Transfer a car title after a death in the District of Columbia
A surviving joint owner gets a new title by presenting the title in both names and an authenticated death certificate (no excise tax). For a vehicle owned only by the person who died, DC DMV needs an assignment of title by the personal representative and an authenticated copy of the letters or of the small estate order listing the vehicle, plus a DMV title application and the original death certificate.
Checked against official sources: October 30, 2026.
Car or vehicle title after a death in the District of Columbia
A surviving joint owner gets a new title by presenting the title in both names and an authenticated death certificate (no excise tax). For a vehicle owned only by the person who died, DC DMV needs an assignment of title by the personal representative and an authenticated copy of the letters or of the small estate order listing the vehicle, plus a DMV title application and the original death certificate. For deaths on or after March 21, 2025, the DMV must also transfer a vehicle title to the designated successor named in a proper small asset affidavit, on payment of the fees.
Law: D.C. Code secs. 20-361(d), 20-351
- Agency
- District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles (DC DMV)
- Fee
DC DMV title fees apply. A surviving joint owner's new title is exempt from excise tax; other excise tax exemptions are listed in the DMV's exemption chart.
- Transfer-on-death title
An individual owner can add one beneficiary to a DC title. After the owner's death, the beneficiary brings the death certificate, their ID and the fee to a DMV service center; no letters of administration are needed, and a will does not override the designation. A lien must be satisfied or approved for transfer first.
Source: Official page
Do vehicles count toward the small estate limit?
| Kind of property | How it is treated | Details |
|---|---|---|
Cars and other vehicles | Counts | A vehicle in the person's name alone counts at its value (the court accepts an online trade-in quote). A vehicle with a DMV beneficiary passes outside the estate. Law: D.C. Code 20-351 |
Boats and mobile or manufactured homes | Counts | A boat or other personal property in the person's name alone counts. Law: D.C. Code 20-351 |
Related pages
- Small estate affidavit in the District of Columbia
- Bank accounts after a death in the District of Columbia
- House without probate in the District of Columbia
- Small estate checker for the District of Columbia
- Letter to a bank in the District of Columbia
- Balance request letter for the District of Columbia
- What-to-gather checklist for the District of Columbia
- All about small estates in the District of Columbia
Free help in the District of Columbia
A court self-help center or a legal aid office can check whether the estate qualifies, free of charge or at low cost.
- D.C. Superior Court Probate Self-Help Center (free help with forms) · 202-879-9460
- D.C. Courts: Small Estates
- D.C. Courts: Probate Division (Self-Help Center, Room 318)
- DC DMV: Vehicle acquired through death of owner
- LawHelp.org
- Legal Services Corporation (LSC) - Find legal aid
- Eldercare Locator · 1-800-677-1116
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (debt collection and mortgage complaints) · (855) 411-2372