Dubuque County Gift Deed Form (Iowa)

All Dubuque County specific forms and documents listed below are included in your immediate download package:

Gift Deed Form

Dubuque County Gift Deed Form

Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.
Included Dubuque County compliant document last validated/updated 5/9/2025

Gift Deed Guide

Dubuque County Gift Deed Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.
Included Dubuque County compliant document last validated/updated 6/24/2025

Completed Example of the Gift Deed Document

Dubuque County Completed Example of the Gift Deed Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.
Included Dubuque County compliant document last validated/updated 5/16/2025

When using these Gift Deed forms, the subject real estate must be physically located in Dubuque County. The executed documents should then be recorded in the following office:

Dubuque County Recorder

720 Central Ave / PO Box 5001, Dubuque, Iowa 52004-5001

Hours: 8:00a.m. - 4:30p.m. Monday - Friday

Phone: (563) 589-4434

Local jurisdictions located in Dubuque County include:

  • Bernard
  • Cascade
  • Dubuque
  • Durango
  • Dyersville
  • Epworth
  • Farley
  • Holy Cross
  • Luxemburg
  • New Vienna
  • Peosta
  • Sherrill
  • Worthington
  • Zwingle

How long does it take to get my forms?

Forms are available immediately after submitting payment.

How do I get my forms, are they emailed?

Immediately after you submit payment, the Dubuque County forms you order will be available for download directly from your account. You can then download the forms to your computer. If you do not already have an account, one will be created for you as part of the order process, and your login details will be provided to you. If you encounter any issues accessing your forms, please reach out to our support team for assistance. Forms are NOT emailed to you.

What does "validated/updated" mean?

This indicates the most recent date when at least one of the following occurred:

  • Updated: The document was updated or changed to remain compliant.
  • Validated: The document was examined by an attorney or staff, or it was successfully recorded in Dubuque County using our eRecording service.
Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Dubuque County?

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Dubuque County including margin requirements, content requirements, font and font size requirements.

Can the Gift Deed forms be re-used?

Yes. You can re-use the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have more than one property in Dubuque County that you need to transfer you would only need to order our forms once for all of your properties in Dubuque County.

What are supplemental forms?

Often when a deed is recorded, additional documents are required by Iowa or Dubuque County. These could be tax related, informational, or even as simple as a coversheet. Supplemental forms are provided for free with your order where available.

What type of files are the forms?

All of our Dubuque County Gift Deed forms are PDFs. You will need to have or get Adobe Reader to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.

Do I need any special software to use these forms?

You will need to have Adobe Reader installed on your computer to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.

Do I have to enter all of my property information online?

No. The blank forms are downloaded to your computer and you fill them out there, at your convenience.

Can I save the completed form, email it to someone?

Yes, you can save your deed form at any point with your information in it. The forms can also be emailed, blank or complete, as attachments.

Are there any recurring fees involved?

No. Nothing to cancel, no memberships, no recurring fees.

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)

Our Promise

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

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