Utah Asset Transfers After Death
Utah estate transfers start with the asset record: title wording, beneficiary forms, trust ownership, agency title terms, deed records, court authority, and asset-holder requirements.
Use this as a tracker, not a shortcut
Mark each asset as outside probate, estate authority needed, or special review before moving money, signing title paperwork, recording a deed, or making a distribution.
Utah asset checklist
Use this worksheet view to assign each asset a status, collect the first record set, and decide which detailed Utah guide to open next.
Real Estate
Usually skips probateEstate authority likely
First records to pull
- The recorded transfer on death deed
- A certified death certificate
- An affidavit of the surviving beneficiary recorded in the same county, per Utah Code 75-6-413(5)
- The recorded deed showing how the interest was granted and when
Tracker notes
- Pull the recorded deed before anything else. It answers three questions at once: survivorship, the grant date and whether a transfer on death deed exists.
- Utah recording fees are per instrument, not per page, and the $5 county surcharge is conditional rather than automatic.
- Utah has no real estate transfer or documentary stamp tax. Title 59 contains no chapter imposing one.
Motor Vehicles, Boats and Trailers
Usually skips probateEstate authority likely
First records to pull
- Form TC-569C, Survivorship Affidavit, completed and notarized
- The Utah certificate of title, or form TC-123 if the original title is lost
- Form TC-656, Vehicle Application for Utah Title and Registration, completed by the new owner
- Government issued identification
Tracker notes
- There is no Utah vehicle beneficiary designation to look for. If the title has one name and no survivorship, the route is the affidavit or probate.
- Count the vehicles. Five vehicles closes the affidavit route no matter how small the estate is.
Bank and Investment Accounts
Usually skips probateEstate authority likely
First records to pull
- A certified death certificate
- Photo identification for the survivor or beneficiary
- The bank's own claim form
- The transfer agent's or broker's own paperwork
Tracker notes
- Ask the bank whether the account carries a payable on death beneficiary before assuming it is part of the estate. Many people set one and never mention it.
- The small estate affidavit is measured across the whole estate, not the single account you are trying to collect.
Personal Property
Usually skips probateSpecial review
First records to pull
- Affidavit for Collecting Personal Property in a Small Estate Proceeding, notarized
- A certified death certificate
Tracker notes
- Check for water shares on any rural or agricultural Utah property. They are a separate asset with a separate transfer route.
- Exempt property is charged against what the spouse otherwise takes, unless the will says otherwise. Do not promise it on top.
Life Insurance and Retirement Accounts
Usually skips probateEstate authority likely
First records to pull
- A certified death certificate
- The insurer's or plan administrator's claim form
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration
Tracker notes
- Ask for the designation in writing rather than assuming what the decedent told the family.
- A designation naming an ex spouse should be checked against Utah Code 75-2-802 before anyone is paid.
Digital Accounts and Files
Usually skips probate
First records to pull
- A written request to the custodian
- A certified death certificate
- A certified copy of the letters of appointment, a small estate affidavit, or a court order
Tracker notes
- A digital asset in Utah is the electronic record itself. Utah Code 75A-6-102(9)(b) says it does not include an underlying asset or liability unless that asset or liability is itself an electronic record, so the login is the digital asset and the bank balance is not.
- Check whether the provider has a legacy contact or account manager tool before writing to its legal department.
Not sure which applies?
Answer a few questions to see whether Utah probate is likely and which transfer path fits each asset.
Take the 2-minute assessmentSort each asset into a transfer bucketThe tracker steps and the outside-probate, estate-authority, and special-review buckets
Utah estate transfers move faster when every asset has a source-backed status. The same estate can include POD accounts, title assets, real estate that needs deed review, small personal property, trust assets, and probate property that waits for representative authority.
If the person received Medicaid long-term care benefits, check Utah Medicaid estate recovery before transferring or distributing the home, so a recovery claim does not surface after the deed work is done.
- Identify the asset record. Start with the title, deed, account agreement, beneficiary form, trust ownership, or company record rather than family memory.
- Place the asset in a transfer bucket. Mark each asset as outside probate, estate authority needed, or special review based on the record and source requirements.
- Collect proof before moving the asset. Gather death certificates, letters, small-estate affidavits, title forms, claim forms, deed records, and value support before asking for release or retitling.
- Route the hard assets to their task pages. Use the asset-transfer, vehicle, court, form, and probate guides when an asset needs more than a tracker note.
- Save receipts and transfer confirmations. Keep recorded deeds, agency receipts, title confirmations, bank confirmations, claim packets, settlement statements, and beneficiary releases with the estate file.
Usually Outside Probate
These pass by contract, by title or by a beneficiary designation, without a personal representative and without a court file.
- Life insurance with a living named beneficiary
- Retirement accounts with a living named beneficiary
- Payable on death and transfer on death bank and investment accounts (Utah Code 75-6-201)
- Securities registered in transfer on death form (Utah Code 75-6-308)
- Real property under a transfer on death deed recorded before the owner's death (Utah Code 75-6-405)
- Property held in joint tenancy with right of survivorship (Utah Code 57-1-5)
- Assets already titled in a living trust
Usually Needs Estate Authority
Property in the decedent's sole name with no survivorship and no beneficiary, where the value or the asset type puts it beyond the small estate affidavit.
- A house, condominium, land or mineral rights in the decedent's sole name with no recorded transfer on death deed
- A sole owner bank account with no payable on death beneficiary, where the estate exceeds $100,000 net
- A claim or lawsuit belonging to the decedent
- A business interest with no buy sell or transfer provision
- More than four vehicles, boats, trailers or semitrailers
Special Review Needed
Utah rules that do not match the national pattern, or where a nonprobate route does not settle the question of who ends up keeping the property.
- Shares of stock in a water company, which Utah Code 75-3-1201(4) makes ineligible for transfer by small estate affidavit
- Property under a transfer on death deed, which stays liable for creditor claims and the statutory allowances under Utah Code 75-6-415
- Co-owned property whose deed predates May 1, 2024, because the joint tenancy presumption was narrower then
- Any property where Medicaid paid for the decedent's care, because Utah runs an expanded estate recovery program
- Anything passing to a surviving spouse, because the homestead allowance and exempt property are charged AGAINST that share rather than added to it
- Digital accounts, which are governed by Utah Code Title 75A Chapter 6 rather than by the terms of service alone
Open the task guide that matches the assetUtah asset-transfer, vehicle, forms, and probate guides for the hands-on work
Transfer assets after death
Asset-by-asset explanations for Utah bank accounts, title assets, personal property, trusts, beneficiary assets, and estate property.
Vehicle title transfer
Review Utah title requirements before retitling cars, trucks, boats, trailers, or other titled vehicles.
Probate forms
Match the transfer path to Utah forms, local filing instructions, and supporting documents.
Probate guide
Use the Utah probate guide for opening, appointment, notice, inventory, claims, distribution, and closing context.
How to avoid probate
Review beneficiary, trust, survivorship, and transfer-on-death options that may move assets outside probate.
Source notesOfficial references used for this page
The tracker uses Utah statute, court, agency, recording, deed, and title sources where available. County offices, asset holders, title companies, and tax reviewers may ask for more records before they accept a transfer.
- Utah Code § 75-3-1201 — Collection of personal property by affidavit -- Vehicles -- Water shares excluded.
- Utah Code § 75-3-1202 — Effect of affidavit.
- Utah Code § 75-3-101 — Devolution of estate at death -- Restrictions.
- Utah Code 75-3-301, Informal probate or appointment proceedings -- Application -- Contents.
- Utah Code §§ 75-6-104, 75-6-201, 75-6-308 and 75-6-405, the Utah nonprobate transfer sections
- Utah Code Utah Code §§ 75-6-405, 75-6-409, 75-6-411 and 75-6-415
- Utah Code 57-1-5, Creation of joint tenancy presumed -- Tenancy in common -- Severance of joint tenancy -- Tenants by the entirety -- Tenants holding as community property. Utah Code 57-1-5.1 is the recorded affidavit that discloses the termination of a joint tenancy at death.
- Utah Code § 17-71-407 — Fees -- Fees paid in advance.
- Utah Code § 75-2-403 — Exempt property.
- Utah Code § 75-2-803 — Definitions -- Effect of homicide on intestate succession, wills, trusts, joint assets, life insurance, and beneficiary designations -- Petition -- Forfeiture -- Revocation.
- Utah Code 75A-6-107, Disclosure of content of electronic communications of deceased user. Companion sections read the same day: 75A-6-102 Definitions for chapter (C75A-6-S102_2025050720250507), 75A-6-103 Applicability, 75A-6-104 User direction for disclosure of digital assets, 75A-6-108 Disclosure of other digital assets of deceased user and 75A-6-115 Fiduciary duty and authority, all at C75A-6-S1NN_2024090120240501.
- Utah State Tax Commission form TC-569C, Survivorship Affidavit. Fetched 2026-08-28, 79,382 bytes, PDF document title TC-569C, Survivorship Affidavit, author Utah State Tax Commission. tax.utah.gov redirects to files.tax.utah.gov; the tax.utah.gov address is the stable public one. The affidavit is notarized and certifies, in the form's own words, that the decedent left not more than four boats, motor vehicles, trailers or semi-trailers, that 30 days have elapsed since the death, that no appointment of a personal representative has been granted or is pending, that the value of the entire estate subject to administration wherever located, excluding those vehicles, less liens and encumbrances, does not exceed $100,000, and that the affiant is entitled to the vehicle and the transfer will not prejudice the decedent's creditors.
- Utah DMV - Deceased Vehicle Owners. The controlling agency page. It splits the deceased-owner transfer into two routes, the TC-569C Survivorship Affidavit and court documents from probate, lists the five conditions the DMV applies to the affidavit route, gives an OR/AND table for a title carrying two owners, and prints the required seller signature format, [Deceased Person's Name] by [Your Name] as survivor. WordPress REST reported this page last modified 2026-07-08.
- Utah Office of Vital Records and Statistics — Fee Schedule Effective July 1, 2026
- Utah State Courts self-help — Small Estates
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the first step in Utah estate transfers?
Start with the asset record. Title wording, account terms, beneficiary forms, trust ownership, agency records, deed records, and court authority decide which transfer path fits.
Do all Utah estate transfers need probate?
No. Some POD accounts, survivorship accounts, trust assets, beneficiary assets, and title-controlled assets may have a nonprobate path. Sole-owner estate assets often need letters, a small-estate process, a court order, or another estate document.
When should a Utah transfer tracker point to a task guide?
Use a task guide when the asset needs title work, agency review, a deed or recording step, a small-estate affidavit, sale records, creditor reserves, tax records, or a local court filing.
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 Utah can change. Consult with a qualified attorney for advice specific to your situation. Full disclaimer.
Build an Utah transfer file
Use the probate guide, county packet, and asset-specific guides to keep transfer records connected to the estate workflow.