How to File a Quitclaim Deed in Missouri

File a quitclaim deed in Missouri using the following 10 steps.

Step 1 – Download a Missouri Quitclaim Deed Form

Locate and download a Missouri-specific quitclaim deed form template that can help keep you in line with state regulations regarding quitclaim deeds.

Step 2 – Enter the Document Preparer’s Details

The document may be prepared by the grantor or by a professional drafter like a licensed attorney. The name and address of the document preparer should appear in the upper left corner of the deed.

Step 3 – Add the Return Address

Directly under the document preparer’s details, write out the name and address of the person to whom the deed and supporting documents should be returned after the deed’s official recording. This is usually the grantee but can be anyone of your choosing.

Step 4 – Write the Grantor’s Identifying Information

Add the grantor’s name to the document. Note their marital status. Also, write out their mailing address including the county, city, and state in that order.

Step 5 – Write the Grantee’s Identifying Information

Repeat step four, this time writing the grantee’s full, legal name. Their marital status can be included but is not as necessary as the grantor’s, since Missouri law requires the signature of the grantor’s spouse if the property is their shared homestead. Add the grantee’s address with the county, city, and state.

Step 6 – Note Consideration

Write the amount of money, if any, that the grantee will pay the grantor in exchange for the property. Write it first in words and then, in parentheses, in numbers following a dollar sign.

Step 7 – Record the Property’s Legal Description

Add the property’s legal description, which includes the full address including the county as well as other identifiers. These may include one, multiple, or all of the following in the state of Missouri:

• The block, plat number, plat book, and page of recorded plat
• A metes and bounds description with acreage
• The quarter or quarter section and township
• An attached document describing the property like a previous deed

Step 8 – Note the Homestead Status

Note whether the property is the grantor’s — and their spouse’s, if applicable — homestead. A homestead is a property considered its owner’s primary residence.

Step 9 – Get the Proper Parties to Sign and Acknowledge the Deed

The grantor must sign in front of a notary who officially acknowledges the signature. In the city of St. Louis, Missouri, only, the grantee must also sign.

If the grantor is married, and the property is considered their homestead, the grantor’s spouse must also sign the document in front of the notary. Alternatively, the spouse can sign a waiver of their homestead rights ahead of time that must be attached to the deed.

Step 10 – File the Deed

Take the completed deed to the Missouri county recorder’s office in the county where the property is located. Pay all necessary filing fees, set by each county, at the time of filing.