Do I Need a Vehicle Transfer on Death Designation in Hawaii?

Answer a few questions about how your vehicle is titled to see whether a transfer-on-death designation applies for avoiding probate on a vehicle.

State where the vehicle is titled

Find out if a vehicle TOD fits your situation

Select your state to see whether you can name a beneficiary on your vehicle title and what vehicles qualify.

This tool provides general information about vehicle transfer-on-death designations and is not legal advice. Availability and requirements vary by state. Consult your state titling agency or a licensed attorney for guidance specific to your situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Hawaii does not offer a vehicle transfer-on-death designation. Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 286 (Highway Safety; Part III, Registration of Vehicles) contains no transfer-on-death or beneficiary-designation provision for a vehicle certificate of ownership. Title or interest transfers only by pen-and-ink signature endorsement on the certificate of ownership delivered to the county director of finance (HRS 286-52(a)); on death, HRS 286-52(f) handles the transfer "by operation of law... as upon inheritance, devise, bequest" through a personal representative or successor in interest, not a named beneficiary. There is no statutory mechanism to title a vehicle "in beneficiary form." Vehicle registration and titling is administered by the county directors of finance (HRS 286-41), not a state DMV.

Because Hawaii does not offer a vehicle TOD designation, the vehicle transfers through: Small-estate collection by affidavit (HRS 560:3-1201): a successor may collect a decedent's personal property on presenting a death certificate and an affidavit; a motor vehicle registered in the decedent's name may be transferred REGARDLESS of value, even where the small-estate $100,000 gross-value threshold otherwise applies., Joint tenancy (right of survivorship): a vehicle registered in the names of two or more persons is presumed to be owned in joint tenancy unless a written document states otherwise (HRS 286-49), so a surviving joint owner takes by survivorship outside probate., Formal/summary probate administration (HRS Chapter 560, Hawaii Uniform Probate Code, Part 12 — Collection of Personal Property by Affidavit and Summary Administration Procedure for Small Estates) where the estate exceeds the small-estate affidavit limits.. To keep other assets out of probate, SimplyTrust sets up a revocable trust online.

Without a vehicle TOD option, a Hawaii vehicle typically passes through the estate unless it is jointly titled or held in a trust, or qualifies for a small-estate transfer. Compare your options with the trust vs. will comparison.

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