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
Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.
Included Cowlitz County compliant document last validated/updated 5/13/2024
Transfer on Death Deed Guide
Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.
Included Cowlitz County compliant document last validated/updated 6/17/2024
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 7/17/2024
The following Washington and Cowlitz County supplemental forms are included as a courtesy with your order:
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.
4.8 out of 5 - ( 4399 Reviews )
Felincia L.
September 28th, 2024
The process was fast and efficient. I did get a bit confused after entering info for my package but soon realized I had completed this part of the process and only needed to leave the page and wait for review of the document and then the invoice. It was pretty simple. After payment of the invoice I was notified that the document had been submitted. A few hours later I received notice that the document was recorded by the city. It was fast!
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HEATHER M.
September 27th, 2024
The guide I needed was very easy to understand and the template was easy to complete. I had a property attorney review the deed before I had it registered and she was impressed. She said she couldn't have written it better herself! Definitely worth the money instead of paying high dollar attorney fees for a simple task.
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Linda D.
September 23rd, 2024
very efficient and easy to use online platform. I reviewed several different sites before I settle on this one. Took my deed to the courthouse today and recorded it with no problems.
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Joan H.
March 30th, 2021
Your service was fine but as a newly widowed senior, I wish your price was lower.
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April 6th, 2022
quick and easy to use
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March 4th, 2023
I believe that you should wait until a pending file is completed before asking for feedback.
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April 25th, 2021
love your Deeds.com website...
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Georgette S.
March 12th, 2020
Very easy form to us. Instructions very good.
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Kenneth-Wayne L.
August 20th, 2020
1) I was very pleased when the staff mentioned your service since the three referenced on the Recorder's website all wanted HUGE Account set-up and maintenance fees AND BIG fees per recording, and yours has no set-up fee AND nominal per-recording fee; 2) My (few) recordings will be NON-LAND Related, summary or entire record(s) of Administrative (Procedures Act) records, Other than the Border width and Cover Sheet, do you anticipate any other special requirements for such recording(s)? NOTE: I just sent one by Snail Mail, and they just informed me that due to the GERMIPHOBIA 'Pandemic' the ONLY open and record Snail Mail ONCE A MONTH On the first of each chmonth!
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Susan K.
July 13th, 2021
They were unable to complete the task and my money was immediately refunded.
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Gregory B.
May 30th, 2020
I believe you need more instruction on the use of the web site. I would type and nothing would appear on the form. When I tried to save a completed form I ended with a blank form with no detail.
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Sheryl L.
December 1st, 2021
EZ to use program....was able to print all forms ordered. I expect to go back to to use recording ability. Instructions are easily followed...would be nice to have confirmation included but they are available to purchase. Hope for successful recording of TOD affidavit. Pretty good value...attorney quoted well over the price I paid for package.
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Pamela F.
March 24th, 2019
Very easy to use and had my forms paid for and downloaded very quickly.
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February 8th, 2024
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Donna C.
April 1st, 2022
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