Do I Need a TOD Deed in the District of Columbia?
District of Columbia authorizes transfer on death deedsD.C. Code 19-604.01 to 19-604.19Verified Oct 17, 2026View source; in the District of Columbia the Recorder of Deeds records one for $25 flat, regardless of page count.
The Recorder of Deeds charges $25 flat, regardless of page count. Most transfer on death deeds run two to four pages. Transfer on death deeds are exempt from transfer tax in the District of Columbia.
Record the transfer on death deed at the Recorder of Deeds, 1101 4th Street Southwest, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20024. Office hours: 8:30 AM-4:00 PM (deeds recorded 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM).
Yes. District of Columbia accepts e-recording through CSC, Simplifile and ePN. The office's e-recording portal carries the details.
A transfer on death deed in the District of Columbia requires notary acknowledgmentD.C. Code 19-604.01 to 19-604.19Verified Oct 18, 2026View source before it can be recorded in the District of Columbia.
No. A transfer on death deed transfers only the property described in it. Bank accounts, vehicles and other real estate pass through a will (probate) or a trust. When a single deed is not enough, SimplyTrust sets up a revocable trust online that covers every property and account in one document.
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Marriage
What married couples need in place: one joint trust or two, wills, beneficiary updates, and the spousal rights your state grants you automatically.
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New Home
How to put your house in a revocable trust: the deed you record, what it does to your mortgage and property taxes, and when a TOD deed is simpler.
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Learn moreForms for Planning Your Estate in District of Columbia
Free forms for planning your estate in the District of Columbia: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
District of Columbia requires 2DC Code § 21-2207Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses for a healthcare power of attorney; notarization is not requiredDC Code § 21-2207Verified Oct 15, 2026View source.
HIPAA Release
In the District of Columbia, a HIPAA release names who may receive your records; the state regulates HIV/AIDS-related information and mental health recordsD.C. Code § 7-1605 (last amended D.C. Law 24-170, § 2, eff. Sept. 21, 2022); D.C. Code § 7-1202.01; § 7-1202.02(a)(5); § 7-1201.01 (definition of "client representative")Verified Jun 20, 2026View source above the federal rule, and the document carries each rule.
Financial Power of Attorney
District of Columbia treats a power of attorney as durable by defaultD.C. Code §§ 21-2601.04, 21-2601.05, 21-2601.06, 21-2601.09, 21-2601.13, 21-2601.14, 21-2601.19, 21-2601.20, 21-2602.01, 21-2602.17, 21-2603.01, 21-2603.03Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, and it is signed before a notaryD.C. Code §§ 21-2601.04, 21-2601.05, 21-2601.06, 21-2601.09, 21-2601.13, 21-2601.14, 21-2601.19, 21-2601.20, 21-2602.01, 21-2602.17, 21-2603.01, 21-2603.03Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.
Transfer on Death Deed
In the District of Columbia, a transfer on death deed is signed before a notaryD.C. Code 19-604.01 to 19-604.19Verified Oct 18, 2026View source, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathD.C. Code 19-604.01 to 19-604.19Verified Oct 18, 2026View source. District of Columbia does not recognize a Lady Bird deed.
Vehicle Transfer on Death
District of Columbia allows a transfer-on-death beneficiary designation on a vehicle title18 DCMR § 402.2(b)Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, filed through the District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles (DC DMV) using Form DCDMV-ADD-BEN-001.
Living Will
In the District of Columbia, the living will is the DeclarationD.C. Code Title 7, Ch. 6, Subch. II (Natural Death Act of 1981, D.C. Law 4-69), §§ 7-621 to 7-630Verified Sep 27, 2026View source, a document of its own, apart from the healthcare power of attorney.
Last Will and Testament
In the District of Columbia, a will is signed before 2D.C. Code § 18-103Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and the witnesses sign an affidavit at probate instead of a self-proving affidavitD.C. Code § 18-103Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
Tools for Planning Your Estate in District of Columbia
Free tools for planning your estate in the District of Columbia: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool.
Do I Need a Vehicle TOD?
District of Columbia allows a transfer-on-death beneficiary designation on a vehicle title18 DCMR § 402.2(b)Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, filed through the District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles (DC DMV) using Form DCDMV-ADD-BEN-001.
How Much Is the Federal Gift Tax?
Whether a gift owes federal gift tax, how much of the annual exclusion and lifetime exemption it uses, and whether Form 709 is due.
What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable trust in the District of Columbia runs $3,820Estimate: 10 hours at $382, Clio's District of Columbia Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $5,730Estimate: 15 hours at $382, Clio's District of Columbia Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source and a simple will $1,041Estimate: 3 hours at $347, Clio's District of Columbia Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $2,082Estimate: 6 hours at $347, Clio's District of Columbia 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.
How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?
In the District of Columbia, four years at a public university cost about $24,608NCES 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 10% above the U.S. averageBEA Regional Price Parities, all items, by state, 2024Verified Oct 17, 2026View source; the state levies an estate taxD.C. Code § 47-3702Verified Sep 15, 2026View source above $4,988,400D.C. Code § 47-3702Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.
Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?
District of Columbia does not revoke an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceNoneVerified Sep 15, 2026View source; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.
How Do I Sign Estate Documents?
In the District of Columbia, a will is signed before 2D.C. Code § 18-103Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredD.C. Code § 18-103Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
Will My Estate Documents Transfer?
District of Columbia has no statute recognizing a will by the law of the place where it was signedD.C. Code §§ 18-103, 18-702Verified Oct 18, 2026View source, so a will used here is tested against its own rule: 2D.C. Code § 18-103Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredD.C. Code § 18-103Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in the District of Columbia costs an estimated $26,493D.C. Code § 20-753 (reasonableness review of attorney compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 2%Modeled estimate under D.C. Code § 20-753 (reasonableness review of attorney compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.1%Modeled estimate under D.C. Code § 20-753 (reasonableness review of attorney compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.
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District of Columbia Estate Planning Resources
In-depth guides covering District of Columbia probate laws, trust requirements, and estate planning strategies.