Free Connecticut Vehicle Transfer on Death

Free Connecticut vehicle transfer on death form. Name a beneficiary to inherit your vehicle without probate. No notarization required. PDF download.

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Your Information

Enter your information as the registered owner.

First Name*

Middle Name

Last Name*

Driver License / ID Number

Most state titling forms ask for the owner’s driver license or ID number.

Street Address*

City*

State*

ZIP Code*

State Where the Vehicle Is Titled*

Email Address*

Phone Number*

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In Connecticut the beneficiary is added with Beneficiary Designation for a Motor Vehicle, a separate designation form. The title then shows it this way: The owner names the beneficiary in writing in the beneficiary space provided on the certificate of registration; the beneficiary "shall assume ownership of such motor vehicle after the death of the owner".

No notary. The designation is signed before a witness rather than a notary. No notarization. The DMV beneficiary designation certificate is signed by the owner before a witness; the form states the beneficiary cannot sign as, or be, the witness.

The designation is filed with the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). The current title is not surrendered. No fee is charged to make the beneficiary designation during the owner's life. At death the beneficiary pays the transfer fee under Conn. Gen. Stat. 14-16(c) plus applicable registration, title and number-plate fees.

No. Connecticut does not let joint owners make the designation; it is available to a sole owner.

Connecticut sets what happens when a beneficiary dies before the owner. If the beneficiary fails to apply within sixty days after the owner's death, the beneficiary has no right to obtain ownership under Conn. Gen. Stat. 14-16(b); the vehicle then transfers through the deceased owner's estate (executor, administrator, legatee or distributee) under 14-16(c). The designation covers the vehicle alone; a revocable trust set up with SimplyTrust carries the rest of the estate.

Connecticut Vehicle Transfer on Death

Connecticut allows a transfer-on-death beneficiary designation on a vehicle title. It names someone to receive the vehicle directly at the owner's death, without probate. The owner keeps full ownership and control during life and can sell the vehicle, or change or cancel the designation, at any time.

In Connecticut, the designation is made through the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) using Beneficiary Designation for a Motor Vehicle. It is signed before a witness; no notary is involved. The current certificate of title is not surrendered.

The completed designation goes to the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in person. The designation is not filed with the DMV during the owner's life: Conn. Gen. Stat. 14-16(b) places it in a space on the certificate of registration, which the DMV supplies on a beneficiary certificate the owner completes, signs before a witness and keeps with the registration. The DMV transaction happens after death, when the beneficiary applies within sixty days for a new title and registration, by appointment at a DMV hub or branch office.

In Connecticut, the designation is available for one title class: motor vehicle. Owner must be a single natural person (not a firm or corporation) with no specified co-owner.

A vehicle TOD designation covers only the vehicle on the title, not a home, accounts or other property. A revocable living trust covers every asset it holds in one document and avoids probate for all of it; the trust vs. will comparison sets the two side by side.

SimplyTrust Editorial·Updated October 21, 2026

Legal Sources

Conn. Gen. Stat. 14-16(b)

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

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Do I Need a TOD Deed?

Connecticut does not authorize transfer on death deeds; sole-name real property goes through probate, at least 6 months for a simple estate, unless held in a trust or with a right of survivorship.

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Do I Need a Vehicle TOD?

Connecticut allows a transfer-on-death beneficiary designation on a vehicle title, filed through the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

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Whether a gift owes federal gift tax, how much of the annual exclusion and lifetime exemption it uses, and whether Form 709 is due.

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An attorney-prepared revocable trust in Connecticut runs $4,460 to $6,690 and a simple will $1,164 to $2,328, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

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Connecticut does not revoke an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorce; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.

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In-depth guides covering Connecticut probate laws, trust requirements, and estate planning strategies.

Connecticut Vehicle Transfer on Death

In Connecticut, the designation is available for one title class: motor vehicle. Owner must be a single natural person (not a firm or corporation) with no specified co-owner.

SimplyTrust Editorial·Updated October 21, 2026

Legal Sources

Conn. Gen. Stat. 14-16(b)

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

Free Connecticut Vehicle Transfer on Death

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Connecticut Estate Planning Resources

Free Connecticut Vehicle Transfer on Death

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