How to Transfer a Car Title After Death in the District of Columbia

When it applies: the owner added a beneficiary to the DC title while alive. Only one beneficiary can be named, and only an individual owner can name one (a car owned by a trust cannot have one).

DC DMV says the car is not part of the estate, so Letters of Administration are not needed, and a will or probate court decision does not override the beneficiary. DC DMV does not notify the beneficiary. The beneficiary has to come forward. (DC DMV: Designating a Beneficiary)

Steps:

1. Check the DC title, or ask DC DMV, to confirm a beneficiary is named.
2. If there is a loan, it has to be satisfied first. DC DMV will not transfer the car to the beneficiary until the lien is satisfied.
3. Bring the documents below and the fee to a DC DMV service center.
4. The beneficiary receives the title only. Registering the car is a separate step and is the beneficiary's responsibility.

Forms:

• Certificate of Title/Temporary Registration and Tag Application (DMV-CTA-001). DC DMV's beneficiary page does not name a specific claim form, so ask at the service center which form they want.
• For reference: Beneficiary Designation to Certificate of Title Application (DCDMV-ADD-BEN-001) is the form a living owner uses to add or remove a beneficiary.

Documents:

• Death certificate of the vehicle owner
• Beneficiary's driver license or identification card
• The title fee (DC DMV's beneficiary page lists "appropriate fee"; the general new-title fee is $30)
• Lien release, if there was a loan

DC DMV's pages do not state a deadline for the beneficiary to claim the car. Contact DC DMV to confirm.

When it applies: the DC title lists the person who died and one or more surviving joint owners.

A surviving joint owner can apply for a new title by bringing the title in the names of the surviving and deceased owners plus an authenticated death certificate. When the survivor becomes sole owner, the new title is exempt from DC's vehicle excise tax. (DC DMV: Vehicle Acquired Through Death of Owner)

DC DMV's page refers only to a "surviving joint owner." It does not explain whether title wording such as "and" versus "or" changes this. If your title's wording is unusual, contact DC DMV to confirm.

Steps:

1. Get an authenticated (certified) copy of the death certificate.
2. Complete the title application in the surviving owner's name.
3. Bring the title, death certificate, and application to a DC DMV service center.
4. Pay the $30 title fee. No excise tax is due when the title goes to the surviving owner.
5. To keep the existing registration, DC law lets it transfer to the surviving joint owner for a $15 fee (DC Code § 50-1501.02).

Forms:

• Certificate of Title/Temporary Registration and Tag Application (DMV-CTA-001)

Documents:

• DC title in the names of the surviving and deceased joint owners
• Authenticated death certificate
• Surviving owner's driver license or ID
• Certificate of Title application

When it applies: your spouse has died and you are keeping the car.

DC has no separate title-transfer route just for a surviving spouse. Which route you use depends on the title:

• You're on the title as a joint owner: follow "The Car Was Co-Owned." The new title is excise-tax exempt.
• You're named as beneficiary: follow "The Title Names a Beneficiary (TOD)."
• The car was in your spouse's name alone: you use the same estate routes as any other heir. See "No Probate (Small Estate or Heirs)" or "An Executor Has Been Appointed."

DC excuses excise tax on a bona fide gift of a car already titled in DC between spouses, domestic partners, or parent and child (DC Code § 50-2201.03). DC DMV's pages do not say whether it treats an inheritance from a spouse that way. Ask DC DMV before you go.

Forms:

• Certificate of Title/Temporary Registration and Tag Application (DMV-CTA-001)

Documents (car in your spouse's name alone):

• Title, with the assignment signed by the personal representative
• Authenticated Letters, or an authenticated small estate order that lists the car
• Original death certificate
• Certificate of Title application

When it applies: the car was in the owner's name alone, with no beneficiary or joint owner, and there is no full probate.

What DC DMV asks for today. DC DMV's deceased-owner page lists court documents for a car in the owner's sole name: an authenticated small estate order that includes the car, or Letters from an open probate. The DC Superior Court's FAQ also says a court order has been required to transfer a car solely owned by a decedent since June 2006. (DC Courts FAQ)

Court small estate. This is still a court case, but a short one. It produces a small estate order that names the assets.

• Deaths on or after March 21, 2025: estate assets of $80,000 or less (DC Code § 20-351)
• Deaths April 27, 2001 to March 20, 2025: $40,000 or less
• The court says a final order generally issues within 120 days of filing, and generally within two weeks if publication is not required and the assets are documented.

Small-asset affidavit (newer, no court case). A DC law that applies to deaths on or after March 21, 2025 says DC DMV "shall transfer title" to a designated successor who presents a qualifying affidavit (DC Code § 20-361). The limits are different from the court small estate:

• The whole probate estate, less liens, is $40,000 or less, exceeds known debts, and includes no real estate
• At least 60 days have passed since the death, with a certified death certificate attached
• Funeral expenses have been paid, and no personal representative has been applied for or appointed anywhere
• All known successors sign, and the affidavit names a designated successor to receive the car

The sources disagree here. DC DMV's vehicle page has not been updated to mention this affidavit, the court FAQ still says a court order is required, and no official affidavit form was found. If you want to use the affidavit, call DC DMV at 311 or (202) 737-4404 first to confirm it will be accepted. The older rule that let DMV transfer up to two cars without probate was repealed in 2018.

Steps (court small estate):

1. File a Petition for Administration of Small Estate with the DC Superior Court Probate Division, Room 314, 515 5th Street NW, listing the car as an asset (Small Estates).
2. Get an authenticated copy of the small estate order that lists the car.
3. The personal representative signs the assignment of title on the DC title.
4. Bring the documents below to a DC DMV service center and pay the title fee and any excise tax.

Forms:

• Petition for Administration of Small Estate (DC Superior Court Probate Division forms search)
• Certificate of Title/Temporary Registration and Tag Application (DMV-CTA-001)

Documents:

• DC title with the assignment signed by the personal representative (court route)
• Authenticated small estate order that includes the car, or a small-asset affidavit meeting DC Code § 20-361 with a certified death certificate attached
• Original death certificate
• Certificate of Title application
• Lien release, if there was a loan

The Probate Division's filing fee for a small estate was not confirmed. Call the Probate Division at (202) 879-9460 to confirm.

When it applies: a regular probate estate is open and the court has appointed a personal representative (executor or administrator).

The personal representative transfers the car, either to an heir or to a buyer. DC DMV says the probate must still be open when you present the Letters. (DC DMV: Vehicle Acquired Through Death of Owner)

Steps:

1. Get an authenticated copy of the Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the DC Superior Court Probate Division while the estate is open.
2. The personal representative signs the assignment of title on the DC title to the new owner.
3. The new owner completes the title application.
4. Bring the documents below to a DC DMV service center and pay the title fee and any excise tax.
5. DC DMV mails the new title to the primary owner, or to the lienholder if there is one, within 10 business days of receiving all required documents (DC DMV: Vehicle Titles).

Forms:

• Certificate of Title/Temporary Registration and Tag Application (DMV-CTA-001)

Documents:

• DC title with the assignment signed by the personal representative
• Authenticated copy of Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (probate still open)
• Original death certificate
• Certificate of Title application
• If the car was held in a trust: the trust agreement showing the trust name, trustor, trustee, and beneficiary

When it applies: there is still a loan on the car.

What DC DMV says:

• For a beneficiary, DC DMV will not transfer ownership until the lien is satisfied. If the lender repossesses the car, the beneficiary is removed from the title. (DC DMV: Designating a Beneficiary)
• When a lien exists, the new title is mailed to the lienholder.
• Recording a new lien costs $20 per lien.

DC DMV's deceased-owner page does not spell out lien steps for the joint-owner or estate routes. The lender is the place to ask about the payoff amount and whether someone can take over the loan. If a lien stays on the car or a new one is added, list the lienholder on the title application.

Documents:

• Lien release from the lender, or the lien details if a lien stays on the car

DC DMV fees (fee table):

• New title: $30
• Lien recordation: $20 per lien
• Duplicate title: $30
• Title information request: $7
• Registration transfer to a surviving joint owner: $15
• A 2.5% service fee is added to all debit and credit card payments, online and in person
• Registration fees are separate

Excise tax. DC does not charge sales tax on titling. It charges a vehicle excise tax on each new DC title for a sale, gift, or other transfer. Since February 17, 2025, the rate is based on the car's value, weight, and fuel economy, ranging from 1.0% to 11.0%.

Exemptions that may apply:

• Surviving co-owner: exempt when one co-owner dies and the title is issued to the surviving owner. No form is needed. (DC DMV exemption list)
• Gift between spouses, domestic partners, or parent and child: exempt for a car already titled in DC, using the Excise Tax Gift Exemption Form (DMV-EGTE-01).

Heirs and beneficiaries: unclear. DC DMV's exemption list has no category for heirs, estate distributions, or title beneficiaries, and DC DMV does not say whether it treats an inheritance as a gift. An heir or beneficiary who is not a surviving co-owner may owe excise tax. Contact DC DMV to confirm before you go.

Court fees. The Probate Division charges a filing fee for a small estate or regular estate. Contact the Probate Division at (202) 879-9460 to confirm the amount.

DC DMV service center, in person. DC DMV lists vehicle titles as "Not Online" (only duplicate titles can be done online). (DC DMV locations)

• Rhode Island: 2350 Washington Place NE, Suite 112N
• Southwest: 95 M Street SW, open Tuesday through Saturday (hours)
• Benning Ridge: 4525 Benning Road SE
• The Georgetown service center is temporarily closed.

DC DMV's pages do not say whether death transfers can be mailed in or whether an appointment is needed. Contact DC DMV to confirm: 311 in DC or (202) 737-4404.

Court documents (Letters, small estate orders) come from the DC Superior Court Probate Division, 515 5th Street NW, Room 314, (202) 879-9460.

If the car is being sold rather than kept, the personal representative named in the Letters or small estate order signs the assignment of title to the buyer. DC DMV also asks for an odometer statement on a used car, usually the mileage section on the back of the title (DC DMV: Vehicle Titles).

The buyer then brings the assigned title, the authenticated Letters or small estate order, the original death certificate, and a title application to a DC DMV service center, and pays the title fee and any excise tax DC DMV calculates.

A beneficiary named on the title receives the car outside the estate, so the beneficiary titles it in their own name first and then sells it as the owner.

If probate is needed, our District of Columbia probate guide walks through it.