Illinois Forms

Stephenson County Gift Deed Form

Stephenson County Gift Deed Form

Stephenson County Gift Deed Form

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

Validated 7/31/2025 Preview Form
Stephenson County Gift Deed Guide

Stephenson County Gift Deed Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Validated 5/9/2025 Preview Form
Stephenson County Completed Example of the Gift Deed Document

Stephenson County Completed Example of the Gift Deed Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.

Validated 7/15/2025 Preview Form

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

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

Where to Record Your Documents

Stephenson County Clerk and Recorder
Address:
50 West Douglas, Suite 500
Freeport, Illinois 61032

Hours: 8:30 to 4:30 Monday through Friday

Phone: (815) 235-8289

Recording Tips for Stephenson County:
  • Double-check legal descriptions match your existing deed
  • Verify all names are spelled correctly before recording
  • Leave recording info boxes blank - the office fills these

Cities and Jurisdictions in Stephenson County

Properties in any of these areas use Stephenson County forms:

  • Cedarville
  • Dakota
  • Davis
  • Eleroy
  • Freeport
  • German Valley
  • Kent
  • Lena
  • Mc Connell
  • Orangeville
  • Pearl City
  • Ridott
  • Rock City
  • Winslow

View Complete Recorder Office Guide

Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Stephenson County

How do I get my forms?

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

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

Recording fees in Stephenson County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (815) 235-8289 for current fees.

Have other questions? Contact our support team

Gifts of Real Property in Illinois

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 information, and mailing address. Vesting describes how the grantee holds title to the property. Generally, real property is owned in either sole ownership or co-ownership. For Illinois residential property, the primary methods for holding title are tenancy in common, joint tenancy, and tenancy by the entirety. An estate conveyed to two or more unmarried persons is considered a tenancy in common, unless otherwise specified (765 ILCS 1005/1). A conveyance to a married couple vests as tenancy by entirety unless otherwise specified (765 ILCS 1005/1c).

As with any conveyance of realty, a gift deed requires a complete legal description of the parcel. Recite the source of title to maintain a clear chain of title, and detail any restrictions associated with the property. In Illinois, if the signer is not personally known to the notarial officer, a witness must acknowledge and sign the deed (765 ILCS 5/24). All signatures must be original.

In Illinois, most conveyances of real property are subject to a Real Estate Transfer Tax and require a Real Estate Transfer Declaration (Form PTAX-203). However, because a gift deed transfers real property from one party to another with no exchange of valuable consideration, this type of conveyance is exempt from the tax and does not require a declaration (35 ILCS 200/31-45e). Record the completed gift deed with the recorder's office where the subject property is located. Contact the same office to confirm recording fees and accepted forms of payment.

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 Illinois, there is no state gift tax. Gifts of real property in Illinois 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 (grantee) will be held liable [1]. For questions regarding state and federal tax laws, consult a tax specialist.

In accordance with federal law, individuals are permitted an annual exclusion of $15,000 on gifts. This means that gifts valued below $15,000 do not require a federal gift tax return (Form 709). Even so, donors should consider filing one for many gifts of real property [2].

This article is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Contact an Illinois 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

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

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

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

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Stephenson 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 Stephenson 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 )

Robert H.

August 30th, 2019

I found the site to be easy to use and the information very helpful.

Reply from Staff

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

Tina C.

August 26th, 2021

Quick and easy ordering and download. Appreciated that I could get the form that is used in my county. Would have like to be able to add paragraphs to form.

Reply from Staff

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

James A.

January 2nd, 2020

Good.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Mark R.

January 10th, 2019

Easy and simple to understand, had no trouble with the transaction or the forms. Recorded on the first try, not something that happens very often.

Reply from Staff

Great to hear that Mark. have an awesome day!

Renee K.

November 19th, 2022

So very easy to upload documents to the site and communication is very quick. It made our transactions so effortless.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

James M.

January 3rd, 2023

It would be helpful to have a joint tenant example.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Duncan M.

January 24th, 2019

Forms are fine, but the inability to download a completed form is not. Nor is the ability to convert to another format. Everytime I went to download, the form erased. I didn't have a printer available, so everything I did was to waste.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback Duncan. The blank forms should be downloaded first and then completed on your computer.

Michael F.

May 15th, 2020

VERY EFFICIENT AND PLEASANT.

Reply from Staff

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

Samantha A.

April 19th, 2023

This company is a super time saver for our firm and our client! Their website was easy to use and their staff was fast and efficient. Their fees are very reasonable. I would most certainly use their services again.

Reply from Staff

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

Frank H.

September 22nd, 2022

Form and instructions were useful. But I suggest creating a form for transferring a deed pursuant to a trust. The existing form is based on a will going through probate so it doesn't fit the trust situation in some respects.

Reply from Staff

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

Fred A.

April 15th, 2019

Very nice forms offer, very thoughtful to include other related forms that may be necessary. The site was easy to use, and very fast. Thank You.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Philippe B.

September 23rd, 2020

I purchased a Quit Claim Deed package a couple weeks ago. The included guide unfortunately didn't answer all the questions about my specific case of how to fill it out, so I sent them a couple questions on Sept 8. It's now the 23rd, and still no reply. The form is a useless waste of money if I don't know how to fill it out in a legally-accurate way.

Reply from Staff

We certainly do not want you to waste your money Philippe, to that end your order and payment has been canceled. We do hope that you seek the advice of a legal professional familiar with your specific situation. It should go without saying but just to be clear, our do it yourself forms do not include legal representation for $19. Have a wonderful day.

Chelsie F.

April 3rd, 2020

Super customer service and communication! Fast service and more informative than expected! Can't say thanks enough.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Thomas W.

June 30th, 2020

Fast, efficient, and helpful. I don't often have documents that need recording but I found Deeds.com incredibly handy. It cost me no more and probably less than if I'd gone in to do it myself. It was especially helpful during this Covid-19 stay-at-home time. It all happened within a couple of hours and I had my recorded copies in my hands.

Reply from Staff

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

FRANK O.

March 1st, 2019

Easy to download and use the forms, however two forms needed for my county recording were not included.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback Frank. We'll look into finding and including the additional supplemental documents. Sometimes supplemental documents have to be generated by the county's system, specific to the transaction.