Sahvelo

Transferring a vehicle in Iowa after someone dies

Iowa's vehicle affidavit has no ceiling on it at all — no dollar figure appears anywhere in the section. What it asks instead is a personal undertaking: the heir agrees to indemnify the dead person's creditors up to the value of the car. And there is a trap that nobody can undo later, hidden in which form you use.

State Iowa

The procedure is set by the state that issued the title, not by where the owner lived.

Sahvelo publishes 50 states for this topic. If the title came from another state, that state's motor vehicle agency is the authoritative source until we publish it. See what's published.

Paths
3 in this state

The paths this state offers

Every route Sahvelo has verified for transferring a vehicle after a death in this state, side by side. The guided questions identify which one applies to you.

Path When it applies Court involvement Tax owed Speed Authority
Affidavit of Death Intestate No will, and no administration of the estate None No Iowa inheritance tax for a death on or after 1 January 2025 Fast — one form, no waiting period stated Iowa Code § 321.47(2)(a); DOT form 411088
Affidavit of Death Testate A will that is not probated, or admitted to probate without administration None No Iowa inheritance tax for a death on or after 1 January 2025 Fast — one form, no waiting period stated Iowa Code § 321.47(2)(a); DOT form 411083
Estate in probate A court has appointed a legal representative District court — Letters of appointment are what the treasurer wants No Iowa inheritance tax for a death on or after 1 January 2025 Slowest — the appointment has to come first Iowa DOT — Title Transfer After Death

No ceiling, but an indemnity

Every other affidavit route on these pages is bounded by a number. Iowa's vehicle route under section 321.47(2)(a) is not: read the subsection through and no dollar figure appears in it. What it asks for is three statements and an undertaking.2

That fourth item is not a formality. It is a personal promise, given by the person signing, that stands behind the dead person's creditors up to what the car is worth. It is the reason Iowa can afford to set no ceiling.2

The same affidavit and the same indemnity reach a will that is not being administered: where a decedent died testate and either the will is not probated or is admitted to probate without administration, the persons entitled to the vehicle may file an affidavit on the same terms.2

Iowa's general small estate affidavit is a separate instrument with its own limits — $50,000 of personal property, forty days since the death, no real property, and no administration pending — and the Department confirms county treasurers still accept it as proof of entitlement to a vehicle.3•

The wrong form marks the title forever

This is the Iowa detail that costs families money years later, and it turns entirely on which piece of paper is used. The DOT's own affidavits, forms 411083 and 411088, carry an odometer disclosure statement. Iowa's general small estate affidavit does not.•

The Department's wording is flat: form 411083 or 411088 is required to issue a title with Actual Mileage, and any other affidavit that provides the necessary information will result in a title with Not Actual Mileage. A title carrying that mark carries it for the rest of the vehicle's life.•

And it cannot be repaired afterwards. The only person authorized to sign as the agent of the deceased for the odometer disclosure is the affiant — the heir. A person who buys the vehicle from the heir does not qualify to sign the updated affidavit and does not qualify under Iowa law to sign the odometer statement as the decedent's agent.•

The heir's own authority is narrow too, and the statute says why: an affiant is the agent of the owner solely for the purpose of completing the odometer disclosure statement. That is why the heir must use the form rather than sign the back of the title — signing the certificate would act beyond that authority.••

Two practical consequences. Where several people inherit, they must all submit an affidavit to be jointly listed on the new title, but only one of them needs to provide the odometer disclosure. And where the deceased's own title already read not actual miles, the heir's title has to keep that reading — there is nothing to improve.•

Three situations, three lists

The Department sets out three cases and gives each its own document list. All three go to a county treasurer rather than to a state office, and an Iowa resident may take the paperwork to any county treasurer's office.1

All three also need a completed odometer disclosure and damage disclosure where applicable, a completed Application for Certificate of Iowa title (form 411007), and the appropriate fees.1

A surviving spouse pays nothing for the title, and that concession is statutory rather than administrative: the Department shall waive the certificate of title fee and surcharge where the person entitled to possession and ownership is the surviving spouse. The Department adds that any available registration fees may be transferred. In all other cases fees are imposed.12

A lien does not stop any of this. Where liens appear in the county treasurer's records, the new certificate must carry a statement of them unless the application is accompanied by proper evidence of satisfaction or extinction — and where a paid-off loan is still printed on the front of the certificate, the document is a Cancellation of Security Interest, form 411168.25

Iowa titles go to Iowa residents

The Department states this as a limit on who may receive a title at all, and it is easy to read past: if you are not an Iowa resident, in most cases Iowa law does not allow you to receive an Iowa title, and you should refer to your home state's laws.1

In most cases. So there are cases where a non-resident can be titled, and the Department does not publish what they are. Sahvelo states nothing about them rather than guessing, and a county treasurer's office is where to ask.1

The statute does contemplate a non-resident owner in at least one place: on a transfer by operation of law the plates are forwarded to the department rather than to a county treasurer where the vehicle is owned by a non-resident.•

The plates come off the car

Iowa does something that strands a vehicle in the driveway, and few families expect it. On a transfer under section 321.47 the registration plates shall be removed and forwarded to any county treasurer — and the vehicle shall not be operated upon the highways of this state until the person entitled to possession applies for and obtains initial registration.•

Which is one more reason not to let the paperwork sit. Section 321.47 sets a fee of thirty dollars for a transfer by operation of law together with an application for initial registration and certificate of title, and a surviving spouse's title fee is waived on top of that.•2

Where the certificate of title cannot be produced at all, the treasurer has an alternative: the transfer may proceed on presentation of satisfactory proof to the county treasurer of ownership and right of possession to the vehicle. What satisfies a particular treasurer is their judgment.•

The section carries a penalty as well: a person convicted of a violation of it is guilty of a simple misdemeanor punishable as a scheduled violation.•

A date that changes older guidance

Iowa's inheritance tax repealed itself by its own terms. Section 450.98: effective 1 January 2025 the chapter shall not apply to property of estates of decedents dying on or after 1 January 2025, and to that extent the chapter is repealed.4

The date is still visible inside the sections a family will actually use. Section 633.356 asks a successor to certify about inheritance or other taxes owed for a death occurring prior to 1 January 2025, and carries alternative wording about real property passing to persons exempt from inheritance tax for deaths before that date. Section 321.47 warns that for a death before that date the vehicle affidavit does not satisfy a requirement of chapter 450.4

So the date of death decides which version of Iowa's own guidance applies. Anything written before 2025 that tells an Iowa family about inheritance tax is describing a rule that no longer reaches a death on or after 1 January 2025.4

What to do, step by step

The order of operations for each path. Only one of these applies to you — the guided questions will say which.

Affidavit of Death Intestate

No will, no administration. Form 411088 at any county treasurer's office.

  1. First

    Establish that no estate has been opened

    The affidavit states that there has been no administration of the decedent's estate. An appointment moves the vehicle onto the representative's signature instead.

  2. First

    Identify everyone entitled under the laws of descent and distribution

    Where several people inherit, they must all submit an affidavit to attest to their right to own the vehicle and to be jointly listed on the new title.

  3. First

    Read the indemnity before signing

    The affidavit must contain an agreement by the affiant to indemnify creditors of the decedent who would be entitled to levy execution upon the motor vehicle, to the extent of the value of the motor vehicle.

  4. First

    Use form 411088 rather than any other affidavit

    It is the form that carries the odometer disclosure statement. Another affidavit transfers ownership but produces a title reading Not Actual Mileage.

  5. First

    Take it to any county treasurer's office

    With the title if available, a copy of the death certificate or other proof of death, the damage disclosure where applicable, form 411007 and the appropriate fees.

  6. First

    Take the plates off and get the new registration

    The plates are removed and forwarded to a county treasurer, and the vehicle may not be driven on Iowa highways until the new registration is obtained.

Affidavit of Death Testate

A will that is not probated, or admitted to probate without administration. Form 411083.

  1. First

    Check which testate case this is

    The route is for a will that is not probated, or one admitted to probate without administration. A will being administered goes down the probate route instead.

  2. First

    Read the indemnity before signing

    The affidavit must contain the same information and indemnity agreement as is required in cases of intestacy.

  3. First

    Use form 411083

    It is required to issue title with Actual Mileage. The heir completes the odometer disclosure on the form rather than on the back of the title.

  4. First

    Take it to any county treasurer's office

    With the title if available, a copy of the death certificate or other proof of death, the damage disclosure where applicable, form 411007 and the appropriate fees.

  5. First

    Claim the spouse waiver if it applies

    The Department shall waive the certificate of title fee and surcharge where the person entitled to possession and ownership is the surviving spouse of a decedent.

Estate in probate

Letters of appointment, and the representative assigns the title as seller.

  1. First

    Obtain the Letters of appointment

    They show the name of the court-appointed legal representative of the estate, and the treasurer asks to see them.

  2. First

    The representative assigns the title

    On the back of the title, with signature and printed name as seller. Where the original title is not available, the representative must apply for a replacement title first.

  3. First

    Clear or carry the lien

    Where liens appear in the treasurer's records, the new certificate must state them unless proper evidence of satisfaction or extinction is filed. A paid-off loan still on the front of the certificate is cleared with form 411168.

  4. First

    Take it to any county treasurer's office

    With the odometer and damage disclosures where applicable, form 411007, and the appropriate fees.

  5. First

    Take the plates off and get the new registration

    The plates are removed and forwarded, and the vehicle may not be driven until the new registration issues.

Documents and forms

Each name below links to the official form or the agency page that issues it.

Needed on every path

Needed on some paths

  • Form 411088 — Affidavit of Death Intestate (without a will)

    Applies to No will, no administration — form 411088, and no ceiling on the value

    Signed by the person entitled to possession and ownership of the vehicle under Iowa law. It carries the odometer disclosure statement and the creditor indemnity agreement.

    Link checked 2026-08-18

  • Form 411083 — Affidavit of Death Testate (with a will)

    Applies to A will that is not being administered — form 411083, same indemnity

    The same, for a will that is not probated or is admitted to probate without administration. Required to issue a title with Actual Mileage.

    Link checked 2026-08-18

  • Letters of appointment

    Applies to The legal representative signs as seller

    Showing the name of the court-appointed legal representative of the estate. What the treasurer wants where the estate is in probate.

    Link checked 2026-08-18

  • A copy of the death certificate or other proof of death

    Applies to No will, no administration — form 411088, and no ceiling on the valueA will that is not being administered — form 411083, same indemnity

    Named on both affidavit routes. Iowa asks for a copy or other proof rather than a certified original.

    Link checked 2026-08-18

  • An Iowa small estate affidavit

    Applies to No will, no administration — form 411088, and no ceiling on the valueA will that is not being administered — form 411083, same indemnity

    The general affidavit under section 633.356 — $50,000 of personal property, forty days since the death, no real property, no administration pending. Still accepted by county treasurers as proof of entitlement, but it carries no odometer disclosure statement.

    Link checked 2026-08-18

Where and how to file

  • In person

    Any county treasurer's office

    The Department states that an Iowa resident may take the paperwork with application to any county treasurer's office — it does not have to be the county the deceased lived in.Bring the title if available, the affidavit or the Letters of appointment, proof of death on the affidavit routes, the odometer and damage disclosures where applicable, form 411007 and the appropriate fees.If you are not an Iowa resident, the Department says that in most cases Iowa law does not allow you to receive an Iowa title, and points you to your home state's laws.

    Find an office

    Applies to every path

  • In person

    Any county treasurer, or the department where the owner is a non-resident

    On a transfer under section 321.47 the registration plates shall be removed and forwarded to any county treasurer, or to the department where the vehicle is owned by a non-resident.The vehicle may not be operated on Iowa highways until the person entitled to possession applies for and obtains initial registration.

    Find an office

    Applies to every path

What it costs

Fees change, and the agency's own schedule is the only current source. Where Sahvelo cannot verify a fixed amount, it links the schedule rather than quoting a number.

FeeAmountNotesFee schedule
Transfer by operation of law Published by the agency Statutory. Section 321.47 sets this fee for the issue of a registration card and certificate of title on a transfer by operation of law, together with the presentation of an application for initial registration and certificate of title. Current fee schedule
Certificate of title fee for a surviving spouse Published by the agency Nothing. The Department shall waive the certificate of title fee and surcharge where the person entitled to possession and ownership of the vehicle is the surviving spouse of a decedent, and the Department adds that any available registration fees may be transferred. In all other cases fees are imposed to transfer title. Current fee schedule
Other title and registration fees Published by the agency Sahvelo states no further figure. The Department publishes a fee calculator rather than a schedule of amounts, and its guidance says only that appropriate fees are due. Current fee schedule
Iowa inheritance tax Published by the agency Nothing, for a death on or after 1 January 2025 — the chapter does not apply to estates of decedents dying on or after that date and is repealed to that extent. For an earlier death the chapter still reaches the estate, and section 321.47 warns that the vehicle affidavit does not satisfy a chapter 450 requirement. Current fee schedule

After you file

  • Check the mileage line on the new title before you file it away. A title issued on anything other than form 411083 or 411088 reads Not Actual Mileage, and nobody who comes later can repair it — a person who buys the vehicle from the heir does not qualify under Iowa law to sign the odometer statement as the decedent's agent.

    Applies to No will, no administration — form 411088, and no ceiling on the valueA will that is not being administered — form 411083, same indemnity

  • The car stays parked until the registration is in the new owner's name. The plates are removed and forwarded on the transfer, and the vehicle may not be operated on Iowa highways until initial registration is obtained.

    Applies to every path

  • The undertaking given on the affidavit does not end when the title issues. It is an agreement to indemnify creditors of the decedent who would be entitled to levy execution upon the motor vehicle, to the extent of the value of the motor vehicle — so keep a copy of what was signed.

    Applies to No will, no administration — form 411088, and no ceiling on the valueA will that is not being administered — form 411083, same indemnity

  • A lien that was not cleared will be printed on the new certificate: where liens appear in the county treasurer's records the certificate must contain a statement of them unless proper evidence of satisfaction or extinction accompanied the application.

    Applies to every path

If your situation doesn't fit one of these paths

Common complications, and what each one changes.

  • Somebody already used a small estate affidavit at the treasurer's office

    The transfer is valid and the mileage is not. The Department confirms that small estate affidavits are still valid ownership documents and can still be accepted as proof a person is entitled to ownership of a vehicle — but the small estate affidavit does not have the required odometer disclosure statement, and a customer who wants Actual mileage would need to also complete the applicable updated form. Do that before the vehicle changes hands again: only the affiant is the decedent's agent for the odometer disclosure, and a later buyer cannot sign one.•

  • You bought the car from an heir and the title says Not Actual Mileage

    There is nothing you can do about it, and the Department says so twice. The person who buys the vehicle from the heir does not qualify to sign the updated affidavit and does not qualify under Iowa law to sign the odometer statement as the decedent's agent. The statutory reason is narrow authority: an affiant is the agent of the owner of the vehicle solely for the purpose of completing the odometer disclosure statement, and that agency does not pass down the chain.••

  • The deceased person's own title already said not actual miles

    Then the heir's title keeps that reading, and using the right form changes nothing. The Department's answer is flat: if the decedent's title already had not actual miles then the heir's title will need to retain the not actual reading.•

  • Several people inherit the same car

    All of them file, one of them signs the mileage. Where there are multiple inheritors, they must all submit an affidavit to attest to their right to own the vehicle and to be jointly listed on the new title — but as with any other odometer attestation, only one inheritor needs to provide the odometer disclosure. Note what each of them is signing: the affidavit carries an agreement to indemnify the decedent's creditors to the extent of the value of the motor vehicle.•2

  • You are being asked to sign something that mentions creditors

    That is the price of Iowa's route having no ceiling. The affidavit must contain an agreement by the affiant to indemnify creditors of the decedent who would be entitled to levy execution upon the motor vehicle, to the extent of the value of the motor vehicle. Where the estate has debts that might reach the car, the general small estate affidavit is a different bargain — it asks for a sworn statement that creditors, if any, will be paid to the extent of funds received, within a $50,000 ceiling — and an appointed representative is a third. This is the question worth taking to an Iowa attorney rather than deciding at a counter.23

  • The person inheriting the car lives in another state

    Iowa may not title it to them. The Department's wording is that if you are not an Iowa resident, in most cases Iowa law does not allow you to receive an Iowa title, and you should refer to your home state's laws. What the remaining cases are is not published and this page does not guess at them. Section 321.47 does contemplate a non-resident owner in one place — the plates go to the department rather than to a county treasurer where the vehicle is owned by a non-resident — but that is about plates rather than about who may hold the title.1•

  • The will was filed with the court but nobody is administering the estate

    That is precisely the case the testate affidavit is drawn for. Section 321.47 reaches a decedent who died testate where either the will is not probated or is admitted to probate without administration — two different situations, both on the same form. Where an administration is actually running, the route closes and the legal representative assigns the title instead.21

  • The loan was paid off years ago but the title still shows it

    Iowa has a form for exactly that: a Cancellation of Security Interest, form 411168, where an uncancelled lien is showing on the front of the title. If nothing is filed, the lien travels — where liens appear in the county treasurer's records, the new certificate of title must contain a statement of them unless the application is accompanied by proper evidence of the satisfaction or extinction of those liens. The statute names one kind of evidence of extinction: an affidavit of the applicant stating that a security interest was foreclosed under the Uniform Commercial Code.52

  • The certificate of title cannot be found

    There are two answers depending on the route. On the probate route the Department is direct: where the original title is not available, the legal representative must apply for a replacement title. On the affidavit routes the Department asks for the title in the deceased person's name if available, and the statute gives the treasurer an alternative — the transfer may proceed on presentation of satisfactory proof to the county treasurer of ownership and right of possession to the vehicle. What satisfies a particular treasurer is their judgment.1•

  • The death was before 2025

    Then Iowa's inheritance tax still reaches the estate, and the vehicle affidavit does not deal with it. Section 450.98 repeals the chapter only for decedents dying on or after 1 January 2025. For an earlier death, section 321.47 warns that filing the vehicle affidavit does not satisfy a requirement of chapter 450, and section 633.356 asks a successor to certify about inheritance or other taxes owed to the department of revenue for a death occurring prior to that date.4

  • A bank or an office refuses the small estate affidavit

    Section 633.356 has a remedy with costs attached. A successor may recover the property or compel its transfer in an action brought for that purpose, and the court shall award attorney fees to the person bringing the action if it finds the holder acted unreasonably in refusing. The section leans the other way too — fees go to a holder the court finds acted reasonably — so it is worth showing the holder the protective half first: receipt of the affidavit constitutes sufficient acquittance, the holder may rely in good faith on its statements, has no duty to inquire into the truth of any of them, and is not liable for any debt owed by the decedent by reason of transferring.3

  • The death was only a few days ago

    The two Iowa instruments have different clocks. The general small estate affidavit under section 633.356 requires that forty days have elapsed since the death. The vehicle affidavit under section 321.47 states no waiting period at all — its conditions are about administration and entitlement rather than about time. What it does require is that there has been no administration of the estate, which is a question that can change later.32

Questions people ask about this

  • Is there a value limit on the vehicle affidavit?

    No. Section 321.47(2)(a) sets no dollar figure at all. What it asks for instead is an agreement by the affiant to indemnify creditors of the decedent who would be entitled to levy execution upon the motor vehicle, to the extent of the value of the motor vehicle. The undertaking stands in place of a ceiling.2

  • Which affidavit form do we use?

    Form 411083, Affidavit of Death Testate, where there is a will that is not probated or is admitted to probate without administration. Form 411088, Affidavit of Death Intestate, where there is no will. Both are signed by the person entitled to possession and ownership of the vehicle under Iowa law, and using one of them is what produces a title reading Actual Mileage.1•

  • We already have a small estate affidavit. Can we use that?

    For ownership, yes — the Department says small estate affidavits are still valid ownership documents and can still be accepted as proof a person is entitled to ownership of a vehicle. For mileage, no: the small estate affidavit does not have the required odometer disclosure statement, and a title issued on it reads Not Actual Mileage. Anyone who wants Actual mileage has to complete the applicable DOT form as well.•

  • Where do we go?

    Any county treasurer's office. Iowa title work is done by the county treasurers rather than at a state counter, and an Iowa resident may take the paperwork with application to any of them.1

  • The person inheriting the car lives out of state. Does that matter?

    It may stop the transfer. The Department states that if you are not an Iowa resident, in most cases Iowa law does not allow you to receive an Iowa title, and you should refer to your home state's laws. What the remaining cases are is not published, so ask a county treasurer's office rather than assuming either way.1

  • Do we have to open an estate?

    Not for the vehicle, if nobody has. Both affidavit routes state that there has been no administration of the decedent's estate. If a court has appointed a legal representative, the affidavit routes close and the representative assigns the title as seller instead, with Letters of appointment shown to the treasurer.21

  • What does it cost?

    Nothing for a surviving spouse: the Department shall waive the certificate of title fee and surcharge where the person entitled to possession and ownership is the surviving spouse of a decedent, and any available registration fees may be transferred. Otherwise section 321.47 sets $30 for the transfer by operation of law, and the Department publishes a fee calculator rather than a schedule for the rest.21

  • Can we keep driving the car meanwhile?

    Not once the transfer is made. On a transfer under section 321.47 the registration plates shall be removed and forwarded to a county treasurer, and the vehicle shall not be operated upon the highways of this state until the person entitled to possession applies for and obtains initial registration.•

  • There is a lien on the title. Does that stop us?

    No — but it follows the car. Where liens appear in the county treasurer's records, the new certificate of title must contain a statement of them unless the application is accompanied by proper evidence of their satisfaction or extinction. Where a paid-off loan is still printed on the front of the certificate, the document to file is a Cancellation of Security Interest, form 411168.25

  • Is there an Iowa inheritance tax to pay?

    Not for a death on or after 1 January 2025. Section 450.98 provides that the chapter does not apply to property of estates of decedents dying on or after that date and is repealed to that extent. For an earlier death it still applies, and section 321.47 warns that the vehicle affidavit does not satisfy a chapter 450 requirement.4

  • How long do we have to wait?

    The vehicle affidavit under section 321.47 states no waiting period. Iowa's general small estate affidavit under section 633.356 requires that forty days have elapsed since the death, and reaches personal property of $50,000 or less where there is no real property and no administration is pending.23

  • Several of us inherit the car. What then?

    You all file and one of you signs the mileage. Where there are multiple inheritors they must all submit an affidavit to attest to their right to own the vehicle and to be jointly listed on the new title, but only one inheritor needs to provide the odometer disclosure.•

What the terms mean

6 terms used on this page, defined from the statute
Affidavit of Death Testate or Intestate
The Iowa DOT's two forms — 411083 where there is a will that is not being administered, 411088 where there is none. Each is signed by the person entitled to possession and ownership of the vehicle under Iowa law, carries the odometer disclosure statement, and contains the creditor indemnity agreement that section 321.47 requires in place of any value ceiling. Iowa DOT — Title Transfer After Death, Iowa Code § 321.47
Indemnity agreement
The undertaking the Iowa vehicle affidavit must contain: an agreement by the affiant to indemnify creditors of the decedent who would be entitled to levy execution upon the motor vehicle, to the extent of the value of the motor vehicle. It is a personal promise by the person signing, and it is why the route needs no dollar limit. Iowa Code § 321.47(2)(a)
Not Actual Mileage
What Iowa prints on a title transferred on any affidavit other than form 411083 or 411088, because those forms are the ones carrying the required odometer disclosure statement. It stays on the certificate, and nobody further down the chain can remove it: only the affiant is the decedent's agent for the odometer disclosure, and a buyer from the heir does not qualify. Iowa DOT — Title Transfer After Death
Successor
The term section 633.356 uses for the person entitled to collect under Iowa's general small estate affidavit: the beneficiaries who succeeded under the will where there is one, the persons who succeeded under intestate succession where there is not, and — where the decedent received medical assistance — the Iowa Medicaid agency itself. Iowa Code § 633.356
County treasurer
The office that issues Iowa titles and registrations. An Iowa resident may take the paperwork with application to any county treasurer's office rather than to the one where the deceased lived, and it is the treasurer's own records that determine whether a lien must be stated on the new certificate. Iowa DOT — Title Transfer After Death, Iowa Code § 321.47

See the full glossary across every state

Still not sure which path is yours?

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Sahvelo gives information drawn from statutes, agency guidance and official forms. It is not legal advice for your particular situation. Terms & disclaimer.

Sources

Every rule on this page traces to one of the following. All are Iowa state publications: the Department of Transportation's own guidance and titling page, and the Iowa Code as published by the Legislature.

  1. Iowa DOT — Title Transfer After Death

    Who may transfer, the three situations and their document lists, the county treasurer as the counter, the residency limit, and the surviving spouse fee waiver.

    iowadot.gov Checked 2026-08-18

  2. Iowa Code § 321.47(2)(a) — transfers by operation of law, affidavit of the persons entitled

    The affidavit with no ceiling and its creditor indemnity, the testate limb, the lien statement rule, the statutory spouse waiver, the odometer agency limit, the plates rule and the thirty dollar fee.

    legis.iowa.gov Checked 2026-08-18

  3. Iowa Code § 633.356 — distribution of property by affidavit, very small estates

    The $50,000 ceiling and the forty days, who counts as a successor, the twelve sworn statements, the holder's protection, and attorney fees awarded against an unreasonable refusal.

    legis.iowa.gov Checked 2026-08-18

  4. Iowa Code § 450.98 — inheritance tax repealed

    That the inheritance tax chapter does not apply to deaths on or after 1 January 2025, and repeals itself to that extent.

    legis.iowa.gov Checked 2026-08-18

  5. Iowa DOT — Title a Vehicle

    The general transfer list, including the Cancellation of Security Interest for an uncancelled lien and the damage disclosure for vehicles eight years old or newer.

    iowadot.gov Checked 2026-08-18

Sources last reviewed 2026-08-18. Sources are re-checked on a schedule, and this date changes when they are. Where a source is marked pending re-verification, the page says so wherever the claim appears.

Related from the Sahvelo Journal: What Happens to a Car When Someone Dies?

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