Adding Vehicles to Your Will

Should I add my vehicle, boat, or RV to my Will?

If you have a specific person in mind to receive your vehicle, you can list it as a gift in your Will. Otherwise, it will fall to the Executor to pay off, sell, or distribute the vehicle, and therefore doesn't need to be specifically added to the list of assets.

Which states allow me to add a beneficiary for my vehicle?

In certain states, vehicle owners can register their cars and boats using a transfer-on-death (TOD) form provided by the state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). An advantage to naming a TOD beneficiary is that after the owner’s death, no probate court proceeding is necessary to transfer the vehicle.

If your state allows it, you may consider naming a transfer-on-death (TOD) beneficiary for vehicles you own. This allows vehicles to be transferred to the beneficiaries you choose quickly and easily upon your death while avoiding probate.