Sahvelo

Transferring a vehicle in Utah after someone dies

Utah's small estate affidavit is not filed with anybody. The successor signs one page in front of a notary and hands it over — and the statute obliges the Division of Motor Vehicles to transfer the title rather than asking it to. What makes the route reach an ordinary family is the arithmetic: the vehicles themselves come out of the sum that decides whether the affidavit may be used.

State Utah

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
Two names joined by OR One of the two owners is still living None Not established on this route Immediate — one signature, or a title correction Utah DMV — Deceased Vehicle Owners
Survivorship affidavit Four or fewer vehicles, no active lienholder, nobody appointed anywhere, and the rest of the estate is $100,000 or less None — the affidavit is not filed with any court Not established on this route 30 days after the death, then one notarized page Utah Code § 75-3-1201; form TC-569C
Court documents Any affidavit condition fails — a lien, more than four vehicles, an appointment, real property, or a larger estate District court — informal probate, no hearing while everyone cooperates Not established on this route Slowest — no filing for five days, and Letters have to issue first Utah State Courts — Informal Probate

Nothing is filed with a court

This is the thing to understand before anything else, because it changes what a family thinks it is starting. Utah's small estate affidavit is not a court case. The Judiciary says so in its own words: the affidavit is not filed with the court — instead the decedent's successor fills out the form, signs it in front of a notary, and gives it to any third parties, such as the bank.6

For a vehicle, the third party is the state. There is a separate affidavit that can be used to claim title to up to four boats, motor vehicles, trailers or semi-trailers registered under Utah law, and it is presented to the Utah Division of Motor Vehicles to transfer title.6

And the Division is obliged rather than asked. Section 75-3-1201(3) says the Motor Vehicle Division of the State Tax Commission shall transfer title of not more than four boats, motor vehicles, trailers or semitrailers from the decedent to the successor on presentation of the affidavit and payment of the necessary fees.3

There are two different Utah vehicle affidavits, published by two different bodies. The Division's own page names TC-569C, the Survivorship Affidavit issued by the State Tax Commission. The Judiciary separately publishes an Affidavit for Transfer of Title to Motor Vehicles in a Small Estate Proceeding. Both cite section 75-3-1201; the Division directs a family to TC-569C.7

The cars come out of the count

The general Utah affidavit is capped at an estate worth $100,000 or less, wherever located, after liens and encumbrances. On the vehicle route the statute deliberately changes that sentence: in lieu of that language, the affidavit states that the value of the entire estate subject to administration, wherever located, OTHER THAN those motor vehicles, trailers or semitrailers, less liens and encumbrances, does not exceed the same figure.3

The vehicles are outside the sum that decides whether the vehicles can pass. A family whose estate is a car and a modest bank account is measuring the bank account.3

The Judiciary carries the same exclusion into the question of whether probate is needed at all: probate is required where the estate includes real property of any value, and/or where the estate has assets — other than land, and not including cars — whose net worth is more than $100,000.5

Real property is a separate bar rather than part of the total, and it has no floor. Any Utah real property in the deceased's name forces probate, and a small estate affidavit cannot be used to transfer title to real property like land or a house.56

Four, and boats are inside it

The Division's condition is that the decedent cannot have left more than a total of four motor vehicles, boats, trailers or semi-trailers. Four in total, across all four categories — not four cars.1

A utility trailer or a boat trailer counts, and families routinely forget both. The courts' own version of the affidavit makes the ceiling physical: it has exactly four lettered lines for a description of vehicles and no more.7

One asset class is carved out of this part of the code entirely. Shares of stock in a water company transferred under section 73-1-10 or under the Uniform Commercial Code's investment securities article are not eligible for transfer under this part — which matters in Utah, where water shares are ordinary family property.3

A loan closes the affidavit route

The Division lists five conditions for the survivorship affidavit, and the fifth is its own. Section 75-3-1201 says nothing about a lienholder. The Division does: there must be no active lienholder on the vehicle.1

A lien on a Utah vehicle is printed on the face of the certificate of title, and on any transfer the Division asks that the previous lienholder, if there is one printed there, has signed to release the lien.4

What Utah requires to discharge a lien specifically on a death transfer is not established here. What is established is that the affidavit route is closed while a lienholder is active, and the Division's published alternative is the probate process.1

Two names, four different answers

Where two owners are on a Utah title, the Division answers in a grid with two axes: whether the names are joined by OR or by AND, and what has happened — both owners dead, or one surviving and either selling or keeping the vehicle.1

So the conjunction does not decide who owns the car in Utah the way it does in some states. It decides how much survivorship documentation the Division wants — which is a different question with the same trigger.1

When a signature is made for the person who died, Utah prescribes the exact wording: the deceased person's name, by the signer's name, as survivor. The Division's own example is John Doe by Jane Doe as survivor.1

Refusing it can cost triple

Section 75-3-1202 does two things at once, and both are why a Utah affidavit tends to work at the counter. The person who honors it is safe: they are discharged and released to the same extent as if they had dealt with a personal representative, and are not required to see to the application of the property or to inquire into the truth of any statement in the affidavit.•

The person who refuses is exposed. Beyond recovering the property, the holder shall, in the discretion of the court, be liable for damages of up to three times the value of the personal property plus costs of suit and reasonable attorney's fees.•

It runs the other way too, and this is the part a successor should read before signing. Anyone to whom payment or transfer is made is answerable and accountable to any personal representative of the estate later appointed, or to any other person having a superior right. TC-569C adds its own promise: that the transfer will not prejudice the creditors of the decedent.•2

One more reason an office might decline that has nothing to do with the figures: where there is any question about who the successor is, a third party might ask for the court appointment of a personal representative before distributing the asset.5

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.

Two names joined by OR

One owner survives. No survivorship documentation is called for.

  1. First

    Confirm the conjunction on the title

    Utah's grid turns on whether the two names are joined by OR or by AND, and on what the surviving owner wants to do.

  2. First

    Do not renew the registration

    The Division says not to renew vehicle registrations under the deceased person's name; the registration changes when ownership is transferred.

  3. First

    To keep the vehicle, request a title correction

    The surviving owner requests a title correction to remove the deceased individual's name.

  4. First

    To sell or release, sign the title

    The surviving owner can release ownership on the title with just their signature.

  5. First

    Use Utah's signature format where signing for the deceased

    The deceased person's name, by the signer's name, as survivor — the Division's example is John Doe by Jane Doe as survivor.

Survivorship affidavit

One notarized page, presented to the Division, which shall transfer the title.

  1. Wait thirty days from the death

    At least 30 days must have passed since the date of death before the affidavit can be used.

  2. First

    Count the vehicles, boats and trailers

    The deceased cannot have left more than a total of four motor vehicles, boats, trailers or semi-trailers.

  3. First

    Value the rest of the estate

    Excluding those vehicles and after liens and encumbrances, the entire estate subject to administration wherever located must not exceed $100,000.

  4. First

    Check that nobody has been appointed anywhere

    No application or petition for the appointment of a personal representative may be pending or granted in any jurisdiction.

  5. First

    Check that no lienholder is active

    The Division's own condition, and it is not in the statute: there must be no active lienholder on the vehicle.

  6. First

    Sign TC-569C before a notary

    The affidavit is sworn rather than merely signed — the notary block reads that it was subscribed and sworn to before them.

  7. First

    Present it to the Division with the transfer documents

    The Division shall transfer title of not more than four boats, motor vehicles, trailers or semitrailers upon presentation of the affidavit and payment of the necessary fees. Bring the title or Form TC123, Form TC-656, and identification for every new owner.

Court documents

Letters signed by a judge, then the representative signs the title.

  1. Wait five days

    An informal probate case may not be filed with the court until 120 hours — five days — have passed since the death.

  2. First

    File in the right district court

    In the district court of the county where the person lived at the time of death, or where they owned property. Utah County filings go to the Provo Courthouse.

  3. First

    File the original will, if there is one

    Where the deceased left a will, the original will must be filed with the court along with the other paperwork to start the case.

  4. First

    Collect Waiver of Notice forms

    Interested persons sign to indicate approval of the personal representative. Where one will not, a hearing is scheduled and the probate becomes formal.

  5. First

    Obtain certified Letters

    Letters Testamentary where there is a will, Letters of Administration where there is not. Ask the clerk's office for certified copies — there is a small fee.

  6. First

    The representative signs the title

    The authorized representative is the person responsible for signing the title on behalf of the deceased individual, and the court documentation is presented to the Division.

  7. Do not let three years pass

    The case must be filed within three years of the date of death; beyond that a different process for a determination of heirs is needed.

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 TC-569C — Survivorship Affidavit

    Applies to One sworn page, and the Division shall transfer the title

    The affidavit the Division names. Signed before a notary, certifying the four-vehicle limit, the 30 days, that nobody has been appointed, the ceiling excluding the vehicles, and that the transfer will not prejudice the creditors.

    Link checked 2026-08-18

  • Affidavit for Transfer of Title to Motor Vehicles in a Small Estate Proceeding

    Applies to One sworn page, and the Division shall transfer the title

    The Judiciary's own version of the same affidavit, with an election between signing as the successor and signing as their duly authorized agent. The Division's page directs a family to TC-569C.

    Link checked 2026-08-18

  • Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration

    Applies to Court documents signed by a judge, and then the representative signs the title

    Signed by the judge — Testamentary where there is a will, Administration where there is not. Get certified copies from the clerk's office to present to third parties.

    Link checked 2026-08-18

  • An official death certificate

    Applies to Court documents signed by a judge, and then the representative signs the title

    Submitted with the probate paperwork. Where the person did not die in Utah, the Judiciary points to the National Center for Health Statistics for other states.

    Link checked 2026-08-18

  • The original will

    Applies to Court documents signed by a judge, and then the representative signs the title

    Where there is a will, the original must be filed with the court along with the other paperwork to start the probate case.

    Link checked 2026-08-18

  • Waiver of Notice

    Applies to Court documents signed by a judge, and then the representative signs the title

    Signed by interested persons — heirs, devisees, children, spouses, creditors, beneficiaries — to indicate approval of the personal representative. A refusal turns the probate formal.

    Link checked 2026-08-18

  • The lienholder's release on the title

    Applies to OR, and one owner is living — the survivor needs no survivorship documentationCourt documents signed by a judge, and then the representative signs the title

    Where a lienholder is printed on the face of the certificate, they must have signed to release the lien. An active lienholder also closes the survivorship affidavit route entirely.

    Link checked 2026-08-18

Where and how to file

  • In person

    A Utah DMV office

    The Division lists in-person appointments at its Ogden, Farmington, Taylorsville, South Valley (Draper), Provo and Hurricane offices.Bring the certificate of title or Form TC123, Form TC-656 completed by the new owners, and government issued identification for every owner listed on it.Bring your driver license to the appointment.

    Find an office

    Applies to every path

  • In person

    The Utah Division of Motor Vehicles, as the third party holding the property

    Nothing is filed with a court. The successor completes the affidavit, signs it in front of a notary, and gives it to the third party — here, the Division.The Division shall transfer title of not more than four boats, motor vehicles, trailers or semitrailers upon presentation of the affidavit and payment of the necessary fees.

    Find an office

    Applies to One sworn page, and the Division shall transfer the title

  • In person

    The district court of the county where the person lived at the time of death, or where they owned property

    File the Application with the filing fee and a Utah District Court Cover Sheet for Probate Actions, no earlier than 120 hours after the death.File the original will if there is one, an official death certificate, signed Waiver of Notice forms from interested persons, any Renunciation from someone with equal or higher priority, and a signed Acceptance of Appointment.Filing in Utah County goes to the Provo Courthouse — delivered there or emailed to the address the Judiciary publishes.

    Find an office

    Applies to Court documents signed by a judge, and then the representative signs the title

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
Title and registration fees Published by the agency Sahvelo states no figure. The Division publishes a fee estimator rather than an amount and directs the reader to it, or to the DMV by telephone. The statute confirms only that the transfer happens upon payment of the necessary fees. Current fee schedule
Notarizing the affidavit Published by the agency TC-569C is sworn rather than merely signed, so a notary is required. What a Utah notary charges is not established here. Current fee schedule
Probate filing fee and certified copies Published by the agency An informal probate application is filed with a filing fee, and the Judiciary notes a small fee for certified copies of the Letters. Neither figure was read here, and the courts publish a fee waiver process. Current fee schedule
Refusing the affidavit Published by the agency Not a fee. A holder who refuses may, in the discretion of the court, be liable for damages of up to three times the value of the property plus costs of suit and reasonable attorney's fees — a reason to point an unwilling office at section 75-3-1202 rather than to give up. Current fee schedule
Emissions inspection Published by the agency May be required where the vehicle is being registered and the new owner lives in Salt Lake, Davis, Weber, Cache or Utah county. The cost is not published on the page read here. Current fee schedule

After you file

  • The registration follows the title. The Division's instruction is not to renew a registration in the deceased person's name, because when ownership is officially transferred the registration will be changed as well.

    Applies to every path

  • Signing the affidavit does not end the successor's exposure. Anyone to whom payment or transfer is made is answerable and accountable to any personal representative of the estate later appointed, or to any other person having a superior right — and TC-569C itself certifies that the transfer will not prejudice the creditors of the decedent.

    Applies to One sworn page, and the Division shall transfer the title

  • Get more than one certified copy of the Letters while you are at the clerk's office. Banks, insurance companies and title companies all ask to see them, and certified copies carry an extra stamp and signature from the Clerk of Court.Publishing notice to creditors is optional in Utah. The personal representative may wish to do so where they do not know about all of the debts.

    Applies to Court documents signed by a judge, and then the representative signs the title

  • If the vehicle is being registered and the new owner lives in Salt Lake, Davis, Weber, Cache or Utah county, an emissions inspection may be required.

    Applies to every path

If your situation doesn't fit one of these paths

Common complications, and what each one changes.

  • There is a boat, or a utility trailer, sitting behind the house

    Count it. Utah's limit is not four cars — the Division's wording is that the decedent cannot have left more than a total of four motor vehicles, boats, trailers, or semi-trailers, and the statute is drawn the same way. A family with two cars, a boat and the trailer the boat sits on is at four. The courts' own version of the affidavit makes the ceiling physical: it has exactly four lettered lines and no more.17

  • They left five vehicles

    The statute caps what the Division is obliged to do at four: it shall transfer title of not more than four boats, motor vehicles, trailers, or semitrailers on presentation of the affidavit. What happens to the fifth is not stated on the pages read here, beyond the Division's general answer — where the estate does not meet all the survivorship affidavit requirements, it must go through the probate process. Sahvelo states nothing more than that, because nothing more has been read.31

  • The car still has a loan on it

    That closes the affidavit route at the counter. The Division lists five conditions for the survivorship affidavit and the fifth is its own rather than the statute's: there must be no active lienholder on the vehicle. Section 75-3-1201 says nothing about a lienholder, so this is the agency's rule about what it will accept. Separately, on any Utah transfer, a lienholder printed on the face of the certificate of title must have signed to release the lien. What Utah requires to discharge a lien specifically on a death transfer is not established here.14

  • There is a house in the deceased's name

    Real property forces probate in Utah at any value. The Judiciary states the trigger as two limbs: probate is required if the estate includes real property — land, house, condominium, mineral rights — of any value, and/or if the estate has assets other than land, and not including cars, whose net worth is more than $100,000. There is no floor on the first limb, and a small estate affidavit cannot be used to transfer title to real property like land or a house.56

  • Somebody is refusing to accept the affidavit

    Utah anticipated that, and the remedy is unusually sharp. Where a person to whom an affidavit is delivered refuses, the property may be recovered or its transfer compelled in a proceeding brought on behalf of the persons entitled to it — and in addition to recovering the property, the refusing party shall, in the discretion of the court, be liable for damages of up to three times the value of the personal property plus costs of suit and reasonable attorney's fees. It is also worth pointing out the protective half of the same section to whoever is hesitating: a person who transfers under the affidavit is discharged and released to the same extent as if they had dealt with a personal representative, and is not required to inquire into the truth of any statement in it.•

  • The family does not agree about who should get the car

    That can defeat the affidavit even where every figure is inside the limits. The Judiciary says that if there is any question about who the decedent's successor is, a third party might ask for the court appointment of a personal representative before distributing the asset. And the exposure does not end at the counter: anyone to whom transfer is made remains answerable and accountable to any personal representative later appointed, or to any other person having a superior right.5•

  • The second name on the title is also someone who has died

    That changes which cell of the Division's grid applies. Where both owners have died, an OR title needs survivorship documentation for one of the individuals and an AND title needs it for both. It is the one case where an OR title does not simply pass on the survivor's signature, and it is easy to miss where the second owner died years earlier and was never removed from the certificate.1

  • Somebody outside the family has opened an estate

    A Utah creditor can do that. The priority list for appointment as personal representative ends with any creditor of the person who died, once 45 days have passed since the death. An appointment granted or pending anywhere — the certification is not limited to Utah — closes the affidavit route, so a creditor's application in another state has the same effect as one in Utah.53

  • The death was more than three years ago

    The probate door has closed and a different one opens. The Judiciary states that the case must be filed within three years of the date of death, and that beyond three years parties will need to follow a different process for a determination of heirs, and should contact a probate attorney. Note what has not closed: the affidavit route has no outer limit stated on the pages read here, only a 30-day minimum wait.53

  • The estate includes water shares

    They are carved out of this part of the code by name. Shares of stock in a water company that are transferred under section 73-1-10, or under the Uniform Commercial Code's investment securities article, are not eligible for transfer under this part. The affidavit that moves the car does not move them.3

  • The car is older than twenty years

    Then the odometer disclosure falls away. The Division's instruction is to make sure the odometer disclosure section has been completed if the vehicle is less than 20 years old — a longer threshold than the federal ten-year rule most states track. Where the title's own section is not used, Form TC-891, Odometer Disclosure Statement, does the same job, filled out and signed by the owner and the buyer.4

  • You have found two different Utah vehicle affidavits

    Both are real and both cite section 75-3-1201. The State Tax Commission publishes TC-569C, the Survivorship Affidavit, and that is the one the Division's own deceased-owner page names. The Judiciary separately publishes an Affidavit for Transfer of Title to Motor Vehicles in a Small Estate Proceeding, dated February 2009 and revised May 2017, which adds an election the Tax Commission's form does not have: the signer states either that they are the decedent's successor or that they are the duly authorized agent of the successor. Where the two differ in form, follow the Division's own page.27

Questions people ask about this

  • Do we have to go to court?

    Not for the affidavit route, and not in the way most people expect. A Utah small estate affidavit is not filed with the court — the successor fills out the form, signs it in front of a notary, and gives it to whoever is holding the property. For a vehicle that is the Division of Motor Vehicles, which the statute obliges to transfer title of not more than four vehicles on presentation of the affidavit.63

  • How long do we have to wait?

    30 days for the affidavit — the Division's first condition is that at least 30 days must have passed since the date of death. For probate the wait is shorter at the front and bounded at the back: an informal probate case may not be filed until 120 hours, five days, have passed, and the case must be filed within three years of the death.15

  • What counts toward the $100,000?

    The value of the entire estate subject to administration, wherever located, less liens and encumbrances — but on the vehicle route the statute substitutes different wording, so the boats, motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers themselves come out of the sum. That exclusion is what makes the route reach a family whose main asset is the car. Real property is a separate bar rather than part of the total.36

  • Is the limit four cars?

    No — four in total across four categories. The condition is that the decedent cannot have left more than a total of four motor vehicles, boats, trailers, or semi-trailers. A boat and its trailer are two of the four.1

  • There is a loan on the car. Does that matter?

    It decides the route. The Division lists no active lienholder on the vehicle among the conditions of the survivorship affidavit — a condition that is the Division's own, since section 75-3-1201 says nothing about a lienholder. Where a condition fails, the Division's answer is that the estate must go through the probate process. On any transfer, a lienholder printed on the face of the title must have signed to release the lien.14

  • There are two names on the title. What happens?

    It depends on the conjunction and on what the surviving owner wants to do. With OR and one owner surviving, the survivor can release ownership with just their signature, or request a title correction to remove the deceased individual's name. With AND, the survivor still signs but must also supply survivorship documentation for the deceased individual. Where both owners have died, OR needs survivorship documentation for one of them and AND for both.1

  • How do we sign the title for someone who has died?

    Utah prescribes the wording. When signing the vehicle title or a Utah Duplicate Title Application as the seller, sign as the deceased person's name, by your name, as survivor. The Division's own example is John Doe by Jane Doe as survivor.1

  • What if somebody will not accept the affidavit?

    Section 75-3-1202 is the answer to point at. A holder who refuses can be compelled in a proceeding, and in addition to recovering the property the court may in its discretion award damages of up to three times the value of the property plus costs of suit and reasonable attorney's fees. The same section protects a holder who does accept it: they are discharged and released as if they had dealt with a personal representative and need not inquire into the truth of any statement in the affidavit.•

  • How do we know whether probate is needed at all?

    The Judiciary states it in two limbs, and cars are outside the second one. Probate is required if the estate includes real property of any value, and/or if the estate has assets — other than land, and not including cars — whose net worth is more than $100,000.5

  • Could the car have had a beneficiary named on it?

    Sahvelo has not established that Utah offers one, and does not state that it does not. Nothing read on the Division's titling pages describes a beneficiary or transfer-on-death designation for a vehicle, and an absence of published guidance is not a finding that no such route exists. Ask the Division before assuming either way.1

  • What does it cost?

    Sahvelo states no Utah title fee, because the Division publishes a fee estimator rather than an amount and directs the reader to it or to the DMV by telephone. The statute confirms only that the Division transfers title upon payment of the necessary fees. On the probate route there is a filing fee and a small fee for certified copies of the Letters; the courts also publish a fee waiver process.45

  • Which affidavit form do we use?

    TC-569C, the Survivorship Affidavit published by the State Tax Commission — that is the one the Division's own deceased-owner page names. The Utah State Courts separately publish an Affidavit for Transfer of Title to Motor Vehicles in a Small Estate Proceeding under the same statute, which allows a duly authorized agent of the successor to sign. Where the two differ, follow the Division's page.27

What the terms mean

6 terms used on this page, defined from the statute
Survivorship affidavit
Utah's small estate affidavit for a vehicle, published by the State Tax Commission as form TC-569C. It is not filed with any court: the successor completes it, signs it before a notary and presents it to the Division of Motor Vehicles, which the statute obliges to transfer title of not more than four vehicles on presentation of it and payment of the necessary fees. Utah DMV — Deceased Vehicle Owners, Utah Code § 75-3-1201
Successor
The person entitled to payment or delivery of the deceased's property, who signs the Utah affidavit. The courts' own form lets the signer instead certify that they are the duly authorized agent of the successor. Being the successor is not self-proving: where there is any question about who it is, a third party may ask for the court appointment of a personal representative before distributing the asset. Utah State Courts — Affidavit for Transfer of Title to Motor Vehicles, Utah State Courts — Informal Probate
Survivorship documentation
The Division's collective name for what proves a co-owner's death has been dealt with — either the TC-569C survivorship affidavit or the court documents from a probate. Which of the two is needed, and for how many of the owners, is set by the Division's four-cell grid: the conjunction between the names on one axis, and whether both owners have died and what the survivor intends on the other. Utah DMV — Deceased Vehicle Owners
Informal probate
Utah's process for asking the court to appoint a personal representative without a hearing, used when everyone agrees. It may not be filed until 120 hours after the death and must be filed within three years of it. It stays informal only while interested persons sign Waiver of Notice forms; a refusal means a hearing, which makes the probate formal. Utah State Courts — Informal Probate
Letters Testamentary and Letters of Administration
The document a Utah judge signs to appoint a personal representative — Testamentary where there is a will, Administration where there is not. A certified copy is what banks, insurance companies and the Division are shown, and it is the authorized representative named in it who signs the title on behalf of the deceased individual. Utah State Courts — Informal Probate, Utah DMV — Deceased Vehicle Owners
Form TC-656
The Application for Utah Title and Registration, completed by the new vehicle owners and available to complete at the DMV at the time of transfer. Every owner listed on it must provide government issued identification, which is the requirement families most often arrive without. Utah DMV — Transfer a Utah Title

See the full glossary across every state

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Find my vehicle transfer path

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 Utah state publications: the Division of Motor Vehicles and the State Tax Commission it belongs to, the Utah Code as published by the Legislature, and the Utah State Courts.

  1. Utah DMV — Deceased Vehicle Owners

    The five conditions of the survivorship affidavit including the Division's own lienholder rule, the court-documents alternative, the four-cell grid for two names, and the signature format.

    dmv.utah.gov Checked 2026-08-18

  2. Utah State Tax Commission — TC-569C, Survivorship Affidavit

    The form itself: what it certifies, including that the transfer will not prejudice the creditors, and the four sections it asks a family to complete.

    files.tax.utah.gov Checked 2026-08-18

  3. Utah Code § 75-3-1201 — collection of personal property by affidavit, vehicles

    The obligation on the Motor Vehicle Division, the four statutory certifications, the substituted arithmetic that takes the vehicles out of the count, and the water-share exclusion.

    le.utah.gov Checked 2026-08-18

  4. Utah DMV — Transfer a Utah Title

    What any Utah transfer needs: the title or form TC123, the lien release on the face of the certificate, form TC-656, identification for every owner, the 20-year odometer threshold and the five emissions counties.

    dmv.utah.gov Checked 2026-08-18

  5. Utah State Courts — Informal Probate

    When probate is required, the 120-hour and three-year limits, who has priority to be appointed, and what Letters are and how to get certified copies.

    utcourts.gov Checked 2026-08-18

  6. Utah State Courts — Small Estate Affidavit

    That the affidavit is not filed with the court, that a separate affidavit reaches up to four vehicles, and the four conditions as the Judiciary states them.

    utcourts.gov Checked 2026-08-18

  7. Utah State Courts — Affidavit for Transfer of Title to Motor Vehicles in a Small Estate Proceeding

    The Judiciary's own vehicle affidavit: the successor-or-agent election, the statutory certifications, four lettered lines for vehicles and the notary's identification block.

    legacy.utcourts.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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