What Kind of Deed You Get When Buying a House in Washington (2026)

Short answer: When you buy a house in Washington, the seller signs a deed that moves ownership to you, and escrow records it with the county. The deed type matters. A warranty deed (the form in RCW 64.04.030, usually titled "Statutory Warranty Deed") comes with the seller’s promises that the title is good and that they’ll defend it. A bargain and sale deed only covers problems the seller created. A quitclaim deed makes no promises at all. Check which deed your purchase agreement calls for, decide how you’ll hold title, and buy an owner’s title policy.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice. A title company, an escrow officer and a Washington real estate attorney can tell you how the rules apply to your purchase.

What a deed has to do in Washington

Under RCW 64.04.010, every conveyance of real estate, or any interest in it, has to be by deed. RCW 64.04.020 adds the basics: the deed must be in writing, signed by the person bound by it, and acknowledged before someone authorized to take acknowledgments, usually a notary.

Recording is what puts the world on notice. RCW 65.08.070 says an acknowledged conveyance may be recorded in the county where the property sits. A conveyance that isn’t recorded is void against a later good-faith buyer or lender from the same seller whose document is recorded first. An instrument is deemed recorded the minute it’s filed. That’s one reason escrow records your deed as part of the closing process rather than handing it to you to file later.

The county also has format rules. Under RCW 65.04.045, the first page of a recorded document needs a top margin of at least three inches, the name and address it returns to, the document title, the grantor and grantee names, an abbreviated legal description and the assessor’s tax parcel number. Escrow and the title company prepare this, but it helps to know what you’re looking at when your recorded deed comes back.

Warranty, bargain and sale, and quitclaim deeds

Washington’s statutes give short forms for all three. The difference is in the promises, called covenants, that the law reads into each one.

Based on: RCW 64.04.030, 64.04.040, 64.04.050 and 64.04.070, Washington State Legislature; deed titles from Snohomish County’s list of deed documents reviewed for excise tax before recording.

Snohomish County’s list of deed documents that need Treasurer’s review before recording includes the Statutory Warranty Deed, the Bargain & Sale Deed and the Quit Claim Deed, along with others such as the Personal Representative Deed and the Trustee’s Deed. Clark County’s law library also names quitclaim, bargain and sale, and statutory warranty deeds as the most commonly used types. If you’re buying from an estate, you may see a personal representative’s deed; our guide to selling an inherited house covers how those sales work.

What counts for you is the deed named in your purchase agreement. If it isn’t a warranty deed, ask your agent why, and ask the title company what the owner’s policy will and won’t cover.

One more piece of the statute helps buyers. Under RCW 64.04.070, if someone sells land by deed before they actually hold title, and later gets the title, that title passes to the buyer. A quitclaim deed is the exception: RCW 64.04.050 says it doesn’t reach after-acquired title unless the deed adds words saying it should.

The deed is not your loan

Closing paperwork often includes two documents with "deed" in the name. The deed (warranty, bargain and sale, or quitclaim) moves ownership to you. The deed of trust secures your loan. Under RCW 61.24.020, a deed of trust is subject to the laws on mortgages, can be foreclosed by trustee’s sale, and the county auditor records it as a mortgage, indexing you as mortgagor. Our article on a mortgage payoff covers what happens to a seller’s loan at closing.

How you’ll hold title

The deed also says how the owners hold title, and that choice has consequences for selling, borrowing and what happens when an owner dies. Washington’s defaults are in chapter 64.28 RCW and chapter 26.16 RCW.

Based on: RCW 64.28.010, 64.28.020, 26.16.010, 26.16.020 and 26.16.030, Washington State Legislature.

Spouses can also sign a community property agreement under RCW 26.16.120 that controls what happens to community property when one of them dies. It has to be signed, witnessed and acknowledged like a deed. Some buyers put the home in a trust instead; see our guide to selling a house held in a living trust for how that affects a later sale. Which form fits you is a question for an estate planning attorney, and it’s worth asking before closing, since the vesting goes on the deed.

Title insurance and after closing

A warranty deed gives you a promise from the seller. Title insurance gives you a policy. The Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner says an owner’s policy covers problems due to fraud, legal issues and divorce claims in transferring title, and protects you against someone challenging your ownership. A lender’s policy protects the lender up to the loan amount but doesn’t protect your interest. The OIC also says the owner’s policy is for the full price, that generally most sellers pay for it, and that you pay once, at closing. Ask the title company about exclusions. Our guide to the preliminary title commitment explains what to check before closing.

After closing, you can sign up for free recording alerts:

• Snohomish County offers a Recorded Document Notification System that emails you when a document is recorded under your name or tax parcel number. The county recommends registering every variation of your name. It says the system doesn’t guarantee protection against fraud; it only tells you something was recorded.
• King County runs the Recording Activity Notification System (RANS). It’s free, notifications come by email only, and you sign up with your tax parcel number, which you can find in the county’s Parcel Viewer. The Recorder’s Office says it can’t remove or alter a recorded document. If you suspect fraud, it says to seek legal counsel or contact law enforcement.

Before you wire your down payment, read our guide to earnest money and confirm every payment instruction by phone with your escrow officer at a number you already know.

FAQ

What deed do buyers usually get in Washington?

Your purchase agreement says which deed the seller will deliver, so read that line before you sign. The three common types are the warranty deed (usually titled Statutory Warranty Deed), the bargain and sale deed and the quitclaim deed. A warranty deed under RCW 64.04.030 carries the broadest promises from the seller about the title.

Is a quitclaim deed bad?

Not by itself, but it carries no promises. Under RCW 64.04.050 it hands over whatever rights the grantor has at the time, and nothing they get later unless the deed says so. If a seller offers one on a sale, ask why, and ask the title company what the owner’s policy will cover.

Is the deed the same as a deed of trust?

No. The deed transfers ownership to you. A deed of trust is the security document for your loan. Under RCW 61.24.020 it is treated like a mortgage, can be foreclosed by trustee’s sale, and the county records it as a mortgage.

Do I need to record my deed?

Escrow normally sends it for recording at closing. Recording matters: under RCW 65.08.070, an unrecorded conveyance is void against a later good-faith buyer from the same seller who records first, and a document is treated as recorded the minute it’s filed.

Can I get an alert if someone records a document on my house?

Yes. Snohomish County and King County both offer free email alerts when a document is recorded under your name or parcel number. Neither system stops a fraudulent filing, so if you see something you don’t recognize, talk to an attorney or law enforcement.

Talk it through with a local agent

Peter Kim and Odigo Real Estate Club can walk you through the deed, vesting and title steps in your purchase agreement before you sign, with 25+ years combined experience, 593+ closings, and 122 five-star Zillow reviews. See our home buying services.

Odigo Real Estate Club · REAL Brokerage, WA #112064 · 16108 Ash Way, Suite 201, Lynnwood, WA 98087 · (425) 409-3823 · Mon–Sat 9 AM–6 PM, closed Sunday

Sources

• Washington State Legislature, RCW 64.04.010 (conveyances must be by deed), https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=64.04.010 , accessed Nov 4, 2026.
• Washington State Legislature, RCW 64.04.020 (requisites of a deed: writing, signature, acknowledgment), https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=64.04.020 , accessed Nov 4, 2026.
• Washington State Legislature, RCW 64.04.030 (warranty deed: form and covenants), https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=64.04.030 , accessed Nov 4, 2026.
• Washington State Legislature, RCW 64.04.040 (bargain and sale deed: form and covenants), https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=64.04.040 , accessed Nov 4, 2026.
• Washington State Legislature, RCW 64.04.050 (quitclaim deed: form and effect), https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=64.04.050 , accessed Nov 4, 2026.
• Washington State Legislature, RCW 64.04.070 (after-acquired title follows the deed), https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=64.04.070 , accessed Nov 4, 2026.
• Washington State Legislature, RCW 65.08.070 (recording of conveyances; effect of not recording), https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=65.08.070 , accessed Nov 4, 2026.
• Washington State Legislature, RCW 65.04.045 (first-page format requirements for recorded documents), https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=65.04.045 , accessed Nov 4, 2026.
• Washington State Legislature, RCW 61.24.020 (deeds of trust treated like mortgages; recorded as mortgages), https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=61.24.020 , accessed Nov 4, 2026.
• Washington State Legislature, RCW 64.28.010 (joint tenancy with right of survivorship), https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=64.28.010 , accessed Nov 4, 2026.
• Washington State Legislature, RCW 64.28.020 (tenancy in common default; community property presumption), https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=64.28.020 , accessed Nov 4, 2026.
• Washington State Legislature, RCW 26.16.010 (separate property of a spouse), https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=26.16.010 , accessed Nov 4, 2026.
• Washington State Legislature, RCW 26.16.020 (separate property of a domestic partner), https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=26.16.020 , accessed Nov 4, 2026.
• Washington State Legislature, RCW 26.16.030 (community property; both spouses join in deeds and purchases), https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=26.16.030 , accessed Nov 4, 2026.
• Washington State Legislature, RCW 26.16.120 (community property agreements), https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=26.16.120 , accessed Nov 4, 2026.
• Snohomish County Treasurer, Documents requiring Treasurer’s Office review before recording (list of deed types), https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/283/Documents-Requiring-a-Treasurers-Stamp , accessed Nov 4, 2026.
• Clark County Law Library, Deeds (common deed types in Washington), https://clark.wa.gov/law-library/deeds , accessed Nov 4, 2026.
• Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner, Title insurance (owner’s vs. lender’s policy; who usually pays; paid once at closing), https://www.insurance.wa.gov/insurance-resources/home-insurance/how-home-insurance-works/title-insurance , accessed Nov 4, 2026.
• Snohomish County, Recorded Document Notification System (free email alerts for documents recorded under your name or parcel number), https://snohomishcountywa.gov/6335/Recorded-Document-Notification-System , accessed Nov 4, 2026.
• King County Recorder’s Office, Recording Activity Notification System (RANS) FAQ (free email-only alerts; the office can’t remove or alter recorded documents), https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/executive-services/certificates-permits-licenses/records-licensing/recorders-office/records-search/rans-faq , accessed Nov 4, 2026.
• King County Recorder’s Office, RANS sign-up instructions (registering a name or tax parcel number), https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/executive-services/certificates-permits-licenses/records-licensing/recorders-office/records-search/rans-instructions , accessed Nov 4, 2026.