Free New Jersey Vehicle Transfer on Death

Free New Jersey 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. If the vehicle is jointly owned, you can add the second owner below.

How is the vehicle titled?*

Choose "Jointly owned" if two people are on the title. Owners may hold as tenants in common, tenants by the entirety, or joint tenants with right of survivorship; for survivorship forms the transfer occurs on the death of the last to die.

I am the sole ownerJointly owned with one other person

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 New Jersey the beneficiary is added with Transfer on Death Beneficiary Designation, a separate designation form. The title then shows it this way: The owner name(s) are followed in substance by the words "transfer on death to (name of beneficiary or beneficiaries)" on the certificate of ownership; the abbreviation "TOD" may be used instead of the words "transfer on death to".

Yes. The designation must be notarized. The designation form is sworn before a notary public or other officer authorized by law; the form is held by the owner and not filed with the MVC until the at-death retitling.

The designation is filed with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC). The current title is not surrendered. No fee is charged for making the TOD designation itself — the form is held by the owner and not filed with the MVC during the owner's lifetime. The standard certificate-of-ownership (title) fee applies when the beneficiary retitles the vehicle after the owner's death: $60 for a standard vehicle, $85 for a financed vehicle with one lien, $110 with two liens.

Yes. New Jersey lets joint owners name a beneficiary together. Owners may hold as tenants in common, tenants by the entirety, or joint tenants with right of survivorship; for survivorship forms the transfer occurs on the death of the last to die. Owners holding as tenants in common may also designate.

New Jersey puts the vehicle in the probate estate when no beneficiary survives the owner. If no designated beneficiary survives the death of the owner (or the last to die of multiple owners with right of survivorship), the interest in the motor vehicle belongs to the deceased owner's estate. The designation covers the vehicle alone; a revocable trust set up with SimplyTrust carries the rest of the estate.

New Jersey Vehicle Transfer on Death

New Jersey allows a vehicle transfer-on-death designation: the owner names a beneficiary who receives the vehicle at death, bypassing probate for that vehicle. The designation has no effect during the owner's life; the owner remains the sole owner and can revoke it at will.

In New Jersey, the designation is made through the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) using Transfer on Death Beneficiary Designation. It is notarized before it is submitted. The current certificate of title is not surrendered.

The completed designation goes to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) in person. During the owner's lifetime the notarized TOD designation form is held by the owner and not filed with the MVC. The actual TOD title transaction occurs after death, in person at an MVC Vehicle Center; NJ MVC does not accept title transfers by mail and offers no consumer online path for it.

In New Jersey, the designation is available for one title class: motor vehicle. The statute applies to a 'motor vehicle' titled in New Jersey; watercraft and other property are not covered by N.J.S.A. 39:3-30.1b.

The designation reaches one vehicle at a time. A family with assets beyond a vehicle covers everything in one place with a revocable living trust, which adds incapacity planning; the trust vs. will comparison shows the trade-offs.

SimplyTrust Editorial·Updated August 25, 2026

Legal Sources

N.J.S.A. 39:3-30.1b

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

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New Jersey Vehicle Transfer on Death

SimplyTrust Editorial·Updated August 25, 2026

Legal Sources

N.J.S.A. 39:3-30.1b

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

Free New Jersey Vehicle Transfer on Death

Owner Information

Is this your situation?

Retirement

New Home

Moving to a New State

Forms for Planning Your Estate in New Jersey

Healthcare Power of Attorney

Financial Power of Attorney

Living Will

Last Will and Testament

Tools for Planning Your Estate in New Jersey

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?

When you're ready, we're here.

New Jersey Estate Planning Resources

Free New Jersey Vehicle Transfer on Death

Owner Information