California · Standard edition

California Gift Deed Template

Create a California gift deed online to give real estate or other property to a family member or friend. The Standard gift deed covers the gift and legal description, no consideration, the donor's statements, liens, delivery and acceptance, irrevocability, federal gift tax reporting and basis, and California deed signing and transfer tax rules.

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California rules built into this template

  • Signing and recording: The donor must sign before a notary, and the deed is recorded with the county recorder together with a Preliminary Change of Ownership Report.
  • Transfer tax: No documentary transfer tax is due on a gift for no consideration, and the deed should say so. A gift is a change in ownership that may trigger a property tax reassessment; the parent-child exclusion under Proposition 19 is limited to a family home (or farm) that becomes the child's principal residence, with a value cap, and must be claimed with the county assessor.
  • Federal gift tax: gifts above the annual exclusion ($19,000 per recipient for 2026) are reported on IRS Form 709, but tax is due only after the $15,000,000 lifetime exemption (2026) is used up.

What the Gift Deed includes

  1. Gift
  2. No Consideration
  3. Donor's Statements
  4. Liens and Encumbrances
  5. Delivery and Acceptance
  6. Irrevocability
  7. Taxes
  8. State Law for Real Property
  9. Signing and Recording
  10. Governing Law

Frequently asked questions

Do you pay tax when you gift a house in California?
No documentary transfer tax is due on a gift for no consideration, and the deed should say so. A gift is a change in ownership that may trigger a property tax reassessment; the parent-child exclusion under Proposition 19 is limited to a family home (or farm) that becomes the child's principal residence, with a value cap, and must be claimed with the county assessor. At the federal level, the donor reports a gift above $19,000 (2026) on Form 709, and the recipient usually takes the donor's tax basis.
Can a gift deed be revoked?
Generally no. Once a gift is delivered and accepted, it is complete and the donor cannot take it back, unless it was obtained by fraud or undue influence or the law provides otherwise.
What is the difference between the Standard and Professional Gift Deed?
The Standard edition is a complete, state-aware Gift Deed for common situations. The Professional edition adds longer clause coverage, schedules, and optional modules for more complex matters. You can preview either edition free before you pay.

Gift Deed templates for other states

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Start your California Gift Deed