Whatcom County Certificate of Trust Form (Washington)
All Whatcom County specific forms and documents listed below are included in your immediate download package:
Certificate of Trust Form
Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.
Included Whatcom County compliant document last validated/updated 4/29/2024
Certifciate of Trust Guide
Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.
Included Whatcom County compliant document last validated/updated 4/22/2024
Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document
Example of a properly completed form for reference.
Included Whatcom County compliant document last validated/updated 7/9/2024
The following Washington and Whatcom County supplemental forms are included as a courtesy with your order:
When using these Certificate of Trust forms, the subject real estate must be physically located in Whatcom County. The executed documents should then be recorded in the following office:
Whatcom County Auditor: Recording
311 Grand Ave, Suite 103, Bellingham, Washington 98225
Hours: 8:30 to 4:30 M-F
Phone: (360) 778-5100
Local jurisdictions located in Whatcom County include:
- Acme
- Bellingham
- Blaine
- Custer
- Deming
- Everson
- Ferndale
- Lummi Island
- Lynden
- Maple Falls
- Nooksack
- Point Roberts
- Sumas
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 Whatcom 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 Whatcom County using our eRecording service.
Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Whatcom County?
Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Whatcom 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 Whatcom County that you need to transfer you would only need to order our forms once for all of your properties in Whatcom County.
What are supplemental forms?
Often when a deed is recorded, additional documents are required by Washington or Whatcom 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 Whatcom 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.
Washington State Certification of Trust
When doing business with a trustee, third parties (such as financial institutions) may request a certification of trust, a statutory document that certifies the existence of a trust and outlines the trustee's powers and authority to act on the trust's behalf. In Washington, the certificate, taken from section 1013 of the Uniform Trust Code, is codified at RCW 11.98.075 as part of the probate and trust law of Washington.
In lieu of presenting parties outside of the trust arrangement (essentially, anyone who is not a trust beneficiary) with the entire trust document, RCW 11.98.075 allows the trustee to supply a certificate of trust containing the essential information about the trust necessary for the transaction at hand, and not "the dispositive terms of the trust" (RCW 11.98.075(4)). This allows the settlor's estate plans to remain private, including the identity of trust beneficiaries.
The certificate requires a statement that the trust exists, along with the name and date of the trust, the identity of the trust's settlor, and the name and address of each current trustee serving the trust. The document also establishes the relevant powers of the trustee to conduct the business at hand. If there are co-trustees, the certificate also outlines how many are required to jointly act in performing trustee powers, and who among them has signing authority. Additional evidence as to the designation of the trustee and the trustee's powers may be requested in the form of excerpts from the trust instrument.
In addition, a certificate of trust also identifies anyone holding a power to revoke the trust, if applicable, and identifies how assets held by the trust are titled. In support of a real property transaction, a certificate may also provide a legal description of the subject property.
The contents of the certificate may be relied on by the recipient as fact, and offers protections for persons relying on the information. The certificate contains a statement to the effect that the representations made within have not been invalidated by any amendments made to or revocation of the trust.
A certificate of trust in Washington may be signed by any trustee or an attorney for the trust in the presence of a notary public. If the certificate is submitted for recording with the appropriate county's land records, it must conform to Washington State recording requirements.
Consult a lawyer with questions regarding certifications of trust in Washington, as each situation is unique.
(Washington COT Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)
Our Promise
The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Whatcom 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 Whatcom 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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April 10th, 2019
Very helpful, with blank and sample completed documents. The only thing I was confused about was the "legal description" of my property. The documents weren't too helpful on what that meant. Otherwise they were great. It saved me $200 to prepare these myself.
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October 20th, 2021
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