note the unincorporated place called 'Lost River' here is distinct from the small incorporated city of the same name located in neighboring Custer County.
Office Details
Address: 205 W Grand Ave, Arco, ID 83213 (mailing: P.O. Box 737, Arco, ID 83213)
Phone: (208) 527-3021, ext. 1
Hours: Monday-Thursday 8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.; Friday 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Recording Fee: Set by Idaho state statute (Idaho Code §31-2402/31-3205) rather than by the county — flat fees keyed to document type (deeds vs. trust deeds/mortgages vs. other instruments) for the first 30 pages, with a small added per-page charge beyond that. Not based on the property's sale price or value.
E-recording: Simplifile
Good to know before you go: The Clerk's office closes early on Friday afternoons (by 1:30 p.m.) rather than keeping the Monday-Thursday closing time of 5:00 p.m., so a Friday visit needs to be timed earlier in the day.
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 Butte County Clerk, Auditor and Recorder 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 Butte County Clerk, Auditor and Recorder 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 Butte County Clerk, Auditor and Recorder?
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Other Counties in Idaho
Filing somewhere else in the state? Here are a few other county pages:
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