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

A deed in Spanish is an escritura, and a property deed is an escritura de propiedad or título de propiedad. A warranty deed becomes escritura de garantía and a deed of trust escritura de fideicomiso. LoreAI translates a whole recorded deed in either direction from a scan or photo and returns an editable Word file with the legal description, names and recording numbers as written.

## 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.

*US deed types, what they do, and the Spanish term*

| Deed | What it does | In Spanish |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Warranty deed | The seller guarantees clear title, free of liens and claims except those the deed lists[1] | Escritura de garantía |
| Quitclaim deed | The grantor passes whatever interest they hold, if any, with no promise that the title is good[2] | Escritura de renuncia |
| Deed of trust | Secures a home loan with three parties, a lender, a borrower and a trustee, often a title company[3] | Escritura de fideicomiso en garantía |

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

*Deed clause terms, English to Spanish*

| In the deed | In Spanish |
| --- | --- |
| Grantor, grantee | Otorgante, cesionario o beneficiario |
| Borrower, lender, trustee | Deudor o fideicomitente, acreedor o beneficiario, fiduciario |
| Legal description | Descripción legal del inmueble |
| Parcel number, APN | Número de parcela, número catastral |
| Consideration | Contraprestación, precio |
| Conveys and warrants | Transmite y garantiza |
| Liens and encumbrances | Gravámenes y cargas |
| Easement | Servidumbre |
| Joint tenants with right of survivorship | Copropietarios con derecho de acrecer |
| Tenants in common | Copropietarios en proindiviso |
| Power of sale | Facultad de venta extrajudicial |
| Recorded, recording number | Inscrito, número de inscripción |
| Notary acknowledgment | Reconocimiento ante notario |

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.

*Escritura terms, Spanish to English*

| In the escritura | In English |
| --- | --- |
| Notario público número | Notary public no. |
| Comparecen | Appearing before me |
| Antecedentes | Recitals, prior titles |
| Cláusulas | Clauses, covenants |
| Inmueble, predio, finca | Real property, lot, property |
| Superficie, medidas y colindancias | Area, measurements and boundaries |
| Registro Público de la Propiedad | Public Property Registry |
| Folio real | Property registry folio |
| Fideicomiso | Bank trust (in Mexico, the trust a bank holds for a foreign buyer) |
| Doy fe | I attest |

## 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](https://www.loreai.org/legal-document-translation) guide covers who signs for which office.

## Questions people ask

### How do you say deed in Spanish?

Escritura. For a house or land, escritura de propiedad or título de propiedad.

### What is a warranty deed in Spanish?

Escritura de garantía. It is the deed in which the seller guarantees clear title[1].

### What is a deed of trust in Spanish?

Escritura de fideicomiso, or escritura de fideicomiso en garantía to make clear it secures a loan. A deed of trust has three parties, a lender, a borrower and a trustee[3].

### What is a quitclaim deed in Spanish?

Escritura de renuncia, sometimes escritura de finiquito. The grantor passes only the interest they hold, with no guarantee of title[2].

### Does good deed in Spanish mean the same thing?

No. A good deed is a buena acción. The legal deed is an escritura.

## Sources

1. [Cornell Law School LII, Wex: Warranty deed](https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/warranty_deed), accessed November 10, 2026
2. [Cornell Law School LII, Wex: Quitclaim deed](https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/quitclaim_deed), accessed November 10, 2026
3. [Cornell Law School LII, Wex: Deed of trust](https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/deed_of_trust), accessed November 10, 2026
4. [8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), Translations, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-103/subpart-A/section-103.2), accessed November 10, 2026

By Matt Mountain · Updated November 10, 2026