California Forms

Merced County Gift Deed Form

Merced County Gift Deed Form

Merced County Gift Deed Form

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

Validated 6/13/2025 Preview Form
Merced County Gift Deed Guide

Merced County Gift Deed Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Validated 2/17/2025 Preview Form
Merced County Completed Example of the Gift Deed Document

Merced County Completed Example of the Gift Deed Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.

Validated 7/22/2025 Preview Form

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

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

Where to Record Your Documents

Merced County Recorder
Address:
2222 M St, main floor
Merced, California 95340-3729

Hours: M-F 8:00am - 4:30pm / Recording until 3:30pm

Phone: (209) 385-7627

Recording Tips for Merced County:
  • Double-check legal descriptions match your existing deed
  • Check that your notary's commission hasn't expired
  • Recorded documents become public record - avoid including SSNs

Cities and Jurisdictions in Merced County

Properties in any of these areas use Merced County forms:

  • Atwater
  • Ballico
  • Cressey
  • Delhi
  • Dos Palos
  • El Nido
  • Gustine
  • Hilmar
  • Le Grand
  • Livingston
  • Los Banos
  • Merced
  • Planada
  • Santa Rita Park
  • Snelling
  • South Dos Palos
  • Stevinson
  • Winton

View Complete Recorder Office Guide

Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Merced County

How do I get my forms?

Forms are available for immediate download after payment. The Merced 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 Merced County?

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Merced 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 Merced 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 Merced County?

Recording fees in Merced County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (209) 385-7627 for current fees.

Have other questions? Contact our support team

Gifts of Real Property in California

Gift deeds convey title to real property from one party to another with no exchange of consideration, monetary or otherwise. Often used to transfer property between family members or to gift property as a charitable act or donation, these conveyances occur during the grantor's lifetime. Gift deeds must contain language that explicitly states that no consideration is expected or required. Ambiguous language, or references to any type of consideration, can make the gift deed contestable in court.

A lawful gift deed includes the grantor's full name and marital status, as well as the grantee's full name, marital status, vesting, and mailing address. Vesting describes how the grantee holds title to the property. Generally, real property is owned in either sole ownership or in co-ownership. For California residential property, the primary methods for holding title in co-ownership are tenancy in common, joint tenancy, and community property (Cal. Civ. Code 682). An estate conveyed to two or more unmarried people is considered a tenancy in common, unless a joint tenancy is designated (Cal. Civ. Code 683). Spouses vest as community property, with an option for survivorship rights (Cal. Civ. Code 682.1).

As with any conveyance of realty, a gift deed requires a complete legal description of the parcel. Recite the source of title to establish a clear chain of title, and detail any restrictions associated with the property. Each grantor must sign the deed in the presence of a notary public for a valid transfer. All signatures must be original. In California, when real property is conveyed as a gift, no transfer tax is due, pursuant to Cal. R&T Code 11930. This exemption should be indicated on the first page of the instrument. Record the completed deed, along with any additional materials, in the clerk's office of the county where the property is located. Contact the same office to verify accepted forms of payment.

In California, every legal transfer of real property requires a Preliminary Change of Ownership Report. This form should be completed by the grantee and filed with the instrument (Cal. R&T Code 480.3).

With gifts of real property, the recipient of the gift (grantee or donee) is not required to declare the amount of the gift as income, but if the property accrues income after the transaction, the grantee is responsible for paying the requisite state and federal income tax [1].

In California, there is no state gift tax. For questions regarding state taxation laws, consult a tax specialist. Gifts of real property in California are, however, subject to the federal gift tax. The person or entity making the gift (grantor or donor) is responsible for paying the federal gift tax; however, if the donor does not pay the gift tax, the donee will be held liable [1].

In accordance with federal law, individuals are permitted an annual exclusion of $15,000 on gifts. This means that if a gift is valued below $15,000, a federal gift tax return (Form 709) does not need to be filed. However, if the gift is something that could possibly be disputed by the IRS -- such as real property -- a donor may benefit from filing a Form 709 [2].

This article is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Contact a California lawyer with any questions about gift deeds or other issues related to the transfer of real property.

[1] http://msuextension.org/publications/FamilyFinancialManagement/MT199105HR.pdf

[2] https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/frequently-asked-questions-on-gift-taxes

(California Gift Deed Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)

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

This Gift Deed meets all recording requirements specific to Merced County.

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Merced 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 Merced County Gift Deed 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.

4.8 out of 5 - ( 4572 Reviews )

john m.

June 17th, 2020

its a bit confusing for a novice computer user. I would prefer to print out the forms, fill them out on paper, then attach them to an email to discuss the accuracy of the forms with a friend, and then take the completed forms to the County office to be recorded

Reply from Staff

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Melody P.

July 21st, 2021

Thanks once again for such great service!

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Terrance S.

April 6th, 2020

I'd say 5 stars. Thank you.

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Bobbi W.

February 16th, 2019

Site was super easy to use. After frustrating search for the item I needed I found it here!

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Cathern S.

January 23rd, 2020

Thanks much for your good help. Was a pleasure to use your help and was simple to use. Thanks much.

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Thank you!

Debra R.

August 17th, 2021

So easy to follow when preparing a deed. The example places given helped to know how to correctly fill out the form! Very easy! I will use deeds.com again! Thank you!

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William W.

April 22nd, 2022

No fuss-No muss. Very easy!

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Mary H.

July 27th, 2022

Great source for forms acceptable to the county.

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janitza g.

July 31st, 2020

It was easy!!! The example for completing a quickclaim deed form was very helpful!!

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Charles G.

August 14th, 2022

Easy to request. Fast response

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Cynthia W.

August 19th, 2022

I like the support documents that go along with the easement template and the fact that the format is specific to a state and county.

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Connie J L.

August 26th, 2020

Fast and easy to use. Easy to print.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Gene L S.

April 12th, 2019

Exactly what I needed, at a reasonable cost.

Reply from Staff

Thank you Gene.

Georgette S.

March 12th, 2020

Very easy form to us. Instructions very good.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Sara R.

July 24th, 2020

The deed is presently at the auditors office and will be recorded after approval from zoning board. As far as I know, everything is going along well. A self addressed envelope was left at recorder's office for return after recording is complete.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!