Do I Need a Vehicle Transfer on Death Designation in Utah?
Utah does not offer a transfer-on-death designation on a vehicle title; a vehicle passes by will, trust, joint title, or probate.
No. Utah does not offer a vehicle transfer-on-death designation. Utah's Motor Vehicle Act (Utah Code Title 41, Chapter 1a) contains no transfer-on-death or beneficiary provision; its titling part runs sections 41-1a-501 through 41-1a-523 with no TOD section. Utah's TOD regimes reach real property (Utah Code 75-6-401 et seq.) and securities (75-6-301 et seq.) only. A deceased owner's vehicle transfers by a small-estate or survivorship affidavit under Utah Code 75-3-1201.
Without a vehicle TOD designation, an Utah vehicle transfers through: Survivorship affidavit (form TC-569C) under Utah Code 75-3-1201: the DMV retitles up to four vehicles, boats or trailers to the successor 30 days after death, when no personal representative is appointed and the rest of the estate, less liens, does not exceed $100,000; Joint ownership: a vehicle, trailer or boat registered to two or more individuals is held in joint tenancy with right of survivorship unless otherwise indicated (Utah Code 75-6-201(4)). A revocable trust set up with SimplyTrust keeps the other assets out of probate as well.
An Utah 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 Utah trust vs. will comparison sets the routes side by side.
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New Baby or Adoption
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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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Retirement
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Learn moreForms for Planning Your Estate in Utah
Free forms for planning your estate in Utah: a will, living trust, pour-over will, both powers of attorney, living will, and TOD deed.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
Utah requires 1Utah Code § 75A-9-110 (formerly § 75A-3-303)Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witness for a healthcare power of attorney; notarization is not requiredUtah Code § 75A-9-110 (formerly § 75A-3-303)Verified Oct 15, 2026View source.
Financial Power of Attorney
Utah treats a power of attorney as durable by defaultUtah Code § 75A-2-105Verified Sep 20, 2026View source, and it is signed before a notaryUtah Code § 75A-2-105Verified Sep 20, 2026View source.
Transfer on Death Deed
In Utah, a transfer on death deed is signed before a notaryUtah Code 75-6-401 to 75-6-419Verified Oct 19, 2026View source, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathUtah Code 75-6-401 to 75-6-419Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.
Living Will
In Utah, the living will is the Advance Health Care DirectiveUtah Code Title 75A, Ch. 9 (Uniform Health Care Decisions Act), §§ 75A-9-101 to 75A-9-129 (S.B. 134, 2025 General Session, effective January 1, 2026)Verified Sep 27, 2026View source, a written instruction that is valid with no agent named.
Last Will and Testament
In Utah, a will is signed before 2Utah Code § 75-2-502Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyUtah Code § 75-2-502Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.
Tools for Planning Your Estate in Utah
Free tools for planning your estate in Utah: 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?
Utah authorizes transfer on death deedsUtah Code 75-6-401 to 75-6-419Verified Oct 17, 2026View source: a recorded, revocable deed that passes real property at death outside probate.
What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable trust in Utah runs $3,580Estimate: 10 hours at $358, Clio's Utah Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $5,370Estimate: 15 hours at $358, Clio's Utah Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source and a simple will $1,167Estimate: 3 hours at $389, Clio's Utah Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $2,334Estimate: 6 hours at $389, Clio's Utah 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 Utah, four years at a public university cost about $64,120NCES 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 near the U.S. averageBEA Regional Price Parities, all items, by state, 2024Verified Oct 17, 2026View source; no state estate or inheritance tax appliesNo state estate, inheritance, or gift tax. Utah's pick-up inheritance tax (Utah Code Title 59, Chapter 11, Inheritance Tax Act) produced $0 for deaths after December 31, 2004 — it was measured by the IRC § 2011 state death tax credit, which EGTRRA phased out — and the entire chapter (§§ 59-11-101 through 59-11-115) was repealed outright effective May 6, 2026 by H.B. 77, 2026 General SessionVerified Sep 15, 2026View source.
Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?
Utah automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceUtah Code § 75-2-804Verified 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 Utah costs an estimated $27,719Utah Code § 75-3-718 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 2.2%Utah Code § 75-3-718 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.5%Utah Code § 75-3-718 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.
Who Inherits Without a Will?
Without a will in Utah, a surviving spouse takes the entire estateUtah Code § 75-2-102Verified Sep 10, 2026View source when every child of either spouse is a child of both, and descendants divide what passes to them per capita at each generationUtah Code § 75-2-106Verified Sep 10, 2026View source.
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Utah Estate Planning Resources
In-depth guides covering Utah probate laws, trust requirements, and estate planning strategies.