How to Transfer a Car Title After Death in Vermont

When it applies: the title lists one owner, shows the ownership type TOD, and names a beneficiary. Vermont allows TOD only for cars titled to one owner. When the owner dies, the beneficiary becomes the owner, subject to any existing loan (23 V.S.A. § 2023). The DMV says the transfer is subject to registration, tax and title fees, and the new owner needs new plates.

Steps:

1. Check the title for the TOD ownership type and the beneficiary's name.
2. Get a copy of the death certificate.
3. If there was a loan, have the lender complete the "Release of Liens" section of the original title.
4. Apply for a title and registration in your name. The DMV's main application is the Registration, Tax and Title Application (VD-119); contact the DMV to confirm it is the right form for a TOD transfer.
5. If you are a close relative, you may be able to claim the family exemption from Purchase and Use Tax (see Fees and Taxes).
6. Submit everything with the $42 title fee and registration fees at a DMV office or by mail.

Note on the tax exemption form: the DMV's VT-014 instructions say that when the owner has died, the administrator or executor must sign it and attach court papers showing their appointment. Official sources do not say who signs when there is no probate case, so contact the DMV before filing.

Forms:

• Transfer on Death (VT-007): the form the owner uses while alive to add a beneficiary
• Registration, Tax and Title Application (VD-119)
• Certification of Tax Exemption (VT-014), if claiming the family exemption

Documents:

• Copy of the death certificate
• Original Vermont title showing the TOD beneficiary, with the lien release section completed if there was a loan
• $42 title fee plus registration fees; Purchase and Use Tax unless exempt

When it applies: two or more people are on the title. In Vermont, what happens depends on the ownership type printed on the title, not on "and" or "or":

• TEN ENT (tenants by the entirety, spouses) and JTEN (joint tenants): right of survivorship. The deceased owner's share passes to the survivor without probate.
• TEN COM (tenants in common) and PTNRS (partners): no right of survivorship. The deceased owner's share becomes part of their estate.
• No ownership type shown: the DMV handles it like tenants in common, so see "No Probate" or "An Executor Has Been Appointed."

Steps for TEN ENT or JTEN:

1. Get a copy of the death certificate. For TEN ENT, it should identify the surviving spouse.
2. To keep the car, submit the title, the death certificate copy and an application to remove the deceased owner, with the fees. Names on the registration and title must match, so change both at the same time.
3. To sell instead, sign the title over to the buyer and give the buyer the death certificate copy.

Forms:

• Registration, Tax and Title Application (VD-119)
• Death Informational Bulletin (VT-021), which lists the documents for each ownership type

Documents:

• Copy of the death certificate (identifying the surviving spouse, for TEN ENT)
• The Vermont title
• Lien release, if a paid-off loan still shows on the title
• Fees: the DMV says "appropriate fees." Contact the DMV to confirm the amount.

When it applies: Vermont has a special rule for spouses (23 V.S.A. § 2023(e)). The car passes to the surviving spouse when the deceased died without a will, or when the will does not specifically address what happens to their vehicles. The DMV then titles and registers it in the spouse's name with no title fee, no registration fee and no Purchase and Use Tax.

Limits:

• It covers no more than two vehicles. A third vehicle pays full title and registration fees, and Purchase and Use Tax may apply.
• It does not apply if anyone other than the deceased and the spouse is on the title.

One point the sources word differently: the statute's no-will language refers to an estate that "consists principally of an automobile," while the DMV's bulletin summarizes the rule as no will, or a will that does not address vehicles. If your situation is close to that line, contact the DMV to confirm.

If the car was already titled to both spouses as TEN ENT, it also passes to you by right of survivorship (see "The Car Was Co-Owned").

Steps:

1. Get a copy of the death certificate.
2. Complete and sign the Surviving Spouse Statement on page 2 of the Death Informational Bulletin (VT-021).
3. Complete a Registration, Tax and Title Application (VD-119) in your name.
4. Submit the statement, application, title and death certificate copy at a DMV office or by mail.

Forms:

• Death Informational Bulletin with Surviving Spouse Statement (VT-021)
• Registration, Tax and Title Application (VD-119)

Documents:

• Signed Surviving Spouse Statement
• Copy of the death certificate
• The Vermont title (or the registration certificate, for a 2009 or older car with no Vermont title)
• Lien release, if there was a loan that has been paid off

When it applies: the car was in the deceased's name alone (or co-owned without survivorship), none of the routes above fit, and the estate will not be probated. Vermont has no small estate affidavit for cars, but the DMV has its own no-probate route.

The DMV accepts a letter from an officer of the court (an attorney, or a court official such as the court clerk or probate judge) stating that the deceased died without a will, or with a will that was not probated, that the estate need not be probated, and naming the person who has the right to own the car. The DMV does not state a dollar limit for this route.

Steps:

1. Get the officer-of-the-court letter described above.
2. Have the original title properly assigned to the new owner, with the "Release of Liens" section completed if there was a loan.
3. The new owner completes a Registration, Tax and Title Application (VD-119).
4. A close relative may claim the family tax exemption with VT-014 (see the note below).
5. Submit the death certificate copy, the letter, the title and the forms with the $42 title fee and registration fees.

Note on the tax exemption form: the DMV's VT-014 instructions say that when the owner has died, the administrator or executor must sign it and attach court papers showing their appointment. Official sources do not say who signs when there is no probate case, so contact the DMV before filing.

If the estate does go to court: Vermont's court small estate procedure is for estates worth $45,000 or less made up entirely of personal property (14 V.S.A. chapter 81). It is a simplified probate case, not an affidavit. People who did not consent in writing get 14 days after notice to object, and the letters of administration last one year. See "An Executor Has Been Appointed" for the car steps once someone is appointed.

Forms:

• Death Informational Bulletin (VT-021)
• Registration, Tax and Title Application (VD-119)
• Certification of Tax Exemption (VT-014), if claiming the family exemption

Documents:

• Copy of the death certificate
• Letter from the officer of the court
• Original title properly assigned, with any lien released
• $42 title fee plus registration fees

When it applies: the estate is going through the Probate Division of the Vermont Superior Court, and an executor (with a will) or administrator (without a will) has been appointed.

Steps:

1. Get the probate court's letter showing the executor's or administrator's appointment.
2. The executor or administrator, and any other living owners, complete Section 1 on the back of the title, assigning the car to the heir or buyer.
3. If there was a loan, get the "Release of Liens" section completed by the lender.
4. The new owner completes a Registration, Tax and Title Application (VD-119).
5. If a close relative is claiming the family tax exemption, the executor or administrator signs VT-014 and attaches the court document showing their appointment. A copy of the will is not accepted.
6. Submit at a DMV office or by mail with the $42 title fee and registration fees.

Forms:

• Registration, Tax and Title Application (VD-119)
• Certification of Tax Exemption (VT-014)
• Bill of Sale and Odometer Disclosure Statement (VT-005)

Documents:

• Probate court letter showing the appointment
• Original title with Section 1 completed
• Lien release, if applicable
• Odometer disclosure for model year 2011 or newer (on the title or VT-005)
• $42 title fee plus registration fees

A loan does not stop the car from passing to the new owner, but the new owner takes it subject to the lender's lien. If the lender holds the title, Vermont law says that on request the lender must either give the title to the new owner for delivery to the DMV or send it to the DMV with the application and fee, unless the transfer breaches the loan agreement. Handing over the title does not cancel the lender's rights.

Steps:

1. If the loan is paid off, get the title back with the "Release of Liens" section completed, or a Lien Release (VT-008).
2. If the loan stays in place, ask the lender to deliver the title to the DMV with your application. The new title is mailed to the lender, not the owner.
3. Include the lien release or lender information with the documents for your ownership situation.

Tax note: the DMV denies the family gift or inheritance tax exemption if the application lists a lienholder, and taking over the deceased's loan counts as payment. Expect to pay Purchase and Use Tax if you keep the loan.

Forms:

• Lien Release (VT-008)

Documents:

• Title with the lien release section completed, or VT-008, if the loan is paid off
• Lender's information, if the loan continues
• The documents for whichever ownership situation applies

• Title fee: $42 for a certificate of title after a transfer (23 V.S.A. § 2002; DMV title fees).
• Surviving spouse rule: no title or registration fee and no Purchase and Use Tax, for up to two vehicles.
• Other fees: adding a lien $14, title search $27, replacement title if the original is lost $42.
• Registration (gas car): $91 for one year or $167 for two years. Plug-in hybrids and electric cars cost more.
• Late penalty: by law, if a title application is not delivered to the DMV within 10 days of when it is due, the DMV collects a penalty equal to the transaction fee. Official sources do not say how this applies after a death; contact the DMV to confirm.

Purchase and Use Tax: Vermont charges 6% at registration or titling, on the purchase price or the J.D. Power clean trade-in value, whichever is greater (DMV vehicle taxation).

A car passed at death is exempt when it goes to the deceased's spouse, mother, father, child, sibling, grandparent or grandchild, including under the law for people who died without a will, as long as the car was registered or titled in Vermont in the deceased's name (32 V.S.A. § 8911). The DMV's own list also includes mothers- and fathers-in-law, sons- and daughters-in-law, step-relatives and an ex-spouse within one year of a divorce (DMV gifts page). The statute and the DMV list differ, so contact the DMV if your relationship is on one list but not the other.

The exemption is denied if any payment is involved, including taking over the loan, or if the application lists a lienholder. Claim it with the Certification of Tax Exemption (VT-014). When the owner has died, the DMV says the executor or administrator signs it and attaches court appointment papers.

• In person: a Vermont DMV office. Some offices are open only on certain days. Appointments can be scheduled at mydmv.vermont.gov or by calling 888-970-0357; official sources do not say whether one is required.
• By mail: Vermont DMV, 120 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05603 (DMV mailing address). A DMV notice from June 29, 2022 warned that mail could take up to two weeks.
• Online: official sources do not say whether a transfer after a death can be done online. Contact the DMV to confirm.

Residency: to register a car in Vermont, the new owner must be a Vermont resident with a Vermont-issued license or ID.

Older cars: a car model year 2009 or older registered in Vermont may have no Vermont title. In that case the registration certificate is the ownership document, and the new owner receives a title when they register the car.

Start with the DMV's Death Informational Bulletin (VT-021), which lists the documents for each situation.

Who signs depends on how the car passed:

• Surviving joint owner (TEN ENT or JTEN) or surviving spouse: can sell or assign the car with a copy of the death certificate.
• TOD beneficiary: becomes the owner at death and can title the car in their name before selling.
• Executor or administrator: completes Section 1 of the title assigning the car to the buyer. The buyer needs the probate court's letter of appointment.
• No probate: the buyer needs the death certificate and the officer-of-the-court letter naming who had the right to the car.

Any lien must be released. For model year 2011 or newer, an odometer disclosure is required, on the title or on form VT-005. The buyer pays 6% Purchase and Use Tax on the purchase price or J.D. Power value, whichever is greater.

For a 2009 or older car with no Vermont title, the seller gives the buyer the Vermont registration certificate and a signed bill of sale.

If probate is needed, our state probate guide walks through it.