California Forms

Santa Cruz County Transfer on Death Affidavit Form

Santa Cruz County Transfer on Death Affidavit Form

Santa Cruz County Transfer on Death Affidavit Form

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

Validated 6/11/2025 Preview Form
Santa Cruz County Transfer on Death Affidavit Guide

Santa Cruz County Transfer on Death Affidavit Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Validated 1/29/2025 Preview Form
Santa Cruz County Completed Example of the Transfer on Death Affidavit Document

Santa Cruz County Completed Example of the Transfer on Death Affidavit Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.

Validated 6/30/2025 Preview Form

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

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

Where to Record Your Documents

County Recorder

Address:
701 Ocean St, Rm 230
Santa Cruz, California 95060

Hours: 8:00am to 12:00 and 1:00 to 4:00pm

Phone: (831) 454-2800

Recording Tips for Santa Cruz County:
  • Bring your driver's license or state-issued photo ID
  • Double-check legal descriptions match your existing deed
  • Both spouses typically need to sign if property is jointly owned
  • Make copies of your documents before recording - keep originals safe
  • Bring multiple forms of payment in case one isn't accepted

Cities and Jurisdictions in Santa Cruz County

Properties in any of these areas use Santa Cruz County forms:

  • Aptos
  • Ben Lomond
  • Boulder Creek
  • Brookdale
  • Capitola
  • Davenport
  • Felton
  • Freedom
  • Los Gatos
  • Mount Hermon
  • Santa Cruz
  • Scotts Valley
  • Soquel
  • Watsonville

How do I get my forms?

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

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

Recording fees in Santa Cruz County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (831) 454-2800 for current fees.

Have other questions? Contact our support team

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 Santa Cruz County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.

This Transfer on Death Affidavit meets all recording requirements specific to Santa Cruz County.

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz 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.

4.8 out of 5 - ( 4569 Reviews )

Byron M.

March 10th, 2022

This is a great service and a time saver for the company. We get fast responses and a detailed explanation if something additional is needed.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Rick H.

May 11th, 2019

Website easy to use. Sample feed from helpful. Will know more after county reviews application.

Reply from Staff

Thank you Rick, we really appreciate your feedback.

Rosa Irene G.

December 4th, 2020

nd your site/forms. The cost is also great. Thank you so much for making this affordable to everyone.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Claudia S.

January 24th, 2023

Very user friendly! Processing is very fast. I would highly recommend using Deed's.

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

Julie S.

April 3rd, 2020

My county clerks office referred me to this website and I am so glad she did. This site is very easy to use, they do NOT try to sell you other things you don't need (or want) nor do they make you sign up for anything. Pick what you need and whalaa - there for you in seconds. Thank you so much - will use again should the need arise. JS

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Dyanna B.

April 23rd, 2024

Got what I needed. Easy access.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your positive words! We’re thrilled to hear about your experience.

Michael G. S.

January 3rd, 2019

The process was quite easy, following the instructional guide. I have yet to find out if the deed was accepted, but your site was very user friendly.

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

Richard L.

April 22nd, 2020

very useful

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Robert F.

June 30th, 2025

Breeze.... It feels silly to hire an attorney to do this for just one beneficiary. Thanks.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Maricarol F.

March 6th, 2019

Found the site very easy to use. My fault I did not answer back right away. What was found is almost what I needed... Thanks.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for the feedback Maricarol, we really appreciate it.

Ron E.

January 23rd, 2020

Seems like this is a very easy process to get what you need.

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

Larry T.

May 19th, 2023

Excellent service!!!!! A 5STAR

Reply from Staff

Thanks Larry! We appreciate you.

Donna R.

November 17th, 2021

This was a seamless process. It probably took one minute to fill out my information and upload the document. It was formatted and sent immediately. It was processed the next day at the county recorders office. I have zero complaints. Before finding this company I spent an entire day calling and leaving messages at other e-filing companies like simplfile and others but they all required subscriptions. I just needed to file a single document now and then so that was not a good fit. (And those companies I found out still require the customer to do all the work!). Deeds.com kept me informed throughout the process every step. I'm happy to write this review. Thank you

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

ROBERT L.

April 1st, 2019

I got a blank, a sample and detailed instructions, I'm happy. If the recorder's office had a form as they like to see, with your name as they like to see, and the property name as they like to see, no one would ever pay a lawyer for this but a little time to look up the exact names and this package you're all set. I recommend this because, while it isn't difficult, making a mistake could be very bad so getting the details right for a particular county is well worth the cost.

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

Rick R.

February 5th, 2021

So far excellent service - I made a boo boo on the deed - no problem they made the change before they sent it off to be recorded. I will never drive to the Recorder's office again.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!