Fairfax County Certificate of Trust Form

Last validated August 17, 2026 by our Forms Development Team

Fairfax County Certificate of Trust Form

Fairfax County Certificate of Trust Form

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

Document Last Validated 8/12/2026
Fairfax County Certificate of Trust Guide

Fairfax County Certificate of Trust Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Document Last Validated 7/28/2026
Fairfax County Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

Fairfax County Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.

Document Last Validated 8/17/2026

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

Immediate Download • Secure Checkout

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

Where to Record Your Documents

Fairfax Circuit Court Clerk: Land Records Division

Address:
Courthouse - 4110 Chain Bridge Rd, Suite 317
Fairfax, Virginia 22030

Hours: 8:00 to 4:00 M-F / Recording until 3:00

Phone: (703) 691-7320

Recording Tips for Fairfax County:
  • Documents must be on 8.5 x 11 inch white paper
  • Check that your notary's commission hasn't expired
  • Leave recording info boxes blank - the office fills these
  • Recorded documents become public record - avoid including SSNs
  • Both spouses typically need to sign if property is jointly owned

Cities and Jurisdictions in Fairfax County

Properties in any of these areas use Fairfax County forms:

  • Alexandria
  • Annandale
  • Burke
  • Centreville
  • Chantilly
  • Clifton
  • Dunn Loring
  • Fairfax
  • Fairfax Station
  • Falls Church
  • Fort Belvoir
  • Great Falls
  • Greenway
  • Herndon
  • Lorton
  • Mc Lean
  • Merrifield
  • Mount Vernon
  • Newington
  • Oakton
  • Reston
  • Springfield
  • Vienna
  • West Mclean

View Complete Recorder Office Guide

Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Fairfax County

How do I get my forms?

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

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable formatting requirements used for recording in Fairfax 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 Fairfax 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 Fairfax County?

Recording fees in Fairfax County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (703) 691-7320 for current fees.

Questions answered? Let's get started!

Signed by a currently acting trustee, a certification or certificate of trust under Va. Code Ann. 64.2-804 is a document summarizing a trust in lieu of the trust instrument, and contains certified statements affirmed by the trustee in the presence of a notary public. The document confirms the existence of the subject trust and the trustee's capacity and relevant powers, and is presented in support of a transaction involving trust property.

A certificate of trust is frequently recorded alongside a trustee's deed or acquisition of real property by the trust, though recording of the document is not required by Virginia Code. Instead of disclosing the settlor's estate plan by providing the entire trust instrument, the certificate allows a trustee to provide parties outside of the trust arrangement (anyone who is not a trust beneficiary) only the essential information necessary to conduct the business at hand. Recipients of a certificate "may assume without inquiry the existence of the facts contained" within it ( 64.2-804(F)).

Requirements of a certificate include statements that the trust exists and that it has not been revoked or modified in a way that would invalidate the contents of the certificate. The form presents basic information, such as the trust's name and date; the identities of the settlor and the current trustee; the trust's identification number; and the name by which property is titled to the trust. In addition, the document identifies anyone who can revoke the trust and, if there are co-trustees, the specifications for authenticating documents relating to the trust.

Further, the document enumerates the powers of the trustee pertaining to the transaction for which the certificate is presented. These may include powers under the Uniform Trust Code, codified at 64.2-7 of the Virginia Code. Recipients of a certificate can also request excerpts of the trust instrument and any amendments thereto that designate the trustee and establish these powers.

Consult a lawyer with questions about trusts and certifications of trust in Virginia.

(Virginia COT Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)

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

This Certificate of Trust meets all recording requirements specific to Fairfax County.

Our Promise

The documents you receive here are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable Fairfax 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 Fairfax County Certificate of Trust 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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July 27th, 2022

Great source for forms acceptable to the county.

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January 19th, 2019

Good find, provides guide to use.

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May 20th, 2020

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May 4th, 2021

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August 26th, 2020

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August 26th, 2020

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May 28th, 2019

Not clear information on ownership, which is what I wanted.

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August 11th, 2020

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August 25th, 2020

I received my property deed quickly. All pertinent information required was received in less than 30 minutes.

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December 22nd, 2021

Would be great if you would just put all of these documents into ONE .pdf.

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Michael C.

January 4th, 2023

Overall positive experience; especially liked immediate access to downloaded documents and instructions. My only concern was lack of adequate space in portions of your beneficiary deed blank form which then required me to use 3 exhibits to complete all necessary documents for the county recorders office. Assuming they accept them I will call this a strong win. Thanks.

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Kristen N.

October 3rd, 2023

Very easy to use, helpful instructions and examples. I also like the chat feature and the erecording. So much better than other DIY law websites out there.

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KIMTIEN L.

April 5th, 2022

VERY GOOD INFORMATION ESPECIALLY FOR ME WHO IS IN CALIFORNIA AND OWN PROPERTY IN FLORIDA.

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September 18th, 2020

Great job. Helped me through some technical difficulties and got it done!

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