Free Illinois Vehicle Transfer on Death

Free Illinois vehicle transfer on death form. Name a beneficiary to inherit your vehicle without probate. Notarization required. PDF download.

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Owner 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*

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State Where the Vehicle Is Titled*

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In Illinois the beneficiary is added with Beneficiary Affidavit (Form VSD 773), a separate designation form. The title then shows it this way: A beneficiary space is provided on the certificate of title where the owner names the beneficiary to whom ownership passes on the owner's death (625 ILCS 5/3-107(b-5)).

Yes. The designation must be notarized. The Illinois Vehicle Code (625 ILCS 5/3-104, 3-107) states no notarization requirement, but the Beneficiary Affidavit (VSD 773) is a sworn instrument: the owner's signature is subscribed and sworn before a notary public. The beneficiary signs and dates a separate line in the beneficiary's own block; only the owner's signature sits under the notary jurat. No witnesses are required by the form.

The designation is filed with the Illinois Secretary of State, Vehicle Services Department. The current title is surrendered and reissued in beneficiary form. A new/corrected certificate of title is issued to add or change the beneficiary, so the standard certificate-of-title fee applies; the Illinois Vehicle Code states no separate beneficiary-designation fee. At the at-death transfer, the beneficiary pays the applicable title fee (and any registration fee, plus any Illinois Department of Revenue tax form) per the VSD 774 instructions.

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

Illinois puts the vehicle in the probate estate when no beneficiary survives the owner. The Illinois Vehicle Code (625 ILCS 5/3-104(a-5), 3-107(b-5)) authorizes the beneficiary designation but does not address what occurs if the named beneficiary does not survive the owner; absent the designation taking effect, the vehicle passes under Illinois estate / small-estate transfer rules. The designation covers the vehicle alone; a revocable trust set up with SimplyTrust carries the rest of the estate.

Illinois Vehicle Transfer on Death

Illinois 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 Illinois, the designation is made through the Illinois Secretary of State, Vehicle Services Department using Beneficiary Affidavit (Form VSD 773). It is notarized before it is submitted. A new certificate of title is issued showing the beneficiary.

The completed designation goes to the Illinois Secretary of State, Vehicle Services Department by mail to Illinois Secretary of State, Vehicle Services Department, 501 South Second Street, Springfield, IL 62756 or in person. The VSD 773 is a notarized paper transaction, filed by mail to the Vehicle Services Department in Springfield or in person at any Secretary of State facility. Payment is by check or money order; cash is not accepted for mailed transactions. The ERT system only completes and prints the title application (VSD 190); the printed application, the notarized VSD 773 and payment still go by mail or in person, so there is no online filing path.

In Illinois, the designation is available for one title class: motor vehicle. Limited to vehicles for which an Illinois certificate of title is issued (625 ILCS 5/3-104, 3-107). The statute does not separately enumerate watercraft or trailers.

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 August 25, 2026

Legal Sources

625 ILCS 5/3-104(a-5), 3-107(b-5)

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

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Illinois Vehicle Transfer on Death

Free Illinois Vehicle Transfer on Death

Owner Information

Is this your situation?

Retirement

New Home

Moving to a New State

Forms for Planning Your Estate in Illinois

Healthcare Power of Attorney

Financial Power of Attorney

Transfer on Death Deed

Living Will

Last Will and Testament

Tools for Planning Your Estate in Illinois

Do I Need a TOD Deed?

Do I Need a Vehicle TOD?

What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?

How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?

Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?

How Do I Sign Estate Documents?

Will My Estate Documents Transfer?

How Much Does Probate Cost?

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Illinois Estate Planning Resources

Free Illinois Vehicle Transfer on Death

Owner Information