Cowlitz County Transfer on Death Deed Form (Washington)

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

Transfer on Death Deed Form

Cowlitz County Transfer on Death Deed Form

Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.
Included Cowlitz County compliant document last validated/updated 6/17/2025

Transfer on Death Deed Guide

Cowlitz County Transfer on Death Deed Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.
Included Cowlitz County compliant document last validated/updated 1/23/2025

Completed Example of the Transfer on Death Deed Document

Cowlitz County Completed Example of the Transfer on Death Deed Document

Example of a properly completed Washington Transfer on Death Deed document for reference.
Included Cowlitz County compliant document last validated/updated 6/16/2025

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

Cowlitz County Auditor: Recording

207 N 4th Ave, Rm 106, Kelso, Washington 98626

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

Phone: (360) 577-3006

Local jurisdictions located in Cowlitz County include:

  • Ariel
  • Carrolls
  • Castle Rock
  • Cougar
  • Kalama
  • Kelso
  • Longview
  • Ryderwood
  • Silverlake
  • Toutle
  • Woodland

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 Cowlitz 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 Cowlitz County using our eRecording service.
Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Cowlitz County?

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Cowlitz 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 Cowlitz County that you need to transfer you would only need to order our forms once for all of your properties in Cowlitz County.

What are supplemental forms?

Often when a deed is recorded, additional documents are required by Washington or Cowlitz 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 Cowlitz 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.

Real estate owners in Washington have an estate planning option: the transfer on death deed (TODD). Find the full text in the Revised Statutes of Washington at Chapter 64.80.

This statute is based on the Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act (URPTODA). Along with Washington, a growing number of states are choosing to adopt the provisions of the URPTODA. The new law allows landowners to direct the distribution of what is often their most significant asset, their real estate, with a correctly executed and recorded transfer on death deed.

Transfer on death deeds are nontestamentary, which means ownership of the property passes to the beneficiary without instructions in a will or the need for probate (64.80.040). Unnecessary conflicts are likely to add confusion and expense, so best practices dictate that landholders should take care to ensure that their wills and TODDs lead to the same outcomes.

Washington's version of the URPTODA sets out the specific requirements for lawful transfer on death deeds:

- The capacity required to make or revoke a transfer on death deed is the same as the capacity required to make a will (64.80.050, 11.12.010).

- It must contain the essential elements and formalities of a properly recordable inter vivos deed, such as warranty or quitclaim deed (64.80.060(1))

- It must state that the transfer to the designated beneficiary is to occur at the transferor's death (64.80.060(2))

- It must be recorded before the transferor's death in the office of the clerk of the county commission in the county where the property is located (64.80.060(3)).

The named beneficiary gains no present rights to the property, only a potential future interest. Instead, the transferors retain absolute control during their lives. This includes the freedom to sell or transfer it to someone else, and to modify or revoke the intended transfer on death (64.80.090). These details, along with the fact that TODDs only convey the property rights remaining, if any, at the owner's death, explain why they do not require notice or consideration (64.80.070).

According to 64.80.100(1)(a), the beneficiary gains equitable interest in the property ONLY when the owner dies. Note, however, that the beneficiary must be alive at the time of the transferor's death or the interest returns to the estate (64.80.100(1)(b)). To prevent this from happening, the owner may identify one or more contingent beneficiaries. All beneficiaries take title subject to any obligations (contracts, easements, etc.) associated with the property when the transferor dies (according to 64.80.100(2)).

With the new transfer on death deeds, real property owners in Washington have access to a convenient, flexible tool for managing one aspect of a comprehensive estate plan. Even so, a TODD may not be appropriate for everyone. Since each situation is unique, contact an attorney with specific questions or for complex circumstances.

(Washington TODD Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Cowlitz 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 Cowlitz 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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MARY LACEY M.

June 30th, 2025

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Robert F.

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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maria b.

November 1st, 2020

really easy and and helpful.



Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Terry S.

March 23rd, 2022

Worked well for us except for not being able to edit. Got it completed and recorded with the county clerk! Having the instructions and example made it easy!

Reply from Staff

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STANLEY F.

March 25th, 2019

Forms were spot on and able to save over $100 by not going to an attorney to complete the same documents. There were templates on how forms are supposed to be completed. You just need a notary to sign.

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December 31st, 2018

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March 1st, 2019

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AKILAH S.

March 14th, 2024

It was a little challenging and I had to call to speak to someone a few time but I got it done and and over with so I'm happy.

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Kathleen S.

September 30th, 2020

The process was easy and the Staff was very helpful. Document was recorded quickly.

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February 25th, 2020

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June 26th, 2021

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sakkubai p.

November 18th, 2019

It was easy to download and I love it.I am going to take them to our attorney. If she approve it I am going to print for other counties too, where we have other properties.
thanks.

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February 2nd, 2021

deeds.com has been an easy and efficient way for my organization to file deeds on behalf of older DC residents. KVH especially has been wonderfully helpful in providing guidance about the submission process. Appreciate the professionalism and patience

Reply from Staff

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