Essex County Transfer on Death Deed Form (Virginia)
All Essex County specific forms and documents listed below are included in your immediate download package:
Transfer on Death Deed Form

Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.
Included Essex County compliant document last validated/updated 4/15/2025
Transfer on Death Deed Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.
Included Essex County compliant document last validated/updated 6/16/2025
Completed Example of the Transfer on Death Deed Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.
Included Essex County compliant document last validated/updated 4/16/2025
The following Virginia and Essex County supplemental forms are included as a courtesy with your order:
When using these Transfer on Death Deed forms, the subject real estate must be physically located in Essex County. The executed documents should then be recorded in the following office:
Clerk of Circuit Court
305 Prince St / PO Box 445, Tappahannock, Virginia 22560
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Phone: (804) 443-3541
Local jurisdictions located in Essex County include:
- Caret
- Center Cross
- Champlain
- Dunnsville
- Hustle
- Laneview
- Loretto
- Millers Tavern
- Tappahannock
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 Essex 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 Essex County using our eRecording service.
Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Essex County?
Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Essex County including margin requirements, content requirements, font and font size requirements.
Can the Transfer on Death 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 Essex County that you need to transfer you would only need to order our forms once for all of your properties in Essex County.
What are supplemental forms?
Often when a deed is recorded, additional documents are required by Virginia or Essex 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 Essex County Transfer on Death 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.
Virginia's statutory transfer on death deed became effective on July 1, 2013. These deeds are governed by the Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act (URPTODA), which is incorporated into the Virginia statutes at 64.2-621 et seq.
A transfer on death deed is an instrument that allows owners of Virginia real estate to convey land to chosen beneficiaries without the need for a will or probate distribution ( 64.2-624). To be valid, the completed and notarized form must, among other things, meet the same standards as a regular inter vivos deed (one that transfers title while the owner is still living); state that the transfer will only occur at the owner/transferor's death; and be recorded <i>while the transferor is alive</i> in the land records at clerk's office of the county where the property is located ( 64.2-628).
The deeds are revocable, which means that while alive, the owner retains 100% control over the property, may use or sell it as desired, and may also redirect, modify, or even cancel the future transfer at will. As a result, there is no requirement for notice, delivery, acceptance, or consideration, all necessary for standard deeds ( 64.2-629). This is possible because the named beneficiaries only have a potential future interest in the real estate. The process and requirements for revocation are specified in 64.2-630.
During the owner/transferor's life, the recorded transfer on death deed does not change the owner's interest or rights to sell or mortgage the property; grant the beneficiary any interest in the land; change a creditor's interest in the real estate; affect the owner's or beneficiary's eligibility for public assistance; create a legal or equitable interest in favor of the beneficiary; or open the property up to claims from the beneficiary's creditors ( 64.2-631).
When the transferor dies, the title to the real property vests in the beneficiary according to the rules stated in 64.2-632. In some cases, however, the beneficiary may not wish to accept the property. If that happens, he/she may "disclaim all or part of the beneficiary's interest as provided by Chapter 26 (64.2-2600 et seq.)" (64.2-633).
Overall, Virginia's transfer on death deed adds an efficient, flexible tool for those considering options for estate planning. As with other important financial decisions, take the time to carefully review the different options. Each case is unique, so when in doubt, contact an attorney or other appropriate professional for advice.
(Virginia TODD Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)
Our Promise
The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Essex 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 Essex County Transfer on Death 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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June 30th, 2025
Breeze.... It feels silly to hire an attorney to do this for just one beneficiary. Thanks.
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June 29th, 2025
Everything that was stated to be included in my order was complete. Very satisfied
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June 1st, 2023
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November 24th, 2020
Thank you for this service, saved me from driving down town. It was quick and very easy to navigate. Have a great Thanksgiving break.
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August 11th, 2020
very good. received what i ordered in a timely fashion despite my incompetence.
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Gordon W.
April 7th, 2022
Nice forms but it sure would have been nice to be able to at least print the guide and the example so that I don't spend all of my time bouncing back and forth between windows on a laptop.
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Phyllis B.
May 24th, 2022
I saved a ton of money doing it on my own versus through legal counsel. When I took it to the auditor/recorder today, there was absolutely no problems.
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Leonard H.
November 21st, 2019
Just perfect for what I needed. Made the property transfer very easy.
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August 20th, 2019
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July 16th, 2024
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March 30th, 2021
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May 11th, 2021
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Saul N.
June 13th, 2023
Great and fast service. Would have been grate to have seen a little more detail or a pre-filled sample in the fields. Had a little confussion in some of the lines to fill out since the guide only explains a few of the lines not all of them. Otherwise, is really great to have this service with low cost. Thank you.
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KAREN I.
May 14th, 2024
it worked. fantastic. thanks!
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