Idaho Quitclaim Deed

Why People File a Quitclaim Deed in Lincoln 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 Lincoln County Clerk & Recorder (the elected Clerk serves as ex officio Auditor/Recorder)

Lincoln County was created March 18, 1895 from Logan County, an earlier Idaho county that no longer exists, and it's named for Abraham Lincoln. Shoshone, the county seat, developed in the 1880s as a division point on the Oregon Short Line railroad and for years served as the stage-line jumping-off point for travelers headed toward the Wood River mining camps and, later, the Sun Valley resort area before that area had its own rail spur. The county's 1904 courthouse in Shoshone is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Cities and Communities Served

Recording jurisdiction runs countywide, not by city limits — if the property sits anywhere within Lincoln County, this is the Lincoln County Clerk & Recorder (the elected Clerk serves as ex officio Auditor/Recorder) that will accept the deed. That includes:

Incorporated cities: Dietrich, Richfield, Shoshone.

Office Details

Address: 111 West B Street, Suite C, Shoshone, ID 83352

Phone: 208-886-7641

Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Recording Fee: Recording fees in Lincoln 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.

Official Website Get Directions

How to File a Document

  1. Sign in Front of a Notary: Idaho law requires a deed to be acknowledged before a notary public before the Lincoln County Clerk & Recorder (the elected Clerk serves as ex officio Auditor/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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Record with the County Recorder: Bring, mail, or (where the county supports it) e-file the signed and notarized deed with the Lincoln County Clerk & Recorder (the elected Clerk serves as ex officio Auditor/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 Lincoln County Clerk & Recorder (the elected Clerk serves as ex officio Auditor/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:

See all Idaho counties

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