Free South Carolina Vehicle Transfer on Death

Free South Carolina vehicle transfer on death form. Name a beneficiary to inherit your vehicle without probate. No 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. Only multiple owners holding title with right of survivorship (an "OR" relationship between owners) may use a TOD designation; a TOD designation by co-owners without right of survivorship is ineffective.

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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Frequently Asked Questions About South Carolina Vehicle Transfer on Death Designations

A vehicle transfer-on-death designation in South Carolina names a beneficiary who receives your vehicle directly at your death, without probate. You keep full ownership and control during your lifetime, and can change or cancel the designation at any time.

In South Carolina, you make the designation through the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) using Application for Transfer on Death (Form TOD-1). Notarization is not required. See all South Carolina signing requirements.

You file the completed designation with the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) by mail to SCDMV, 10311 Wilson Blvd., Blythewood, SC 29016-0038 or in person. Adding a vehicle TOD beneficiary is a title transaction: submit the TOD-1 with a Form 400 and the existing certificate of title by mail or in person at an SCDMV branch. The SCDMV online services portal (renewals, duplicate titles, address changes) has no path to add a TOD beneficiary or issue a beneficiary-form title.

If no designated beneficiary survives you in South Carolina, if no beneficiary named in the TOD designation survives the owner (or the last surviving owner, where there are multiple owners), the titled personal property belongs to the estate of that owner (S.C. Code Ann. 62-6-401(D)(2), (E)(3)).

Yes. South Carolina allows more than one beneficiary on a vehicle TOD designation. If more than one survives you, they take title as tenants in common.

Yes. A vehicle TOD designation in South Carolina is revocable during your lifetime at any time. South Carolina recognizes: Submit a TOD-1 marking the "Remove Beneficiary" option, with a Form 400 and the existing title.; A sole owner may revoke or modify at any time without beneficiary consent; multiple owners must act together to revoke or modify..

No. A vehicle TOD designation only transfers the vehicle named on the title. Bank accounts, your home, and other property pass through whatever else you have in place — a will (probate) or a trust. A revocable living trust covers everything in one document. Set up a revocable trust if you want a single instrument for the whole estate.

South Carolina Vehicle Transfer on Death

A vehicle transfer-on-death designation in South Carolina lets you name a beneficiary who receives your vehicle at death, bypassing probate for that vehicle (available in South Carolina: Yes). The designation has no effect during your lifetime: you remain the sole owner and can revoke it whenever you choose.

In South Carolina, the designation is made through the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) using Application for Transfer on Death (Form TOD-1). Notarization is not required. A new certificate of title is issued showing the beneficiary.

South Carolina extends the designation beyond cars: it covers vehicle, mobile home, watercraft, outboard motor, and similar titled personal property. Watercraft and outboard motors are titled by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, not the SCDMV (S.C. Code Ann. 62-6-401(G)); the SCDMV TOD-1 process covers vehicles and mobile homes.

This designation is a focused tool — one vehicle at a time. For families with assets beyond a vehicle, a revocable living trust handles everything in one place and adds incapacity planning. The trust vs. will comparison shows the trade-offs.

SimplyTrust Editorial

Legal Sources

S.C. Code Ann. 62-6-401

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

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Frequently Asked Questions About South Carolina Vehicle Transfer on Death Designations

Yes. South Carolina allows more than one beneficiary on a vehicle TOD designation. If more than one survives you, they take title as tenants in common.

South Carolina Vehicle Transfer on Death

Free South Carolina Vehicle Transfer on Death

Owner Information

Frequently Asked Questions About South Carolina Vehicle Transfer on Death Designations