Do I Need a Vehicle Transfer on Death Designation in Tennessee?
Tennessee does not offer a transfer-on-death designation on a vehicle title; a vehicle passes by will, trust, joint title, or probate.
No. Tennessee does not offer a vehicle transfer-on-death designation. Tenn. Code Ann. Title 55, Chapter 3 has no TOD or beneficiary provision; § 55-3-118 covers title issuance, content and joint-owner signatures only. A 2026 bill (HB1793 / SB2029) would have added a vehicle TOD designation as § 55-3-118(e) but died without a Public Chapter. A vehicle held in one decedent's name passes through the deceased-owner title-transfer process administered by the county clerks under the Department of Revenue.
Without a vehicle TOD designation, a Tennessee vehicle transfers through: Will / probate transfer: if the deceased left a will naming an executor (or an administrator was court-appointed), that person signs the existing title, and the transfer is filed through the county clerk with the probated will or certified letters testamentary and a copy of the death certificate. A revocable trust set up with SimplyTrust keeps the other assets out of probate as well.
A Tennessee vehicle passes through the estate unless it is titled jointly, held in a trust, or small enough for the state's small-estate transfer. The Tennessee trust vs. will comparison sets the routes side by side.
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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 Tennessee
Free forms for planning your estate in Tennessee: a will, living trust, pour-over will, both powers of attorney, living will, and TOD deed.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
Tennessee allows a choice for a healthcare power of attorney: 2Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-11-1805; Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0720-36-.13Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses or a notary.
Financial Power of Attorney
Tennessee requires explicit durability language for a power of attorney to survive incapacityT.C.A. §§ 34-6-101 to 34-6-112; §§ 66-22-101, 66-24-101, 66-26-101, 66-26-103Verified Sep 20, 2026View source, and it is signed with no witness or notary requirementT.C.A. §§ 34-6-101 to 34-6-112; §§ 66-22-101, 66-24-101, 66-26-101, 66-26-103Verified Sep 20, 2026View source.
Living Will
In Tennessee, the living will is the Living WillTenn. Code Ann. §§ 32-11-101 to 32-11-113 (Tennessee Right to Natural Death Act)Verified Sep 27, 2026View source, a document of its own, apart from the healthcare power of attorney.
Last Will and Testament
In Tennessee, a will is signed before 2T.C.A. § 32-1-104Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyT.C.A. § 32-1-104Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.
Tools for Planning Your Estate in Tennessee
Free tools for planning your estate in Tennessee: what a will or trust costs, whether you need a trust or TOD deed, and how documents are signed.
Do I Need a TOD Deed?
Tennessee does not authorize transfer on death deeds; sole-name real property goes through probate, at least 6 months for a simple estate, unless held in a trust or with a right of survivorship.
What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable trust in Tennessee runs $3,150Estimate: 10 hours at $315, Clio's Tennessee Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $4,725Estimate: 15 hours at $315, Clio's Tennessee Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source and a simple will $903Estimate: 3 hours at $301, Clio's Tennessee Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $1,806Estimate: 6 hours at $301, Clio's Tennessee 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 Tennessee, four years at a public university cost about $85,116NCES 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 8% below the U.S. averageBEA Regional Price Parities, all items, by state, 2024Verified Oct 17, 2026View source; no state estate or inheritance tax appliesNo Tennessee death tax is payable. The inheritance tax (Tenn. Code Ann. Title 67, ch. 8, pt. 3) remains codified but is switched off: § 67-8-318 (Acts 2012, ch. 1057, § 3) — "This part does not apply in the case of any decedent who died in 2016 or in any subsequent year"; TN DOR — "The inheritance tax is no longer imposed after December 31, 2015. Please DO NOT file for decedents with dates of death in 2016 or after." The separate Tennessee estate tax (Title 67, ch. 8, pt. 2, § 67-8-204) is a federal-credit pickup keyed to the credit "allowable ... by § 2011 of the Internal Revenue Code" (§ 67-8-202(1)); 26 U.S.C. § 2011 was repealed (Pub. L. 113-295 § 221(a)(95)(A)(i)), so that tax computes to $0. The gift tax (pt. 1) likewise does not apply to gifts made on or after Jan. 1, 2012 (§ 67-8-118).Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.
Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?
Tennessee does not revoke an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceTenn. Code Ann. § 32-1-202 (wills only)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.
How Do I Sign Estate Documents?
Find witness, notary, and remote signing requirements for all 50 states.
Will My Estate Documents Transfer?
Check if estate planning documents signed in one state are valid in another.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in Tennessee costs an estimated $24,527T.C.A. § 30-2-317(a)(1) (attorney fees are a first-priority cost of administration — "reasonable compensation to the personal representative and the personal representative's counsel"); see also § 30-2-606. No statutory percentage or fee schedule.Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 1.7%T.C.A. § 30-2-317(a)(1) (attorney fees are a first-priority cost of administration — "reasonable compensation to the personal representative and the personal representative's counsel"); see also § 30-2-606. No statutory percentage or fee schedule.Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.7%T.C.A. § 30-2-317(a)(1) (attorney fees are a first-priority cost of administration — "reasonable compensation to the personal representative and the personal representative's counsel"); see also § 30-2-606. No statutory percentage or fee schedule.Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.
Who Inherits Without a Will?
Without a will in Tennessee, descendants divide what passes to them per capita with representationTenn. Code § 31-2-106Verified Sep 10, 2026View source, and an heir must survive the decedent by 120 hoursTenn. Code § 31-3-108Verified Sep 10, 2026View source to inherit.
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Tennessee Estate Planning Resources
In-depth guides covering Tennessee probate laws, trust requirements, and estate planning strategies.