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

Illinois allows a beneficiary designation on motor vehicle625 ILCS 5/3-104(a-5), 3-107(b-5)Verified Aug 25, 2026View source. Limited to vehicles for which an Illinois certificate of title is issued (625 ILCS 5/3-104, 3-107). The statute does not separately enumerate watercraft or trailers.

Add the designation through the Illinois Secretary of State, Vehicle Services Department625 ILCS 5/3-104(a-5), 3-107(b-5)View source using Beneficiary Affidavit (Form VSD 773)625 ILCS 5/3-104(a-5), 3-107(b-5)View source. The designation must be notarized625 ILCS 5/3-104(a-5), 3-107(b-5)View source. You file the completed designation with the Illinois Secretary of State, Vehicle Services Department by mail to Illinois Secretary of State, Vehicle Services Department, 501 South Second Street, Springfield, IL 62756 or in person. The VSD 773 is a notarized paper transaction, filed by mail to the Vehicle Services Department in Springfield or in person at any Secretary of State facility. Payment is by check or money order; cash is not accepted for mailed transactions. The ERT system only completes and prints the title application (VSD 190); the printed application, the notarized VSD 773 and payment still go by mail or in person, so there is no online filing path.

Yes. The designation can be changed or cancelled at any time during the owner's life; in Illinois: During the owner's lifetime, submit a Beneficiary Affidavit (VSD 773) to the Secretary of State selecting "Removing Beneficiary" or "Changing Beneficiary"; a corrected certificate of title is issued.

The beneficiary retitles the vehicle with the Illinois Secretary of State, Vehicle Services Department625 ILCS 5/3-104(a-5), 3-107(b-5)View source by submitting: Completed Beneficiary Claim Form (VSD 774), in which the named Transfer on Death beneficiary certifies the deceased owner's name and date of death and the vehicle, signed under oath; Completed Application for Vehicle Transaction(s) (VSD 190), with the applicable title fee and any additional registration fee if plates are requested; A copy of the certified death certificate for the owner shown on the Illinois title; The Illinois certificate of title, if available (VSD 774 has a box to mark when the title cannot be surrendered); Documentation that the vehicle was last titled in Illinois showing the owner and TOD beneficiary (the title or an Illinois SOS title screen print); The appropriate Illinois Department of Revenue tax form and check, if applicable; An Affidavit of Correction (VSD 393), item number 6, if the beneficiary name on the decedent's title is not identical to the name on the beneficiary's own paperwork. The designation covers that vehicle alone; a revocable trust set up with SimplyTrust keeps the home, the accounts and everything else out of probate in one document.