Polk County Certificate of Trust Form (Florida)

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

Certificate of Trust Form

Polk County Certificate of Trust Form

Fill in the blank Certificate of Trust form formatted to comply with all Florida recording and content requirements.
Included Polk County compliant document last validated/updated 11/30/2023

Certificate of Trust Guide

Polk County Certificate of Trust Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the Certificate of Trust form.
Included Polk County compliant document last validated/updated 5/31/2024

Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

Polk County Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

Example of a properly completed Florida Certificate of Trust document for reference.
Included Polk County compliant document last validated/updated 4/29/2024

When using these Certificate of Trust forms, the subject real estate must be physically located in Polk County. The executed documents should then be recorded in one of the following offices:

Clerk of Circuit Court - Official Records

255 N Broadway Ave, Bartow, Florida 33830

Hours: 8:00am - 5:00pm M-F

Phone: (863) 534-4516

Mail to: Clerk of Circuit Court - Official Records

P.O. Box 9000 Drawer CC-8 , Bartow, Florida 33831

Hours: for mailing purposes

Phone: N/A

Northeast Branch - NE Polk Co. Gov. Center

3425 Lake Alfred Rd, Winter Haven, Florida 33881

Hours: 8:00am - 5:00pm M-F

Phone: (863) 401-2400

Lakeland Branch

930 E Parker St, Rm 240, Lakeland, Florida 33801

Hours: 8:00am - 5:00pm M-F

Phone: (863) 603-6412

Local jurisdictions located in Polk County include:

  • Alturas
  • Auburndale
  • Babson Park
  • Bartow
  • Bradley
  • Davenport
  • Dundee
  • Eagle Lake
  • Eaton Park
  • Fort Meade
  • Frostproof
  • Haines City
  • Highland City
  • Homeland
  • Indian Lake Estates
  • Kathleen
  • Kissimmee
  • Lake Alfred
  • Lake Hamilton
  • Lake Wales
  • Lakeland
  • Lakeshore
  • Loughman
  • Mulberry
  • Nalcrest
  • Nichols
  • Polk City
  • River Ranch
  • Waverly
  • Winter Haven

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

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Polk County including margin requirements, content requirements, font and font size requirements.

Can the Certificate of Trust 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 Polk County that you need to transfer you would only need to order our forms once for all of your properties in Polk County.

What are supplemental forms?

Often when a deed is recorded, additional documents are required by Florida or Polk 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 Polk County Certificate of Trust 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.

Governed by the Florida Trust Code under Fla. Stat. 736.1017, any trustee may execute and sign a certification of trust in lieu of furnishing a trust instrument (Fla. Stat. 736.1017(2)). The document is proof of a trust's existence, as well as the trustee's authority to act on behalf of the trust.

Lending institutions or other parties might ask for a certification of trust before processing a request, such as opening an account in the trust's name or transferring assets into or out of the trust. The certification contains only the information about the trust needed for the specific pending transaction, and the identities of those having a beneficial interest in the trust remain confidential; trust documents are usually unrecorded and therefore not a matter of public record.

A recipient can request excerpts of the trust instrument concerning the appointment of the trustee and the trustee's powers, as well as excerpts of relevant amendments, but may rely upon information presented in the certificate as fact.

The requirements for a valid certification of trust include the trust's name and date of the trust instrument; the settlor's name; the acting trustee's name; and the trustee's powers relevant to the situation. In addition, the certificate states whether the trust is irrevocable or revocable, and who has the power to revoke the trust in the case of the latter. If the transaction involves real estate, include the legal description of the subject property or properties.

If the trust has more than one acting trustee, the certificate shows who is authorized to sign documents relating to the trust, and how many are required to sign. The certificate also confirms the name by which the trustee, as representative of the trust, is to take title to trust assets.

Finally, the certificate requires a statement that the trust has not been modified in any way that would invalidate any information presented within.

The executing trustee signs the certificate in the presence of a notary public and two witnesses, as per Fla. Stat. 117.05. If the document is being recorded, submit it in the county in which the subject real property is located.

(Florida Certificate of Trust Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)

Contact a lawyer with any questions regarding certifications of trust or trust law in the State of Florida, as each situation is unique.

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Polk 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 Polk County 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.

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July 21st, 2024

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July 26th, 2023

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Jenifer L.

January 2nd, 2019

I'm an attorney. I see youve mixed up the terms "grantor" and "grantee" and their respective rights in this version. Anyone using it like this might have title troubles down the line.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback Jenifer, we have flagged the document for review.

Dennis T.

November 23rd, 2019

I liked the service very much. The form I ordered wasn't provided by the local government agency and I couldn't find it on the internet.
I liked that the form came with easy to follow, line by line, instructions and a sample. I also appreciated that I wasn't forced to take on a trial membership to keep me on the hook. I would definitely use this service again in the future!

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Dan V.

December 24th, 2021

Very happy, thanks.

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James M.

January 3rd, 2023

It would be helpful to have a joint tenant example.

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Earline S.

December 24th, 2018

Total package. Very prompt with complete instructions & example to complete forms. If you don't want to hire a lawyer, this is pretty simple & will bypass probate.

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Joan H.

September 27th, 2019

I am happy I can record this this way.

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Wanda L.

July 30th, 2020

Really nice and helped with more information.

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Sharon H.

April 28th, 2020

I was able to print the deed and follow the instructions and sample deed quite easily. Thank you

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Elizabeth S.

September 8th, 2022

Easy to download. I like the fact that it gives me an example of how to fill it out and also the instructions.

Thank you so much.

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Martine S.

July 29th, 2020

Very easy process and was recorded in a prompt manner. We will be using your services again in the future for sure.

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annie m.

February 13th, 2023

recently joined Deeds.com. still exploring the site. has been very helpful in providing local information for recording, such as fees and requirements. i am working to correct mistakes made within a deed. it is amazing how these municipalities operate outside the scope of Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17; to claim land is "in" the "State of ____. when the land is actually not ceded to the United States of America as for use for needful buildings. beware of the fraud perpetrated by Attorneys in the recording of your Deeds. Registration as "RESIDENTIAL" puts your private-use land on the TAX rolls with the use of that one word. i recommend this site as it appears there is information for each state and each county office. will update my review once i place an order.

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