California Forms

Orange County Affidavit of Surviving Spouse Form

Orange County Affidavit of Surviving Spouse Form

Orange County Affidavit of Surviving Spouse Form

Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.

Document Last Validated 7/8/2025
Orange County Affidavit of Surviving Spouse Guide

Orange County Affidavit of Surviving Spouse Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Document Last Validated 7/30/2025
Orange County Completed Example of the Affidavit of Surviving Spouse Document

Orange County Completed Example of the Affidavit of Surviving Spouse Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.

Document Last Validated 4/17/2025

All 3 documents above included • One-time purchase • No recurring fees

Immediate Download • Secure Checkout

Important: Your property must be located in Orange County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.

Where to Record Your Documents

County Administration South
Address:
601 N. Ross St.
Santa Ana, California 92701

Hours: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday

Phone: (714) 834-2500

Old Orange County Courthouse
Address:
211 West Santa Ana Blvd.
Santa Ana, California 92701

Hours: Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday

Phone: (714) 834-2500

South County Branch Office
Address:
24031 El Toro Rd, Suite 150
Santa Ana, California 92653

Hours: Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 4:30 pm / Recording until 4:00pm

Phone: (714) 834-2500

North County Branch Office
Address:
201 N Harbor Blvd
Fullerton , California 92832

Hours: Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

Phone: (714) 834-2500

Recording Tips for Orange County:
  • Recording fees may differ from what's posted online - verify current rates
  • Check margin requirements - usually 1-2 inches at top
  • Consider using eRecording to avoid trips to the office

Cities and Jurisdictions in Orange County

Properties in any of these areas use Orange County forms:

  • Aliso Viejo
  • Anaheim
  • Atwood
  • Brea
  • Buena Park
  • Capistrano Beach
  • Corona Del Mar
  • Costa Mesa
  • Cypress
  • Dana Point
  • East Irvine
  • El Toro
  • Foothill Ranch
  • Fountain Valley
  • Fullerton
  • Garden Grove
  • Huntington Beach
  • Irvine
  • La Habra
  • La Palma
  • Ladera Ranch
  • Laguna Beach
  • Laguna Hills
  • Laguna Niguel
  • Laguna Woods
  • Lake Forest
  • Los Alamitos
  • Midway City
  • Mission Viejo
  • Newport Beach
  • Newport Coast
  • Orange
  • Placentia
  • Rancho Santa Margarita
  • San Clemente
  • San Juan Capistrano
  • Santa Ana
  • Seal Beach
  • Silverado
  • Stanton
  • Sunset Beach
  • Surfside
  • Trabuco Canyon
  • Tustin
  • Villa Park
  • Westminster
  • Yorba Linda

View Complete Recorder Office Guide

Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Orange County

How do I get my forms?

Forms are available for immediate download after payment. The Orange County forms will be in your account ready to download to your computer. An account is created for you during checkout if you don't have one. Forms are NOT emailed.

Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Orange County?

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Orange County including margin requirements, content requirements, font and font size requirements.

Can I reuse these forms?

Yes. You can reuse the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have multiple properties in Orange County you only need to order once.

What do I need to use these forms?

The forms are PDFs that you fill out on your computer. You'll need Adobe Reader (free software that most computers already have). You do NOT enter your property information online - you download the blank forms and complete them privately on your own computer.

Are there any recurring fees?

No. This is a one-time purchase. Nothing to cancel, no memberships, no recurring fees.

How much does it cost to record in Orange County?

Recording fees in Orange County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (714) 834-2500 for current fees.

Questions answered? Let's get started!

Transferring California Community Property to the Surviving Spouse

Section 100(a) of the California Probate Code states that when a married person dies, one-half of the couple's community property belongs to the surviving spouse and the other half stays in the decedent's name, ostensibly for probate distribution. For transfers occurring after July 1, 2001, California property owners gained the option to hold title as community property with the right of survivorship. By vesting this way, the remaining spouse acquires the deceased spouse's portion of the shared property without the need for probate (Cal Civ Code 682.1(a)).

The surviving spouse files an affidavit (a statement of facts, made under oath), along with an official copy of the death certificate, at the recording office for the county where the property is located. The content may vary depending on the circumstances, but it generally contains the names of both spouses, a formal legal description of the shared real estate, and the recording information for the deed transferring ownership to the couple, confirming their intention to hold title as community property. Note that the right of survivorship is not automatic with community property -- it must be written on the face of the deed. To alleviate any questions about the survivorship status, consider including an official copy of the recorded deed.

The affidavit should also confirm, among other things, that the co-owners were married when the decedent died, that there are no probate actions related to the property, and that the surviving spouse is submitting the affidavit to ensure clear title. A clear title is important because it makes future transactions involving the real estate less complicated.

Each case is unique, so contact an attorney with specific questions or for complex situations.

(California Affidavit of Surviving Spouse Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)

Important: Your property must be located in Orange County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.

This Affidavit of Surviving Spouse meets all recording requirements specific to Orange County.

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Orange County recording requirements for formatting. If there's an issue caused by our formatting, we'll make it right and refund your payment.

Save Time and Money

Get your Orange County Affidavit of Surviving Spouse form done right the first time with Deeds.com Uniform Conveyancing Blanks. At Deeds.com, we understand that your time and money are valuable resources, and we don't want you to face a penalty fee or rejection imposed by a county recorder for submitting nonstandard documents. We constantly review and update our forms to meet rapidly changing state and county recording requirements for roughly 3,500 counties and local jurisdictions.

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Thuc P.

July 20th, 2021

Fast and good service. Very details in instructions.

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Steve G.

August 21st, 2021

The forms were very easy to use. However, the Mercer County cover page is an older version. You can find the recent version on the county website.

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William B.

October 22nd, 2023

The forms, and other information, are all excellent. I would be giving a 5-star review if it were not for the fact that downloading a "bundle" about quitclaim deeds required I download every single file independently (15 files). I would far prefer a zip file, or one click to download the whole pile of independent files.

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May 12th, 2019

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April 6th, 2023

Extremely helpful team of professionals who are patient when you need to get things filed correctly. Very small price for the comfort of knowing your DOCUMENTS are FILED with you local Recorder's Office. Some of the filings, if they are correctly formatted are already uploaded and official within a few hours. Here's the ALTERNATIVE you may encounter. For Example: King County Recorder's Office moved which means most filings are backed up 7-10 days if you DROP your filing in a BOX with your CHECK or MAIL IT. Neither is a great option, since they have no WALK IN HOURS.

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September 12th, 2020

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February 1st, 2019

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January 16th, 2019

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lorali V.

February 12th, 2020

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