Vehicle title transfer, inherited vehicles

If you plan to inherit a vehicle due to a death, the tax office staff extends our condolences to you and your family on the loss of your loved one. We know this is a difficult time and want to guide you through the necessary steps required to title and register the inherited vehicle, which you acquired through heirship or Probate Court.

Heirship is necessary when your loved one dies without a will and no one files in Probate Court for the administration of property or the court rules administration of property is unnecessary. Please consult your lawyer to determine “heir(s)-at-law,” the family member (descendent) Texas law entitles to inherit the vehicle.

Probate Court occurs when your loved one’s will is filed for the court to authenticate and decide, among other things, the rightful beneficiaries of property, including any vehicles, or there is no will and family members ask the court to determine who should inherit what.

Note: You do not need the vehicle’s title to inherit it, but state law requires specific documentation before you can legally title and register the vehicle in your name, sell it or give it as a gift.

Heirship

To title and register a vehicle through heirship, you will need:

Note: Be sure to fill out the odometer section of the heirship form. Under federal law, the seller and buyer must sign to verify the mileage. In this case, only one heir needs to sign on the first signature line (you are representing the seller) and only one needs to sign as the recipient (representing the buyer) of the vehicle.

Probate Court

To title and register a vehicle after Probate Court, you will need:

If you are unsure whether you have the correct paperwork or your paperwork from the court is different from what is described on this page, call our customer help line at (512) 854-9473. We are happy to answer any questions but we cannot verify documents over the phone.