Deed in Spanish: what each type of deed is called, and how to translate one

What is a deed called in Spanish?

Escritura is the general word for a deed signed before a notary. In Mexico and Spain a sale of land is normally signed before a notary as an escritura pública, so a buyer's copy of the deed is often just called las escrituras. Título de propiedad is the plain way to say proof of ownership.

Deed, title deed

Escritura, título de propiedad

Property deed

Escritura de propiedad

Warranty deed

Escritura de garantía, escritura con garantía de título

Quitclaim deed

Escritura de renuncia, escritura de finiquito

Deed of trust, trust deed

Escritura de fideicomiso, escritura de fideicomiso en garantía

Grant deed

Escritura de cesión, escritura de traspaso

Deed of sale

Escritura de compraventa

None of these US deed types has an exact twin in Spanish law, so a careful translation keeps the English name in brackets the first time, for example escritura de garantía (warranty deed). The reader then knows which US instrument the paper is.

How warranty, quitclaim and trust deeds differ

The three deed types people search for most do very different jobs, and the Spanish term should say which one you hold.

A deed of trust is a loan document, not a sale. Some states use it instead of a mortgage, and it almost always carries a power-of-sale clause that lets the trustee sell the property without going to court if the loan is not paid[3]. That clause is the one a Spanish-speaking borrower most needs to read in their own language.

Clause terms in a US deed, in Spanish

Keep the legal description word for word. Lot and block numbers, metes and bounds, the parcel number and the county recorder's book and page stay exactly as printed, because a single wrong digit points to a different piece of land.

A Mexican or Spanish escritura in English

The other direction comes up when a family sells a house in Mexico or Spain, inherits one, or shows ownership abroad to a US lender, a title company or an estate attorney. An escritura pública reads differently from a US deed. It opens with the notary's number and the date, names the parties with their full surnames, recites the antecedentes, the earlier titles, and ends with the notary's certification and the registry entry.

How to translate a deed with LoreAI

1. Scan or photograph every page. Include the recorder's stamp page and any exhibit with the legal description. A PDF from the county website or phone photos of the paper copy both work.
2. Upload the file and choose the target language. Spanish for a US deed, English for an escritura. LoreAI detects the source language and reads stamps and seals.
3. Download the Word file. Headings, numbered clauses and the boundary table come back in the original order, with names, dates, amounts and parcel numbers as written.

A recorded deed with exhibits fits in one upload. Free covers 3 pages, Basic up to 30 pages per document and Pro up to 100 pages.

When the translation has to be certified

Reading your own deed needs no certificate. A court, a title company or an immigration case may ask for one. USCIS, for example, accepts a foreign-language document only with a full English translation and the translator's certification that it is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate[4].

LoreAI is not a certified translation service. A bilingual person or a professional translator checks the Word file and signs the statement. The legal document translation guide covers who signs for which office.

Questions people ask