An heir or heirs may transfer ownership of a vehicle when a decedent leaves solely-owned property not exceeding $50,000 in value.
An heir may title the vehicle in their name as owner or may sign as heir to sell the vehicle. In both cases, Statement of Transfer of Vehicles to a Surviving Spouse, Domestic Partner or Heir form
MV2300 is required as a supporting document. A copy of the death certificate is not required when deceased owner was a Wisconsin resident and death occurred in Wisconsin. A death certificate may be required for residents of other states.
To transfer ownership to your name, submit:
- Statement of Transfer of Vehicles to a Surviving Spouse, Domestic Partner or Heir form
MV2300
- Certificate of Title
-
MV2119 Replacement Title Application and applicable fee is required if title is lost
- Wisconsin Title & License Plate Application form MV1
- $164.50 transfer fee for each title transfer
Send to: WI Dept. of Transportation
P.O. Box 7949
Madison WI 53707-7949
If the decedent's solely-owned property exceeds $50,000, the vehicle(s) must be transferred by submitting a copy of the personal representative papers, instead of the MV2300 form, along with the application. These papers are issued by the court identifying the individual(s) authorized to sign for the interest of the decedent. The personal representative will sign the title as seller and write "personal representative" after their name.
For WI dealer sales, if a vehicle is being traded in by a surviving heir, the heir is required to obtain a title in their name prior to trading it in to a dealer.
Resource: Wisconsin DMV guide for family members of recently deceased
Also see information for vehicle transfers to a surviving spouse or domestic partner.