ADOT Form 96-0561, the Arizona MVD Beneficiary Designation, lets a sole vehicle owner name a person who will receive the vehicle’s title automatically at the owner’s death, keeping that vehicle out of probate. The form is authorized by Arizona Revised Statutes 28-2055(B), which permits a transfer-on-death provision to be attached to a certificate of title at the owner’s request.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 28 Section 28-2055 – Certificate of Title; Content Requirements; Transfer on Death Provision The current PDF is available from the Motor Vehicle Division’s document library.2Arizona Department of Transportation. Beneficiary Designation
Who Can Use It
Only a single owner can file this form. The form states plainly that it is “only applicable if vehicle is owned by one person.”3Arizona Department of Transportation. ADOT Form 96-0561 – Beneficiary Designation If your title lists two owners joined by “AND,” “OR,” or “AND/OR,” Form 96-0561 is not the right tool. Co-owned vehicles pass under whatever ownership status is printed on the title, and may require a different MVD process at death.4Arizona Department of Transportation. Title and Registration Application – Form 96-0236
What to Have in Front of You
The form is one page, but every entry has to match your existing title record. Pull your Arizona certificate of title before you start. The fields are:
- Vehicle Identification Number — all seventeen characters, as printed on the title.
- Year and make of the vehicle, exactly as they appear on the title.
- Title number assigned by MVD.
- Owner’s full legal name, including middle name and suffix if any, matching the title.
- Beneficiary’s full legal name.
- Beneficiary’s date of birth, which is optional.3Arizona Department of Transportation. ADOT Form 96-0561 – Beneficiary Designation
A single wrong character in the VIN or title number can misroute the filing. Compare each entry to the title before you sign.
Signing and Submitting
Print clearly, then sign and date the owner block. Because the form works as an attachment to your certificate of title under ARS 28-2055(B), that signature is the legal declaration that the named beneficiary takes the vehicle at your death.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 28 Section 28-2055 – Certificate of Title; Content Requirements; Transfer on Death Provision
The form has no notary block and does not require notarization. Bring a valid photo ID if you file in person so staff can verify your identity.
You have three filing options:
- In person at any MVD office, with the signed form and photo ID.
- Through an authorized third-party provider contracted by MVD. These offices may charge a convenience fee.5Arizona Department of Transportation. Authorized Third Party Providers
- By mail to ADOT Motor Vehicle Division, Mail Drop 555M, PO Box 2100, Phoenix, AZ 85001-2100.6Arizona Department of Transportation. Vehicle Title Transfer After Owner’s Death (Non-Probate Transfer)
There is no online submission. MVD needs the physical signed form.
What Happens at the Owner’s Death
The beneficiary uses the filed Form 96-0561 to claim the vehicle. If the title is electronic, the beneficiary submits Form 96-0561 by itself. If a paper title was issued, the beneficiary staples Form 96-0561 to the paper title and surrenders both together.3Arizona Department of Transportation. ADOT Form 96-0561 – Beneficiary Designation The beneficiary also completes a Title and Registration Application (Form 96-0236) to put the vehicle into their own name.
Waiting Period and Death Certificate
At least 30 days must pass after the owner’s death before MVD will process the transfer. A death certificate is not required, and providing one does not shorten the wait.6Arizona Department of Transportation. Vehicle Title Transfer After Owner’s Death (Non-Probate Transfer)
Fees
The title fee is $4.00. Registration fees depend on the vehicle’s year, make, model, and original MSRP.6Arizona Department of Transportation. Vehicle Title Transfer After Owner’s Death (Non-Probate Transfer) Mail filings should include an additional $2.00 for return postage.7Arizona Department of Transportation. Out-of-State Vehicles Third-party providers may add a convenience fee.
Existing Liens
A beneficiary designation does not clear a lien. If a loan or other secured interest is on the vehicle when the owner dies, the beneficiary takes the vehicle subject to that debt. MVD will require a lien release from the lienholder on record before completing the transfer, unless the lien carries forward onto the new title.6Arizona Department of Transportation. Vehicle Title Transfer After Owner’s Death (Non-Probate Transfer) Reach out to the lender early; a release can take weeks to obtain.
Changing or Revoking the Designation
You can change the beneficiary at any time during your life. File a new Form 96-0561 with the updated name and submit it to MVD; the new filing replaces the previous one on record. To remove the designation without naming a replacement, contact MVD to clear the beneficiary attachment from your title. Selling or transferring the vehicle while you are alive ends the designation because you are no longer the owner.
How It Interacts With a Will
A beneficiary designation on file with MVD controls over conflicting instructions in a will. The vehicle passes to the person named on Form 96-0561 at your death, outside probate, even if your will leaves the same vehicle to someone else. Keep the two documents consistent so surviving family members are not working from different instructions.