Do I Need a Transfer on Death Deed in Ohio?

Ohio authorizes transfer on death deedsORC 5302.22 to 5302.24Verified Oct 17, 2026View source: a recorded, revocable deed that passes real property at death outside probate.

Yes. Ohio allows transfer on death designation affidavitsORC 5302.22 to 5302.24Verified Oct 17, 2026View source. The deed names a beneficiary for real property, is recorded during the owner's life, and passes the property at death without probate.

A transfer on death designation affidavit in Ohio requires a notary jurat (sworn verification)ORC 5302.22 to 5302.24Verified Oct 19, 2026View source. The signed deed must be recorded at the county recorder before death to take effectORC 5302.22 to 5302.24Verified Oct 19, 2026View source. Must be recorded in the office of the county recorder in the county where the property is located before the owner's death. ORC 5302.22(E)-(F). Recording fee equals deed recording fee.

Yes. A transfer on death designation affidavit is revocable at any time during the owner's life, and Ohio revokes one by: Executing and recording, before the owner's death, a new Transfer on Death Designation Affidavit that states the revocation or change. The new affidavit automatically supersedes and revokes all prior recorded affidavits for the same property, provided the prior affidavit was executed before the later-recorded one (ORC 5302.23(B)(5)); Divorce, dissolution, or annulment automatically revokes a spousal beneficiary designation — former spouse is deemed to have predeceased the owner (ORC 5302.23(B)(12), (C))ORC 5302.23(B)(5), (B)(12), (C)Verified Oct 17, 2026View source. A will cannot revoke it.

Ohio allows transfer on death designation affidavits for all types of real property, including homes, land, condominiums, and commercial propertiesORC 5302.22 to 5302.24Verified Oct 17, 2026View source.

Yes. Ohio allows multiple beneficiaries on a transfer on death designation affidavitORC 5302.22 to 5302.24Verified Oct 17, 2026View source; they take title as tenants in common unless the deed says otherwise. A successor beneficiary can be named to take if a primary beneficiary dies first.

Forms for Planning Your Estate in Ohio

Free forms for planning your estate in Ohio: a will, living trust, pour-over will, both powers of attorney, living will, and TOD deed.

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Healthcare Power of Attorney

Ohio allows a choice for a healthcare power of attorney: 2ORC § 1337.17Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses or a notary.

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Financial Power of Attorney

Ohio treats a power of attorney as durable by defaultORC §§ 1337.21–1337.64Verified Sep 18, 2026View source, and it is signed with no witness or notary requirementORC §§ 1337.21–1337.64Verified Sep 18, 2026View source.

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Transfer on Death Deed

In Ohio, a transfer on death designation affidavit is signed before a notaryORC 5302.22 to 5302.24Verified Oct 19, 2026View source, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathORC 5302.22 to 5302.24Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.

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Vehicle Transfer on Death

Name a beneficiary to inherit your vehicle at death without probate. Available in 26 states and the District of Columbia.

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Living Will

In Ohio, the living will is the Living Will DeclarationOhio Rev. Code Chapter 2133 (§§ 2133.01-2133.15)Verified Sep 27, 2026View source, a document of its own, apart from the healthcare power of attorney.

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Last Will and Testament

In Ohio, a will is signed before 2ORC § 2107.03Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and no self-proving affidavit is availableORC § 2107.03Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.

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Tools for Planning Your Estate in Ohio

Free tools for planning your estate in Ohio: what a will or trust costs, whether you need a trust or TOD deed, and how documents are signed.

Do I Need a Vehicle TOD?

Ohio allows a transfer-on-death beneficiary designation on a vehicle titleOhio Rev. Code 2131.13Verified Aug 25, 2026View source, filed through the County Clerk of Courts Title Office (Ohio BMV oversees motor vehicle records) using Form BMV 3811.

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What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable trust in Ohio runs $2,940Estimate: 10 hours at $294, Clio's Ohio Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $4,410Estimate: 15 hours at $294, Clio's Ohio Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source and a simple will $942Estimate: 3 hours at $314, Clio's Ohio Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $1,884Estimate: 6 hours at $314, Clio's Ohio Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

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How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?

In Ohio, four years at a public university cost about $97,692NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 330.20, public 4-year in-state tuition, fees, room and board, academic year 2022-23Verified Oct 17, 2026View source and the cost of living is 7% below the U.S. averageBEA Regional Price Parities, all items, by state, 2024Verified Oct 17, 2026View source; no state estate or inheritance tax appliesNo state estate or inheritance tax; estate tax repealed for deaths on/after Jan 1, 2013 (Ohio Rev. Code § 5731.02 levies only on persons "dying on or after July 1, 1968, and before January 1, 2013")Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.

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Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?

Ohio automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceORC § 5815.33; ORC § 5302.23(B)(12)Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.

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How Do I Sign Estate Documents?

Find witness, notary, and remote signing requirements for all 50 states.

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Will My Estate Documents Transfer?

Check if estate planning documents signed in one state are valid in another.

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How Much Does Probate Cost?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in Ohio costs an estimated $26,234ORC § 2113.36 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 1.8%ORC § 2113.36 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.8%ORC § 2113.36 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.

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Who Inherits Without a Will?

Without a will in Ohio, a surviving spouse takes the entire estateORC § 2105.06Verified Sep 11, 2026View source when every child of either spouse is a child of both, and descendants divide what passes to them per capita with representationORC § 2105.06Verified Sep 11, 2026View source.

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Ohio Estate Planning Resources

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