If you are an Ohio resident and you are married, each spouse may pass any number of motor vehicles to the other outside the trust without probate upon death, provided they are not worth more than $65,000 in the aggregate.1 This is done through a special type of affidavit. Take the affidavit and the car title(s) to the Automobile Title Division of the Clerk of Courts, along with a certified copy of the death certificate of the deceased spouse. (Be prepared to prove value of the vehicles, and to furnish the odometer reading.) They will issue a new car title(s) in the name of the surviving spouse. Then proceed to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to secure license plates and registration. If you have vehicles not covered by the $65,000 limit, then use one of the other options in Ohio, namely joint ownership with survivorship, transfer on death titling, or titling to your trust. Learn more by downloading!
Zimmer Law Firm
Estate Planning & Elder Law Attorneys
