Why People File a Quitclaim Deed in Kootenai 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 Kootenai County Recorder
Kootenai County was created December 22, 1864 from Nez Perce County, though it wasn't formally organized until 1881, and is named for the Kootenai tribe. Rathdrum served as county seat starting in 1881 before Coeur d'Alene took over in 1908, a shift that reflected growth driven by the Coeur d'Alene silver mining district and the timber and steamboat trade on Lake Coeur d'Alene. Today it is Idaho's most populous county outside the Boise metro area and one of the fastest-growing in the state.
Cities and Communities Served
Recording jurisdiction runs countywide, not by city limits — if the property sits anywhere within Kootenai County, this is the Kootenai County Recorder that will accept the deed. That includes:
Incorporated cities: Athol, Coeur d'Alene, Dalton Gardens, Fernan Lake Village, Harrison, Hauser, Hayden, Hayden Lake, Huetter, Post Falls, Rathdrum, Spirit Lake, State Line, Worley.
The eastern part of the Coeur d'Alene Reservation lies within Kootenai County (shared with Benewah County to the south), including the town of Worley. This is a real jurisdictional overlap but does not affect where or how documents are recorded — that still happens at the county recorder's office in Coeur d'Alene.
Office Details
Address: 451 Government Way, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814 (mailing: PO Box 9000, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83816)
Phone: 208-446-1480
Hours: Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Recording Fee: Recording fees in Kootenai County are set by Idaho state statute (uniform statewide) and are structured as a flat or tiered rate by document type and page count rather than based on the property's value.
E-recording: Simplifile and CSC
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 Kootenai County 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 Kootenai County 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 Kootenai County Recorder?
Ask below and get an instant answer on Idaho quitclaim deeds.
Other Counties in Idaho
Filing somewhere else in the state? Here are a few other county pages:
You are not on the official Kootenai County government website. IdahoQuitclaimDeed.com is a privately owned website and is not affiliated with any government agency.