Real Estate Sales Validation Form Alabama: What Divorce Transfers Require

What Is the RT-1 and Why It Matters for Divorce

Alabama Code § 40-22-1 requires every deed presented for recording to be accompanied by a Real Estate Sales Validation Form (Form RT-1). No exceptions — including quitclaim deeds between former spouses. The Judge of Probate will refuse to record your deed without it.

The form captures the property's actual purchase price or fair market value so the county can calculate the deed recordation tax. You substantiate the value with documentary evidence — a recent appraisal, the county tax assessor's current market value, or the actual sale price if the property changed hands.

For most divorce transfers, no money changes hands. But the form is still mandatory.

The Deed Tax and the Divorce Exemption

Alabama's standard deed recordation tax is $0.50 per $500 of value, rounded up to the next $500 increment. On a $200,000 property, that's $200 in tax.

But there's an important exemption. Under Attorney General Opinion 2001-239, a quitclaim deed executed solely to terminate a spouse's homestead or marital rights post-divorce — where they are not an active title holder but are releasing a statutory interest — is classified as a deed to perfect title. In that case, no deed tax is due. The county assesses only the minimum filing fee of $0.50.

If a true ownership interest is being conveyed (one spouse held title and is transferring their share to the other), the tax is calculated on the fair market value of the interest being transferred — typically half the property's total value.

The distinction turns on whether the grantor is on the title or merely releasing homestead rights. Your county probate clerk can confirm which category applies to your transfer.

How to Complete the RT-1

The form is straightforward but precise. You'll need:

• The property's parcel identification number (from your county tax assessor's website)
• The actual consideration paid, if any
• The property's fair market value (use the tax assessor's current appraised value or a recent independent appraisal)
• A checked box indicating the type of conveyance — divorce-related transfers fall under the exempt or partially-exempt categories depending on your specific situation

Attach the completed RT-1 to the notarized quitclaim deed and present both to the Judge of Probate in the county where the property is physically located. Recording fees are typically $4.00 for the first page and $3.00 for each additional page, plus the deed tax (if applicable).

Common Mistakes

Filing the deed with the wrong county — it must be recorded where the property sits, not where you live. Leaving the RT-1 incomplete or omitting the property value substantiation, which triggers a rejection at the probate window. Forgetting the homestead assent — under Alabama Code § 6-10-3, if the transfer happens before the final decree, the grantor's spouse must sign the deed to release their homestead interest.

The Complete Toolkit

The Alabama After-Divorce Checklist includes a Quitclaim Deed Preparation Worksheet that walks through every requirement — preparer clause, marital status recitals, witness/notarization rules, the RT-1, and county recording fees — so the deed gets accepted on the first submission.

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