Free Indiana Transfer on Death Deed

In Indiana, a transfer on death deed is signed before a notary, then recorded with the county before the owner's death. Indiana does not recognize a Lady Bird deed.

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Your Information

Enter your information as the property owner (transferor). If the property is jointly owned, you’ll add the second owner below.

How is the property owned?*

Choose “Jointly owned” if two people are on the title (e.g. spouses as joint tenants or tenants by the entirety). Both owners must sign.

I am the sole ownerJointly owned with one other person

First Name*

Middle Name

Last Name*

Street Address*

City*

State*

ZIP Code*

State Where Property Is Located*

County Where Property Is Located*

Email Address*

Phone Number*

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Indiana prescribes no form. The deed follows the statute's wording: "[owner name] conveys and warrants (or quitclaims) to [owner name], TOD to [beneficiary name]."

An Indiana transfer on death deed is recorded with the County Recorder for the county where the property sits and must be on record before the owner's death to take effect. The deed must be recorded in the county where the property is located during the transferor's lifetime; void if not recorded before death. County auditor endorsement is necessary to record a TOD deed. IC 32-17-14-11(i), IC 36-2-11-14 and IC 36-2-9-18 (as amended by SEA 18/P.L.99-2024, eff. Jul 1, 2024). After the owner's death, the beneficiary records an affidavit of death to put the death on the land records.

Co-owners may sign one deed together. The deed is signed by every owner whose interest it transfers.

Indiana passes the share of a beneficiary who dies before the owner to that beneficiary's descendants under its antilapse rule. The deed can name a successor beneficiary to take in that case. Under Indiana's lineal descendant substitution rule, if a designated beneficiary who is a lineal descendant of the owner does not survive the owner, that beneficiary's share passes to the beneficiary's lineal descendants per stirpes who survive the owner, unless the designation i.

The beneficiary takes the property subject to the mortgages, liens and other encumbrances on it at death. A transfer on death deed does not shield the property from Indiana Medicaid estate recovery. Indiana counts "any real or personal property conveyed through a nonprobate transfer" as part of a Medicaid recipient's estate (IC 12-15-9-0.5(a)(3)), and a transfer on death transfer under IC 32-17-14 is a nonprobate transfer by statute (IC 32-17-13-1(e)). The deed moves this parcel alone; a revocable living trust set up with SimplyTrust carries the rest of the estate.

Indiana Transfer on Death Deed

Indiana allows transfer on death deeds, which transfer real property directly to a named beneficiary at death without probate. The deed is revocable during the owner's lifetime and does not affect the ability to sell, mortgage, or otherwise use the property.

Probate in Indiana takes at least 6 months for simple estates. A TOD deed eliminates probate for the property it covers, regardless of value. For estates under $100,000, simplified procedures exist, but they still involve court paperwork. Compare the costs with the Indiana probate calculator.

A TOD deed covers only real property and requires a separate deed for each parcel. A revocable trust covers all asset types in a single document and avoids probate for everything it holds. For families with multiple assets beyond real estate, the trust vs. will comparison shows the trade-offs.

SimplyTrust Editorial·Updated October 17, 2026

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Data sourced from Indiana statutes and official state code. How we research.

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Free Indiana Transfer on Death Deed

In Indiana, a transfer on death deed is signed before a notary, then recorded with the county before the owner's death. Indiana does not recognize a Lady Bird deed.

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Indiana Transfer on Death Deed

Free Indiana Transfer on Death Deed

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Free Indiana Transfer on Death Deed

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