Clayton County Gift Deed Form
Last validated July 16, 2026 by our Forms Development Team
Clayton County Gift Deed Form
Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.

Clayton County Gift Deed Guide
Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Clayton County Completed Example of the Gift Deed Document
Example of a properly completed form for reference.
All 3 documents above included • One-time purchase • No recurring fees
Immediate Download • Secure Checkout
Additional Iowa and Clayton County documents included at no extra charge:
Where to Record Your Documents
Clayton County Recorder
Elkader, Iowa 52043-0278
Hours: 8:00am to 4:30pm M-F
Phone: (563) 245-2710
Recording Tips for Clayton County:
- White-out or correction fluid may cause rejection
- Ask if they accept credit cards - many offices are cash/check only
- Request a receipt showing your recording numbers
- Leave recording info boxes blank - the office fills these
- Some documents require witnesses in addition to notarization
Cities and Jurisdictions in Clayton County
Properties in any of these areas use Clayton County forms:
- Edgewood
- Elkader
- Elkport
- Farmersburg
- Garber
- Garnavillo
- Guttenberg
- Luana
- Marquette
- Mc Gregor
- Monona
- North Buena Vista
- Saint Olaf
- Strawberry Point
- Volga
Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Clayton County
How do I get my forms?
Forms are available for immediate download after payment. The Clayton 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 Clayton County?
Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable formatting requirements used for recording in Clayton 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 Clayton 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 Clayton County?
Recording fees in Clayton County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (563) 245-2710 for current fees.
Questions answered? Let's get started!
Gifts of Real Property in Iowa
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 Iowa residential property, the primary methods for holding title are tenancy in common and joint tenancy. An estate conveyed to two or more people who are not married to each other is considered a tenancy in common unless otherwise specified. A conveyance to a married couple vests as joint tenancy with rights of survivorship unless otherwise stated (Iowa Code 557.15).
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. The deed must be signed by the grantor and acknowledged by an individual authorized to take acknowledgements. All signatures must be original.
In Iowa, most conveyances of real property require a Declaration of Value. Because a gift deed transfers real property from one party to another with no exchange of consideration, however, it is exempt from this requirement (Iowa Code 428A.2(21)). Record the completed gift deed in the recorder's office of the county 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 Iowa, there is no state gift tax, but gifts of real property are 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). However, if the gift's value could possibly be disputed by the IRS, 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 an Iowa 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
(Iowa Gift Deed Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)
Important: Your property must be located in Clayton County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.
This Gift Deed meets all recording requirements specific to Clayton County.
Our Promise
The documents you receive here are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable Clayton 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 Clayton 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 - ( 4763 Reviews )
Donovan M.
September 16th, 2020
Straight forward, very fair price with excellent instructions and example. I am very pleased with your product!
Thank you!
LuAnn F.
September 8th, 2022
Simple and quick access to the form I needed
Thank you!
Viola J.
August 2nd, 2021
You made this so easy to process the Executor Deed. THANK YOU a thousand times. Appreciate that all forms are in one place and I did not have to search all over the internet to get what I needed.
We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!
RUSSELL E.
August 5th, 2020
The process sure was easy and fast. Not sure why a rep would question why I am requesting an exhibit page on the Deed when that's a common practice here in AZ. They recorded it the way I sent it so all good.
Thank you!
Michael V.
April 30th, 2020
Exactly what I needed and VERY fair price. I paid $19.97 for what a local attorney wanted $200 to do. I filled out the form using the line by line guide and filed it at the court house today. Absolutely no problems.
We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!
Patricia G.
January 19th, 2021
Oh my goodness! Y'all are an answer to prayers! You provided all the forms necessary in one convenient packet, and at a VERY reasonable price! I can't thank y'all enough for helping my family & myself with what could've been a difficult and expensive situation! God bless you for your time and talent!
We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!
Debra W.
December 24th, 2018
I found this site a must. It provided all the forms I needed to file a Quit Claim Deed. I filed what use to be called a Quick Claim Deed 30 years ago. You only had to file the one form. Today it is called a Quit Claim Deed. The pack provided forms that I had no idea had to be filed with the Quit Claim Deed. I would not have known this otherwise if the option hadn't presented itself. Thank you!
Thanks for taking the time to leave your feedback Debra, we really appreciate it.
Debra M.
May 29th, 2020
Since the recorder's office is closed, due to Covid, this worked well to submit my Quit Claim Deed. I was a bit confused with the direction and download. But, I think I got her done! We'll see if I get recorded and confirmation is received. I may be back
Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!
Gary K.
July 26th, 2019
Easy to use site. Good job, it works with no stress.
Thank you!
Dennis D.
August 4th, 2022
Heard about this service from a lawyer who said their offic used it quite a bit.
Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!
Crystal W.
October 19th, 2022
This is the easiest process.
Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!
Susan M.
March 15th, 2022
Loved my experience with deeds.com! Easy and simple to fill in the form, plus the extra instructions were helpful! I will use them again!
Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!
Walter T.
December 12th, 2020
Awesome thanks
Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!
Harold F.
April 24th, 2020
You're a creditable company that performs well and provides what I requested.
Thank you!
Maribeth M.
June 25th, 2021
Usually I have trouble registering things online, even though people tell me it's easy. This time, it WAS easy and fast, and I'm grateful I didn't have to drive somewhere and stand in line. Thank you!
We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!