California passed new legislation, effective January 1, 2022, requiring that transfer on death (TOD) deeds be signed by two adult witnesses. The witnesses cannot also be named as beneficiaries (recipients of the property upon the owner's death) on the deed; you must find other people to act as your witnesses. So now, to finalize a transfer on death deed in California, you must:
If you miss any one of these steps, the TOD deed won't be valid.
Learn more: Transfer-on-Death Deeds: An Overview.
Effective date: January 1, 2022.