6 Documents Michiganders Need to Transfer a Car Title After a Death
When someone you love has died, even small tasks can feel heavy.
Transferring a car title is one of them, and for Michiganders the paperwork can depend on how the estate is handled.
Here’s what to have in hand before you go in.
Note: This is general information, not legal advice. Title rules and dollar limits are subject to change, so confirm the current requirements with the Michigan Secretary of State.
How to Transfer a Car Title After Death in Michigan
Michigan’s Secretary of State sorts a car transfer after a death into three paths, based on the title and on whether the estate went through probate.
If your title reads “Full Rights To Survivor,” you’re on the path with the fewest papers.
A probated estate runs through a court-appointed personal representative.
Everything else is the no-probate route, where the surviving spouse or an heir signs for the car.
Your path decides your paperwork.
1. Certified Death Certificate
Transferring a car title after a death starts with a certified death certificate when the estate isn’t probated.
The Secretary of State lists it on the non-probate paperwork.
Co-owners get a break.
If you’re named on the title and it reads “Full Rights To Survivor,” a plain copy of the death certificate is enough.
That copy, the title and your ID make up your whole stack.
2. Heir Certification Form
To claim a car title without probate, a surviving spouse or next of kin signs the Certification from the Heir to a Vehicle form.
The Vehicle Code requires that certification before the Secretary of State will issue a new title in that situation.
If you’re the surviving spouse, you sign it.
With no spouse, the closest next of kin signs.
Several heirs?
Every next of kin who doesn’t want the car has to complete a certification statement saying so.
The spouse is first in line.
Who Counts as an Heir
Michigan’s Secretary of State ranks next of kin in a fixed order when an estate isn’t probated.
The surviving spouse comes first.
With no spouse, the children share the car equally.
Parents come next, then siblings, then the closest next of kin.
A will doesn’t change that order unless a probate court administers it.
3. Original Title
The original title is the preferred proof of ownership when you transfer a car after a death.
If you’ve lost it, the Secretary of State accepts other paperwork that shows the year, the make and the vehicle identification number (VIN).
Look at the front of your title first, since its wording decides which path you’re on.
Selling it instead?
Our private sale guide covers that paperwork.
Psst! How much do you know about Michigan car titles? Take our quiz and see if you can ace it.
Quiz
Michigan Title Trivia
Answer these questions on Michigan car titles, fees, and deadlines. We bet you can’t get them all right. Prove us wrong?
After you buy a car in Michigan, how many days do you have to transfer the title before a late fee applies?
4. Letters of Authority
When a probated estate holds the car, a court-appointed personal representative assigns the title, and the Secretary of State wants a copy of that representative's Letter of Authority.
You also hand over the assigned title itself, signed by the personal representative.
Your license or ID goes in the stack too, and so does proof of Michigan no-fault insurance if you're registering the car.
If you're the personal representative, your signature goes on that title.
The car is rarely the only thing a family has to sort out when they're settling an estate.
The letters matter.
Michigan's Vehicle Code draws the line.
The no-probate route is closed if the owner left other property that requires letters under the state's estates code.
Probate comes before any title paperwork.
5. Lien Termination Statement
A title with a loan on it needs a lien termination statement, the signed paper showing the loan is paid off.
The Secretary of State says a lien must be released before a title can transfer.
If a lender's name is on your title, this is your document.
For a paper title, the office takes either a lien termination or a written authorization letter from the lender.
A lien release letter should list the vehicle identification number and say the loan is satisfied.
An electronic title can't transfer until the lien is released.
No release, no transfer.
6. Photo ID From Each Heir
Transferring a car title without probate means every heir who completes a certification form has to show a license or state ID.
Plan ahead.
Ask each of them before you book your visit.
The probated list asks for a license or ID too.
If you're registering the car, add proof of Michigan no-fault insurance to your pile.
Every heir on the form counts.
What Is the Dollar Limit Without Probate?
The dollar limit on a no-probate car transfer is in the Michigan Vehicle Code, which set the ceiling at $100,000 for 2024 and 2025.
It was $60,000 through 2023.
The cap counts every vehicle the owner left, so two cars on one estate share the same ceiling.
The Secretary of State measures their value as of the date you submit the title application.
From 2026 on, the state adjusts the cap each year for inflation and rounds it to the nearest $1,000.
The Treasury Department publishes each year's figure.
So, this year's number can differ from $100,000, and you should confirm it with the Secretary of State before you plan around it.
Add them up.
Do Relatives Pay Sales Tax on an Inherited Car?
Sales tax on a car title transfer after a death turns on who inherits the car.
The Secretary of State says no tax is due when you inherit a vehicle from an immediate family relative.
The office also doesn't collect sales tax when a car goes to a probated owner or legal next of kin.
The catch?
The Treasury Department makes the final call on tax, so it can ask you to prove the relationship.
Psst! Before you read on, take our quiz on Michigan liens and family transfers. See how many you can get right.
Quiz
Liens and Family Transfers
Answer these questions on Michigan liens, electronic titles, and tax-exempt relatives. We bet you can't get them all right. Prove us wrong?
When a vehicle moves between family members in Michigan, which relative isn't on the tax-exempt list?
FAQ
What documents do you need to transfer a car title after death in Michigan?
Without probate, you need the title, a certified death certificate, a signed heir certification form and a license or ID for each heir.
With probate, you need the assigned title, the personal representative's Letter of Authority and a license or ID.
Do you need probate to transfer a car title in Michigan?
Not always.
A surviving spouse or heir can apply without probate when the owner left no other property that requires letters and the vehicles fall under the dollar limit.
Who can sign for a deceased owner's car in Michigan?
The surviving spouse signs the heir certification form. If there's no spouse, the closest next of kin signs.
Do you pay sales tax on an inherited car in Michigan?
No tax is due when you inherit a vehicle from an immediate family relative, according to the Secretary of State.
The office also doesn't collect sales tax when a car goes to a probated owner or legal next of kin.
Do you have to go to a Secretary of State office to transfer a car title?
Anyone whose name will be listed as an owner has to go to the office.
Anyone who can't go in person can send an agent or power of attorney.
The office also lets you book that visit online.
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