Newly married and looking to tidy up a deed that previously carried your maiden name? Keeping your property records matching your legal identification is a smart move.
Here’s a simple, step-by-step guide to updating your name on a property deed in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, whether you own the property by yourself or purchased it jointly with your spouse before marriage.
Capstone Land Transfer can take you through this process from start to finish, from title history to recording a new deed in Clearfield County. Contact us today or give us a call at 717-857-7772.
Step 1: Check Your Current Deed
Start by confirming exactly how your property is currently titled and identifying its parcel details. Pull a copy of your deed online or visit the Clearfield County Register and Recorder’s Office located inside the Courthouse at 1 North Second Street in Clearfield.
While reviewing it, locate your Uniform Parcel Identifier (UPI) number (also known as the parcel ID). You will need this exact number later, as Clearfield County requires it on all real estate documents.
Step 2: Pick the Right Deed Form
To update your name on a deed in Pennsylvania, you cannot simply cross out the old name or file an amendment form. You and your spouse must execute a new deed, even if it is just to yourselves. In this scenario, the document serves as a “confirmatory” or “name-change” deed, where you officially convey the property from your previous legal identity (maiden name) to your current one (married name). These types of transfers are exempt from realty transfer tax.
Step 3: Decide How You’ll Hold Title Together
How you approach this step depends entirely on who currently holds a legal interest in the property:
Scenario A: If You Are the Sole Owner
- If the property is strictly in your name, you are simply updating the title to reflect your new married name as the single owner. (Note: If your goal is to add your new spouse to the deed at the same time, you can do so now by establishing a joint tenancy as Tenants by the Entirety).
Scenario B: If You and Your Spouse Purchased as Unmarried Co-Owners
- If you bought the home together before marriage, your current deed likely vests ownership as “Tenants in Common” or “Joint Tenants.” This update allows you to upgrade your legal status to Tenants by the Entirety. This is a specialized form of joint ownership exclusive to married couples in Pennsylvania that provides automatic rights of survivorship and robust protection against individual creditor claims.
Step 4: Fill Out and Sign the Deed
The phrasing of the “Grantor” (the party conveying the property) and “Grantee” (the party receiving the property) sections must precisely match your current ownership structure:
If You Are the Sole Owner: * Grantor: You, listed by your maiden name (e.g., “Jane Smith, now known as Jane Doe”).
Grantee: You, listed by your married name (e.g., “Jane Doe”).
If You and Your Spouse are Co-Owners:
Grantor: Both you and your husband, using your names exactly as they appear on the original deed (e.g., “John Doe and Jane Smith, now known as Jane Doe”).
Grantee: Both of you, reflecting your married name and marital status (e.g., “John Doe and Jane Doe, husband and wife, as Tenants by the Entirety”).
Regardless of the scenario, the deed must include the property’s exact metes-and-bounds legal description copied verbatim from the current deed, the UPI number, and a Certificate of Residence. All granting parties must sign the new deed in front of a notary public.
Step 5: Secure the UPI Stamp and Handle Tax Paperwork
Clearfield County requires all deeds to be presented to the UPI Office for a UPI Stamp before they can be officially recorded by the Recorder of Deeds. There is a nominal $10 fee per parcel for this stamp.
Additionally, Pennsylvania requires a Statement of Value (SOV) form with the deed. The excellent news? Whether you are a sole owner changing your name, or co-owners updating your status to a married couple, confirmatory spousal transfers are wholly exempt from the state and local 2% Realty Transfer Tax. Capstone will draft the precise exemption language required so you do not pay unnecessary taxes.
A Quick Note on Mortgages
Updating your name on the county land records changes the ownership title, but it does not automatically alter your mortgage. Your home loan will remain exactly as it was originally written until you notify your lender and provide your marriage certificate.
If you are a sole owner, the mortgage remains your sole responsibility unless you choose to refinance. If you are co-owners, the loan obligations remain unchanged.
Why Record It — and How We Can Help
Recording this new deed cleans up the public record, protects your property rights under your proper legal name, and prevents major administrative or title delays if you ever decide to sell or refinance your home down the road.
Whether you need a new deed drafted, a UPI verification, or want a professional team to handle the notary and recording process from start to finish, we at Capstone Land Transfer are here to save you time and stress. Ready to update your deed? Contact us today for personalized support.
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