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Massachusetts Vehicle Transfer After Death

Transfer car title after death in Massachusetts by checking the title, lien status, certified death certificate, estate authority, and Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV), Massachusetts Department of Transportation; titling is handled in person at any RMV Service Center or by mail to the RMV Title Department in Boston. Massachusetts has no county motor-vehicle offices requirements before anyone signs or sells the vehicle.

Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV), Massachusetts Department of Transportation; titling is handled in person at any RMV Service Center or by mail to the RMV Title Department in Boston. Massachusetts has no county motor-vehicle offices
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/surviving-spouseheirshipinheritance
Transfer fee
Where a certificate of title has already been issued on the vehicle, M.G.L. c. 90D, § 15A(1) waives the title change fee for a surviving spouse; every other transferee pays the standard $75 certificate-of-title fee. Moving the decedent's license plate onto the new owner's registration is a $25 transfer registration
Title fee
$75 for each new certificate of title (RMV Schedule of Fees, form REV200); a duplicate title is $25, amending an existing title is $25, and adding or deleting a lienholder is $25
Registration
Registration and license-plate fees are separate from the title fee and vary by vehicle type; a registration transfer is $25. Massachusetts sales or use tax is also separate, and is not charged on a transfer to a surviving spouse or on a qualifying family transfer when the exemption is claimed
Small estate limit
Massachusetts offers no transfer-on-death beneficiary designation on a vehicle title. A surviving spouse of a married resident owner takes a passenger vehicle or motorcycle registered and used as a pleasure vehicle by the statutory survivorship presumption in M.G.L. c. 90D, § 15A, using the Affidavit of Surviving Spouse (form TTL103) with the death certificate and the assigned title, with no probate and no title fee, unless the will disposes of the vehicle otherwise. Otherwise the small-estate route is voluntary administration under M.G.L. c. 190B, § 3-1201: personal property only, one motor vehicle plus other personal property of $25,000 or less, filed with the Register of Probate 30 or more days after death. A court-appointed personal representative transfers the title with a copy of the appointment

How Was the Vehicle Titled?

The transfer process depends on ownership type. Pick your situation below.

Reading a joint title: look at the word between the two owner names. "OR" (or a slash) means either owner can act alone, so the surviving owner can usually transfer the title without probate. "AND" means both owners must act together, so the vehicle usually has to go through probate when one owner dies.
Joint OwnershipProbate may not be needed

Vehicle titled to two people with "or" or "and/or"

Process

Surviving owner can transfer to their name alone with death certificate

Documents Needed
  • Original vehicle title
  • Certified death certificate
  • Application for title
  • Your ID
Small Estate AffidavitProbate may not be needed

Total estate value below state threshold

Process

Heir can use small estate affidavit to claim vehicle

Documents Needed
  • Original vehicle title
  • Certified death certificate
  • Small estate affidavit
  • Heir ID
  • Proof of heirship
Sole Ownership (Above Threshold)Probate likely needed

Vehicle titled only to deceased, estate exceeds small estate limit

Process

Executor transfers vehicle using Letters of Administration

Documents Needed
  • Original vehicle title
  • Certified death certificate
  • Letters of Administration
  • Executor ID
  • Application for title
See the full step-by-step processThe forms, the order to do them, and what to bring

Read the title before anyone signs

Confirm whether the title is a Massachusetts title, whether ownership is sole or joint, whether a lien appears, and whether any beneficiary or survivorship language applies.

Gather death and authority records

Get a certified death certificate and decide whether the signer needs letters, a small-estate document, beneficiary paperwork, or another authority path.

Check current DMV instructions

Use Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV), Massachusetts Department of Transportation; titling is handled in person at any RMV Service Center or by mail to the RMV Title Department in Boston. Massachusetts has no county motor-vehicle offices instructions for the current title application, transfer fee, registration, insurance, and appointment or mail requirements.

Resolve liens before transfer

Ask the lender or lienholder what payoff, release, refinance, or estate authority it needs before the title office can process the transfer.

Keep registration and insurance active until the transfer is done

Do not cancel coverage or distribute proceeds until title, registration, lien, and estate-authority questions are clear.

Good to knowShort notes that save a second trip to the title office
  • Title facts control the path. A will does not automatically change a Massachusetts vehicle title. Start with the title record, beneficiary or survivorship language, lien status, and the authority document Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV), Massachusetts Department of Transportation; titling is handled in person at any RMV Service Center or by mail to the RMV Title Department in Boston. Massachusetts has no county motor-vehicle offices will accept.
  • Fees and registration can change. Massachusetts title fees, registration charges, taxes, and appointment options can vary by transaction. Verify current amounts with Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV), Massachusetts Department of Transportation; titling is handled in person at any RMV Service Center or by mail to the RMV Title Department in Boston. Massachusetts has no county motor-vehicle offices before preparing checks or mailing forms.
  • Estate authority may still matter. A vehicle can be personal property and still require court, clerk, small-estate, or personal-representative authority when the title is sole-name, disputed, missing, or tied to a lien.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I transfer a car title without probate in Massachusetts?
Sometimes. Whether probate is needed depends on how the vehicle was titled, whether there is a survivorship or beneficiary feature, and whether the estate qualifies for a small-estate transfer method.
What documents do I usually need to transfer a vehicle after death in Massachusetts?
Common documents include the original title, a certified death certificate, your ID, a title application, and in some cases letters of administration, a small-estate affidavit, or beneficiary paperwork.
What if there is a loan on the vehicle?
A lender still has rights in the vehicle. Before transfer, contact the lender to confirm payoff, refinance, or release requirements so the DMV filing is not rejected. Depending on the estate finances, the options are usually paying off the loan, refinancing it in the new owner name, or returning the vehicle.
Do I need to keep the car insured during the transfer?
Yes. Keep insurance on the vehicle throughout the transfer process. If the policy was in the deceased person name, contact the insurer to add yourself as a driver or move the policy, and do not let coverage lapse before the title and registration are updated.
What if several heirs inherit the car together?
The title agency may require signatures or authority from each person with an interest in the vehicle. Verify exactly whose signatures are required before the office visit. In practice, one heir often keeps the car and buys out the others, or the estate sells it and splits the proceeds.
What if the car is titled in another state, not Massachusetts?
If the person who died lived elsewhere or the vehicle is registered in another state, that state's motor vehicle agency usually handles the deceased-owner transfer first. Complete the transfer under the title state's rules, then register the vehicle in Massachusetts if it is staying here.

Not Sure Whether Probate Is Required?

Use the Massachusetts probate assessment before you submit DMV paperwork if the vehicle was solely owned or the estate looks close to a small-estate threshold.

Take Massachusetts Assessment

Still weighing whether to keep or sell the car? Read what to do with the car when someone dies for the keep-or-sell decision, or see how to sell the car if you cannot find the title in Massachusetts.

Official Massachusetts Sources

Massachusetts vehicle title and registration - Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV), Massachusetts Department of Transportation; titling is handled in person at any RMV Service Center or by mail to the RMV Title Department in Boston. Massachusetts has no county motor-vehicle offices. Current DMV source in Settled state data.

Information current as of July 8, 2026

Settled Estate is not a law firm, and this content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Probate laws and procedures in Massachusetts can change. Consult with a qualified attorney for advice specific to your situation. Full disclaimer.

Need Help With the Full Estate?

Vehicle transfers are often just one part of settling an estate. See our related guides.

All Asset TransfersMassachusetts Probate Guide

More Massachusetts Resources

Explore the rest of the Massachusetts probate hub.

Do I need probate?4 pages
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Learn and reference5 pages