James City Certificate of Trust Form

Last validated April 23, 2026 by our Forms Development Team

James City Certificate of Trust Form

James City Certificate of Trust Form

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

Document Last Validated 4/17/2026
James City Certificate of Trust Guide

James City Certificate of Trust Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Document Last Validated 4/23/2026
James City Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

James City Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.

Document Last Validated 4/13/2026

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

Immediate Download • Secure Checkout

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

Where to Record Your Documents

Clerk of the Circuit Court

Address:
5201 Monticello Ave, Suite 6
Williamsburg, Virginia 23188-8218

Hours: 8:30am - 4:30pm Monday-Friday

Phone: (757) 564-2242

Recording Tips for James City:
  • Ensure all signatures are in blue or black ink
  • White-out or correction fluid may cause rejection
  • Request a receipt showing your recording numbers
  • Ask about their eRecording option for future transactions
  • If mailing documents, use certified mail with return receipt

Cities and Jurisdictions in James City

Properties in any of these areas use James City forms:

  • Jamestown
  • Norge
  • Toano
  • Williamsburg

View Complete Recorder Office Guide

Hours, fees, requirements, and more for James City

How do I get my forms?

Forms are available for immediate download after payment. The James City 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 James City?

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

Recording fees in James City vary. Contact the recorder's office at (757) 564-2242 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 James City to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.

This Certificate of Trust meets all recording requirements specific to James City.

Our Promise

The documents you receive here are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable James City 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 James City 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.

4.8 out of 5 - ( 4714 Reviews )

Kelly Y.

September 1st, 2022

The document was easy to locate, pay for and download. I hope it will be this easy to process by the County!

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Marc T.

August 19th, 2021

Excellent service

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Mercedes B.

February 16th, 2020

Great site. It lets your fingers do the walking. It took me half a day to get deed info a couple of years ago. Thanks Deeds.com

Reply from Staff

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April 19th, 2021

Being new at this, the system was somewhat difficult to understand at first. It took a couple of tries before I got it. It seems to be somewhat slow as well. However, it's a wonderful idea to have documents recorded from the comfort of your home, especially in the times that we are in with COVID19. I definitely don't mind paying the fee which I thought was reasonable.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

barbara s.

June 3rd, 2020

I was in a rush to record a quit claim deed, however due to covid 19 Miami dade county recorders office are not open to public. According to staff I would have to mail in the quit claim deed and wait approximately two weeks for the deed to get recorded. Thanks to Deeds.com I got my document recorded in less than one day. You guys are awesome, I will use this company anytime I need something like this again. Very reliable.

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August 23rd, 2019

All in all an easy, cost-effective approach to simple legal work.

Reply from Staff

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FEDERICO T.

June 21st, 2019

It was a little confusing to retrieve the documents. I was waiting for an email, but then I went toyour portal and I saw the messages and the document.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback Frederico.

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January 23rd, 2020

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

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August 25th, 2020

Great service!

Reply from Staff

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February 22nd, 2024

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Reply from Staff

We are delighted to have been of service. Thank you for the positive review!

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November 10th, 2022

Easy but why charge???

Reply from Staff

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Melody S.

February 11th, 2021

Although I was given quite a bit of information, I wanted my property title. I was not informed of what I would receive before I paid for this service.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Michael N.

June 7th, 2025

This is an extremely helpful and very fast way to file with property recorders. It saved me time away from work and provided a receipt for the filing

Reply from Staff

Thank you, Michael! We're glad to hear the process was fast and efficient for you—and that it saved you time from work. Appreciate you sharing your experience!

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June 18th, 2022

Clean crisp website with helpful information; however. If the site states the following files are included, a single .zip, .rar, , ,download should be available instead of individual.

Reply from Staff

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October 21st, 2020

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Reply from Staff

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