Transfer a car title after a death in Oregon
If the estate is not being probated, all known heirs can sign an Inheritance Affidavit naming who gets the vehicle; signatures must be notarized (any state's notary). Submit it with the title (if available), an application for title and the title transfer fee.
Checked against official sources: October 30, 2026.
Car or vehicle title after a death in Oregon
If the estate is not being probated, all known heirs can sign an Inheritance Affidavit naming who gets the vehicle; signatures must be notarized (any state's notary). Submit it with the title (if available), an application for title and the title transfer fee. A parent or guardian signs for a minor or incapacitated heir. DMV also accepts a title application when ownership is settled by a simple estate affidavit. If the title shows survivorship, the surviving owner transfers it with proof of death. No value limit or waiting period is set for the Inheritance Affidavit.
Law: ORS 803.094(2)(b)-(c); DMV Title and Registration Handbook, Chapter G (09/01/26)
Source: Form 735-516; Simple Estate Certification, Form 6797
- Agency
- Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services (DMV), Oregon Department of Transportation
- Fee
DMV charges its title transfer fee.
Source: Official page
Do vehicles count toward the small estate limit?
| Kind of property | How it is treated | Details |
|---|---|---|
Cars and other vehicles | Counts | Vehicles in the person's name alone count as personal property. Vehicles owned jointly with right of survivorship are not counted. Law: ORS 114.510 |
Boats and mobile or manufactured homes | Own procedure, up to $200,000 | For deaths on or after January 1, 2026, a manufactured home counts toward the $200,000 real property limit. For earlier deaths it counted toward the $75,000 personal property limit. Boats count as personal property. Law: ORS 114.510(1)(a), (3); Or. Laws 2025 ch. 342 (SB 15), sec. 2 |
Related pages
Free help in Oregon
A court self-help center or a legal aid office can check whether the estate qualifies, free of charge or at low cost.
- OregonLawHelp.org (legal aid information)
- Oregon State Bar Lawyer Referral Service (and Modest Means Program) · 503-684-3763 or 800-452-7636
- Oregon Judicial Department: Simple Estate Affidavit and instructions
- Oregon Judicial Department, Lincoln County Circuit Court: Probate self-help
- 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