Declaration of Trust — All States
A Declaration of Trust is the founding document: it creates the trust, names the trustee and beneficiaries, and states the terms of management. State rules on signing, notarization, and recording differ — select a state below for the details, orcreate a Declaration of Trust now. Already have one? The Certificate of Trust requirements by state covers the short bank-ready summary used to prove the trust to third parties.
Northeast
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest & West
Frequently asked questions
Do all states recognize a declaration of trust?
Yes for revocable living trusts — every state has statutory or common-law rules for express trusts, and the directory links each state's governing statute. A handful of states add their own formalities, noted on the state pages.
What is the difference between a declaration of trust and a certificate of trust?
The declaration is the full founding document with the trust's terms. The certificate is a short summary proving an existing trust to banks and title companies. If you need both, create the declaration first, then generate the certificate from the same answers.
Does a declaration of trust need to be notarized or recorded?
Notarization is not universally required, but many institutions and recorders expect it, and deeds into a land trust must be notarized to record — state pages list the local requirements.