Why People File a Quitclaim Deed in Franklin 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 Franklin County Clerk, Auditor and ex officio Recorder
Franklin County takes its name from the town of Franklin, which Mormon settlers from Utah founded in April 1860 as the first permanent Anglo-American settlement in what would become Idaho — though the settlers themselves believed at the time they were still within Utah Territory's Cache Valley, and the actual location of the border wasn't sorted out until an 1872 survey. The town was named for LDS apostle Franklin D. Richards. Preston, settled later, grew into the county seat and largest city, anchoring an agricultural valley economy that has defined the county since its earliest days.
Cities and Communities Served
Recording jurisdiction runs countywide, not by city limits — if the property sits anywhere within Franklin County, this is the Franklin County Clerk, Auditor and ex officio Recorder that will accept the deed. That includes:
Incorporated cities: Preston, Franklin, Dayton, Clifton, Weston.
Unincorporated communities: Fairview, Mink Creek, Oxford, Riverdale, Thatcher, Whitney, Banida, Glendale, Treasureton, Winder.
Franklin, the town, is historically distinct from Franklin County — it was settled in 1860, decades before Idaho counties were reorganized, and is recognized as Idaho's first permanent non-native settlement. Oxford is included among historical communities but recent sourcing notes its status has changed; a human may want to confirm whether it is still an active incorporated city.
Office Details
Address: 39 W Oneida St, Preston, ID 83263
Phone: (208) 852-1092
Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Recording Fee: Set by Idaho state statute 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, plus separate lower charges for surveys and copies. Not based on the property's sale price or value.
E-recording: Simplifile
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 Franklin County Clerk, Auditor and ex officio 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 Franklin County Clerk, Auditor and ex officio 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 Franklin County Clerk, Auditor and ex officio 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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