Last verified 2026-09-19; facts checked against the primary sources below

California affidavit of death of trustee: official forms

Q: What does the Los Angeles trustee form ask you to complete?

Use the recorder's actual PDF , rather than a joint-tenant affidavit. Have these records ready: The deceased trustee's name as shown on the certified death certificate. The trust date and trustor names. The prior deed's recording date, instrument number and county. The property's legal description from the recorded documents. The signer's basis for being the surviving or successor trustee designated and empowered by the trust. Recording-request and return-mail information. The PDF includes a sworn or affirmed notarial certificate. Follow that form's signing and notarization instructions; do not treat a typed name as a completed affidavit. For Los Angeles, pair it with the recorder's Preliminary Change of Ownership Report and certified death certificate, and check the current recording requirements . The recorder's page describes a separate PCOR exception for death of a beneficiary under a deed of trust; that is not a general exception for this trustee affidavit. Confirm another county's package directly with that recorder.

Last verified: September 19, 2026

The short answer: A surviving or successor trustee can start with the official Los Angeles County affidavit of death of trustee form, then confirm the recording requirements in the county where the property is located. Check the recorded deed and trust succession terms before signing. Los Angeles requires the completed affidavit, a certified death certificate and a Preliminary Change of Ownership Report for this trustee package.

Los Angeles form fields and recording-package links reviewed October 19, 2026. Other county and assessor information retains the September 19 review date above.

This affidavit identifies the deceased trustee and the person succeeding to the trustee role. It is not a beneficiary distribution deed, and it is not interchangeable with an affidavit of death of joint tenant.

Check the deed and trust before choosing the form

The recorded deed should show that the deceased person held title as trustee. The trust and all amendments should identify how a successor trustee takes office. Los Angeles County's courtesy form asks for the trust date, trustor, prior deed recording information, property description, and the signer's statement that they are the surviving or successor trustee. Los Angeles affidavit form

What the record shows	Starting point
Deceased person held title as trustee	Review the trustee affidavit and trust succession terms
Deceased person held title as a joint tenant	Use the joint-tenant affidavit guide
Property was never deeded into the trust	Determine the correct probate, succession, or other transfer route before recording anything
Successor-trustee identity is disputed or unclear	Resolve authority before signing an affidavit under oath

What goes in the recording package?

County requirements control the actual submission. The official examples reviewed identify these common components:

Item	What to verify
Affidavit of death of trustee	Names, trust date, prior deed reference, legal description, successor-trustee statement, signature, and notarization
Certified death certificate	Attach the certified copy required by the recorder; see how to order a California death certificate
Preliminary Change of Ownership Report	Los Angeles County requires a PCOR with its affidavit package; confirm the rule in the property's county
Recording fees and cover requirements	Use the county's current fee schedule and mailing or in-person instructions

Sacramento County says its recorder checks for the affiant and decedent names, a certified death certificate, property identification, signature, and verification. It also notes that the death certificate counts as an additional recorded page. Sacramento County recording requirements

What does the Los Angeles trustee form ask you to complete?

Use the recorder's actual PDF, rather than a joint-tenant affidavit. Have these records ready:

The deceased trustee's name as shown on the certified death certificate.
The trust date and trustor names.
The prior deed's recording date, instrument number and county.
The property's legal description from the recorded documents.
The signer's basis for being the surviving or successor trustee designated and empowered by the trust.
Recording-request and return-mail information.

The PDF includes a sworn or affirmed notarial certificate. Follow that form's signing and notarization instructions; do not treat a typed name as a completed affidavit.

For Los Angeles, pair it with the recorder's Preliminary Change of Ownership Report and certified death certificate, and check the current recording requirements. The recorder's page describes a separate PCOR exception for death of a beneficiary under a deed of trust; that is not a general exception for this trustee affidavit. Confirm another county's package directly with that recorder.

Where do I get the form?

Los Angeles County provides a trustee affidavit and submission checklist.
San Diego County lists an affidavit of death of trustee among its courtesy recorder forms.
Tulare County publishes a trustee template and describes it as identifying the deceased former trustee in specifically described real property.
Sacramento County publishes recording requirements and directs readers to its public law library for forms.

For another county, use the official recorder's form and instructions. Do not copy a county mailing address, fee, or local cover-sheet rule from a different county.

Do I also file BOE-502-D?

Yes, death-of-owner assessor reporting is a separate task. San Diego County instructs families to submit the Change in Ownership Statement—Death of Real Property Owner even when the property was held through a trust. San Diego County guidance

Use the BOE-502-D guide to find the county assessor route and the applicable timing. Recording the trustee affidavit does not by itself complete property-tax reporting or establish eligibility for a reassessment exclusion.

What does the affidavit not do?

It does not decide a dispute about the valid successor trustee, rewrite the trust, transfer beneficial ownership to an heir, or confirm that the property was properly funded into the trust. It also does not replace any later deed needed to distribute or sell the property.

Use the California property-transfer-after-death map to separate trustee succession, beneficiary distribution, assessor reporting, and probate alternatives.

Recorder forms affect title to real property. Confirm the deed, trust authority, and county package before signing or recording.