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

Because Kentucky does not offer a vehicle TOD designation, the vehicle transfers through: Joint ownership with survivorship: a Kentucky title held by two owners joined by "or" passes to the surviving owner on a death certificate or court documents (only the surviving owner signs as seller)., Surviving-spouse transfer: where the title lists two owners joined by "and" and the survivor is the spouse, a death certificate stating the relationship alone endorses the title transfer (court documents required if relationship is not stated)., Small-estate / surviving-spouse exemption: KRS 391.030 sets apart up to $30,000 of personal property (which can include a vehicle) to the surviving spouse, or if none to the surviving children, on application to the District Court., Trust title: a vehicle titled in the name of a trust is transferred by the trustee using the trust documents (front page, trustee page, signature page) plus the owner's death certificate., Probate / estate administration: for a non-spouse heir, a death certificate plus probate documents are required to transfer the vehicle (Application for Kentucky Certificate of Title TC 96-182, submitted to the county clerk).. To keep other assets out of probate, SimplyTrust sets up a revocable trust online.

Without a vehicle TOD option, a Kentucky 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.