San Diego County Transfer on Death Affidavit Form

Last validated April 17, 2026 by our Forms Development Team

San Diego County Transfer on Death Affidavit Form

San Diego County Transfer on Death Affidavit Form

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

Document Last Validated 4/16/2026
San Diego County Transfer on Death Affidavit Guide

San Diego County Transfer on Death Affidavit Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Document Last Validated 4/17/2026
San Diego County Completed Example of the Transfer on Death Affidavit Document

San Diego County Completed Example of the Transfer on Death Affidavit Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.

Document Last Validated 4/6/2026

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

Immediate Download • Secure Checkout

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

Where to Record Your Documents

San Diego Clerk/Recorder Main Office

Address:
County Administration Center - 1600 Pacific Highway, Suite 260
San Diego, California 92101

Hours: Monday to Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm

Phone: (619) 236-3771, 238-8158; (760) 630-1219 North County

Mail to: San Diego Assessor/Recorder/Clerk

Address:
P.O. Box 121750
San Diego, California 92112-1750

Hours: N/A

Phone: mailing address

El Cajon Branch Office

Address:
200 S Magnolia Ave
El Cajon, California 92020

Hours: Monday through Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm

Phone: (619) 238-8158 or (619) 236-3771 Assessor

San Marcos Branch Office

Address:
141 E Carmel St
San Marcos, California 92078

Hours: Monday through Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm

Phone: (619) 238-8158 or (760) 630-1219 North County

Chula Vista Branch Office

Address:
590 3rd Ave.
Chula Vista, California 91910

Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays.

Phone: (619) 238-8158

Recording Tips for San Diego County:
  • Bring your driver's license or state-issued photo ID
  • Documents must be on 8.5 x 11 inch white paper
  • Have the property address and parcel number ready

Cities and Jurisdictions in San Diego County

Properties in any of these areas use San Diego County forms:

  • Alpine
  • Bonita
  • Bonsall
  • Borrego Springs
  • Boulevard
  • Camp Pendleton
  • Campo
  • Cardiff By The Sea
  • Carlsbad
  • Chula Vista
  • Coronado
  • Del Mar
  • Descanso
  • Dulzura
  • El Cajon
  • Encinitas
  • Escondido
  • Fallbrook
  • Guatay
  • Imperial Beach
  • Jacumba
  • Jamul
  • Julian
  • La Jolla
  • La Mesa
  • Lakeside
  • Lemon Grove
  • Lincoln Acres
  • Mount Laguna
  • National City
  • Oceanside
  • Pala
  • Palomar Mountain
  • Pauma Valley
  • Pine Valley
  • Potrero
  • Poway
  • Ramona
  • Ranchita
  • Rancho Santa Fe
  • San Diego
  • San Luis Rey
  • San Marcos
  • San Ysidro
  • Santa Ysabel
  • Santee
  • Solana Beach
  • Spring Valley
  • Tecate
  • Valley Center
  • Vista
  • Warner Springs

View Complete Recorder Office Guide

Hours, fees, requirements, and more for San Diego County

How do I get my forms?

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

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable formatting requirements used for recording in San Diego County, including margin requirements, font requirements, and other layout standards. This guarantee applies to formatting, not to the legal sufficiency of information entered by the user or the suitability of a form for a particular transaction.

Can I reuse these forms?

Yes. You can reuse the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have multiple properties in San Diego 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 San Diego County?

Recording fees in San Diego County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (619) 236-3771, 238-8158; (760) 630-1219 North County for current fees.

Questions answered? Let's get started!

Using an Affidavit of Death to Claim Real Estate from a California Transfer on Death Deed

Transfer on death deeds allow individual landowners to transfer their real estate when they die, without a will or the need for probate distribution. The transferor simply executes a TODD form, then records it during the course of his/her natural life, and within 60 days of the signing date (5626(a)). Unlike grant deeds or quitclaim deeds, the owner continues to hold title to the property when a transfer on death deed is recorded (5650). As such, TODDs are exempt from transfer taxes and the Preliminary Change of Ownership Report (PCOR).

What happens, then, when the owner dies? Section 5680 defines the process for switching the title over to the beneficiary. The beneficiary may establish the fact of the transferor's death under the procedure provided in California Probate Code Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 210) of Part 4 of Division 2. The first step is obtaining a certified copy of the death certificate. Then research the recording information from the transfer on death deed identifying the beneficiary. Complete an affidavit of death and sign it in front of a notary. Finally, file the affidavit, along with the copy of the death certificate, in the recording office for the county where the property is situated. Note that this act transfers title to the beneficiary, so it also requires the PCOR and any associated taxes and fees.

Beneficiaries take title to the property under the rules set out at section 5652. Be aware that any associated debts, obligations, or agreements in place when the owner died follow the real estate to the beneficiaries. In addition, the title transfers without warranty, so the beneficiaries might find themselves liable for future claims against the property. For these reasons, among others, some beneficiaries might wish to disclaim the gift (5652(a)(1)).

In general, transferring title to the beneficiary of a transfer on death deed is a simple process. Even so, complications may arise. Contact an attorney for complex situations or with any questions.

(California Transfer on Death Affidavit Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)

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

This Transfer on Death Affidavit meets all recording requirements specific to San Diego County.

Our Promise

The documents you receive here are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable San Diego County recording format requirements. If there is a rejection caused by our formatting, we will correct the issue or refund your payment. This guarantee applies to document formatting only and does not extend to information entered by the user, the selection of the form, or the legal effect of the completed document.

Save Time and Money

Get your San Diego County Transfer on Death Affidavit 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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October 7th, 2020

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Reply from Staff

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Janette K.

May 17th, 2019

I ordered a Transfer of Deed on Death document. It was easy to fill in, came with a useful guide and was customized to my county/state. It got the job done and was well worth the money!

Reply from Staff

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Jessica H.

March 3rd, 2021

As a first time user I was a little skeptical of the service. But Deeds.com put all my worries aside. Their service is quick and easy. I will definitely be using it again.

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Bob B.

September 14th, 2021

Good so far. Will be great if you get the deed recorded.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Sherilynne P.

May 21st, 2019

I am delighted with the form. I just had to go through so much time and expense in order to use it. First, from your site I downloaded Adobe Acrobat. It totally compromised my computer. I had to get a computer expert to walk me through deleting adobe, and put a substitute on in order to use the form. That was an expense of $60.00. Then after that I still had a hard time getting the program to work, as the substitute program would not accept my e-mail address and I finally had to get someone on line to help me access that. I found it was a $$30.00 charge for the substitute. After fighting these lovely roadblocks, I was finally able to fill in the only form I needed and print it off. Took me two days to accomplish that. Why on earth do you offer adobe when it can compromise a computer so badly? Dealing with my husbands death and then having to deal with this, just one of many deterrents, well let's put it this way, it did not make my two days.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. Sorry to hear of your experience. Our documents are Adobe PDFs because PDF is the standard for digital documents, most computers have Adobe Reader installed, and it (Adobe Reader) is free.

Pamela J.

October 10th, 2021

Thank you the service was prompt and efficient.

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John T.

October 12th, 2023

I have not completed the submission of documents yet but the initial sign up and documents were easily done and trouble free. Will update with results soon

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David M.

May 21st, 2020

Extremely easy to use. The sample completed document was very helpful. I really appreciated not having to spend a few hundred dollars for a lawyer to generate a document that I can produce myself for a small fraction of the cost.

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Ronald C.

January 31st, 2019

My goal was to find the Covenant, Conditions, and Restrictions for my HOA. From what I can read, these documents should be attached to our Deed (single family, patio home in New Hanover County). I am not sure if I have a copy of my Deed. I would need to check my Safe Deposit Box. Unfortunately, I was not successful at finding these documents from your Website. If you can help me find them, I would appreciate that.

Reply from Staff

It is most common to obtain a copy of CC&Rs directly from the HOA. Alternatively, they are also usually a matter of public record recorded with the local recorder and you can obtain a copy there.

Donna C.

June 24th, 2021

I was very impressed with the system. Easy to navigate. Took less than 15 minutes to get what I needed.

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March 16th, 2023

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June 29th, 2020

EASY, FAST, AND CONVENIENT.

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Ernest S.

July 30th, 2019

Took it to the Courthouse and the Register of Deeds said,"well Done" Thanks you so much.

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Beaugwynn Wigley S.

October 26th, 2021

Thanks so much for all your help! That was painless.

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Linda L.

July 14th, 2019

Excellent service. Very quick response.

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