In US home buying, a deed is the legal document that transfers ownership of a property to you, and title is the ownership itself.
People say "title deed" for both, which is fair, because in everyday life they travel together. But they're different things, and the difference matters when you're sorting out what to keep. The deed is a piece of paper (or a PDF) with signatures on it. Title is the legal right the paper hands over.
This page describes US practice. Closing customs vary by state, and the people who handle them vary too. It isn't legal advice, so for your own property your closing agent, an attorney or your county recorder's office has the final word.
What a title deed is
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) explains the sequence. At closing, your lender sends the borrowed money to the settlement agent, and the seller signs a deed, "the legal document making you the owner of the home." The settlement agent, often a title company, an escrow company or a closing attorney, prepares supporting documents and records them with the county registrar's office or register of deeds.
The CFPB's page on owner's title insurance puts the two words together: you receive a document usually called a deed, which shows the seller transferred their legal ownership, or "title," to you.
Don't mix the deed up with the deed of trust. The CFPB lists the deed of trust, also called the mortgage or security instrument, as a separate closing document. By signing it, the property becomes collateral for the loan. Some of the documents you sign at closing, like the deed of trust, need to be notarized.
One more variant: in a contract for deed, the CFPB notes, the seller keeps the deed until the contract is fulfilled, so you can act as the owner without yet holding the deed.
What's on it
Deed formats differ by state and county, so treat this as a reading guide rather than a template.
| Part | What it means | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Names of seller and buyer | Who is transferring and who receives | Spelled exactly as on your ID and loan papers |
| Property description | Identifies the property | Address and any legal description match your closing papers |
| Signatures | The seller's signature making the transfer | Present; the CFPB notes some closing documents must be notarized |
| Notary block | Evidence the signature was acknowledged | Filled in, if your state requires it |
| Recording information | Shows the document was recorded with the county | Recording stamp or number is present |
| Deed of trust (separate document) | Makes the property collateral for the loan | Filed with the loan papers, not confused with the deed |
| Title insurance policy (separate) | Protects against claims from before you bought | Policy and any owner's policy are saved with the deed |
| Closing Disclosure (separate) | Final loan terms and costs | Matches the deed and loan documents |
What to keep and for how long
Keep the deed for as long as you own the property, and keep proof that it was recorded. The same goes for the owner's title insurance policy if you bought one. The CFPB says title insurance can protect you if someone later makes a claim from before you purchased, and that's a claim you'd want the paperwork for.
Property records have a tax side too. The IRS says to generally keep records relating to property until the period of limitations runs out for the year you dispose of the property, because you need them to figure gain or loss. So the closing papers, any improvement receipts and the deed are worth keeping well past the day you sell. The IRS also warns that insurers or creditors may require longer.
Ask your closing agent for a complete copy of the closing packet and save it right away. Our mortgage paperwork scenario lists what to gather up front, and the moving house checklist covers what to do after you get the keys. A paper original is worth storing somewhere safe at home, with a scan in your backup. See how to back up important documents, and see what to keep and how long for the general rules.