Create Land Trust Agreement
Answer the questions below. Your answers stay in your browser — no data is sent to any server. When you're done, you'll get a completed Land Trust Agreement PDF.
Document information
Identify the land trust.
The full legal name of the land trust as it will appear in the trust agreement.
How a land trust works
A land trust holds legal title to real estate through a trustee, while you keep full control as the beneficiary. Because the recorded deed names only the trustee, your name stays off county property records. You keep the right to occupy the property, collect rent, sell, or refinance — all through a private direction that the trustee follows. Illinois and Florida are the best-known land-trust states, and several other states recognize the structure under common law.
What this generator produces
- A complete Land Trust Agreement naming the trustee, beneficiary, property, and term
- A Deed to Trustee for transferring the property into the trust
- A signature block with notary acknowledgment lines
Both documents download as PDFs, ready to print and sign. The agreement is a private contract — only the deed gets recorded at the county level.
Why people use land trusts
Privacy is the most common reason: the public record shows the trustee, not you. Land trusts also let you assign beneficial interest without re-recording a deed, which simplifies transfers and estate planning. On properties with mortgages, the Garn-St. Germain Act generally shields transfers to inter vivos trusts where the borrower remains a beneficiary.
State-specific details
State pages cover the exact statutes, recording steps, and tax treatment:
- Illinois land trusts — the original land-trust state, common-law based
- Florida land trusts — Florida Land Trust Act (§ 689.071)
- Virginia land trusts — Va. Code § 55.1-117
- Ohio land trusts, Indiana, North Dakota, and Georgia
- States without land-trust statutes — including California and Texas
Learn more
New to land trusts? Read the land trust overview or compare a land trust vs. LLC. For the full document walkthrough, see the Land Trust Agreement guide.