Idaho Quitclaim Deed

Why People File a Quitclaim Deed in Washington 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 Washington County Clerk, Auditor and Recorder

Washington County was created by the territorial legislature on February 20, 1879, and — like dozens of other counties nationwide — it's simply named for George Washington. Weiser, the county seat, sits at the confluence of the Weiser and Snake Rivers and was long a stop on the Oregon Trail and later a rail hub; the original 1888 courthouse burned down in a February 1938 fire and was replaced the following year by the current Art Deco/Moderne courthouse designed by the Boise firm Tourtellotte and Hummel.

Cities and Communities Served

Recording jurisdiction runs countywide, not by city limits — if the property sits anywhere within Washington County, this is the Washington County Clerk, Auditor and Recorder that will accept the deed. That includes:

Incorporated cities: Weiser, Cambridge, Midvale.

Unincorporated communities: Salubria (historic, now largely a ghost town).

Note the naming coincidence flagged by the task: this is Washington County, Idaho — an ordinary rural Idaho county named for George Washington in 1879 — not the U.S. state of Washington or anything national. Don't confuse it with Washington State or a federal entity.

Office Details

Address: Washington County Courthouse, 256 E Court Street, Weiser, ID 83672

Phone: 208-414-2092

Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Recording Fee: Recording fees follow a tiered, per-document schedule set by state statute (Idaho Code Section 32-3205) based on document type and page count, rather than on the value of the property being conveyed.

E-recording: Simplifile

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 Washington 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.
  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 Washington 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 Washington County Clerk, Auditor and 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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