Ohio BMV Transfer on Death Form (BMV 3811): Filing and Beneficiary Rules

Ohio’s BMV 3811 form is a one-page affidavit that lets a vehicle owner name a Transfer on Death (TOD) beneficiary, so the vehicle passes directly to that person or entity at the owner’s death without going through probate. You fill it out, sign it in front of a notary, and file it with your current certificate of title at any county Clerk of Courts Title Office. The clerk issues a new title showing the TOD designation, and you keep full control of the vehicle for the rest of your life.

Who Can File the Form

Two kinds of owners qualify. A sole owner can designate one or more beneficiaries on a motor vehicle, watercraft, outboard motor, all-purpose vehicle, or off-highway motorcycle titled in Ohio.¹ Two people who hold the title jointly with right of survivorship can also file together.²

Your beneficiary does not have to be a person. Ohio law allows you to name a corporation, trust, organization, or other legal entity.³

Filling Out the Form

Download the form from the Ohio BMV website or pick up a copy at a deputy registrar or Clerk of Courts Title Office.² Have your current title in front of you before you start. At the top of the form, check the box for “designate” if you are adding a beneficiary or “remove” if you are taking one off.

Vehicle Information

Enter the VIN, year, make, model, body type, and title number exactly as they appear on your current certificate of title. A single transposed digit can cause the clerk to reject the filing, so verify each character against the physical title.

Beneficiary Information

For each beneficiary, the form asks for full legal name, Social Security number, date of birth, and residential address.² Use the name exactly as it appears on the beneficiary’s government-issued ID. If you are naming a trust or organization, use the entity’s full legal name.

Notarized Signature

Do not sign the form at home. Ohio law requires the application to be sworn before a notary public or another officer authorized to administer oaths.⁴ Bring the completed but unsigned form to the notary, sign in front of them, and let them affix the seal. Ohio caps in-person notary fees at $5 per notarial act.⁵

Filing at the Title Office

Take the notarized BMV 3811 and your original certificate of title to any county Clerk of Courts Title Office in Ohio. You surrender the old title, and the clerk issues a new one that prints “Transfer on Death” followed by the beneficiary’s name on the certificate. The title fee is $18 statewide, with counties that adopted the higher fee under HB 96 charging $23.⁶ Bring cash or a check, since not all offices accept cards. Store the updated title somewhere safe; it is proof of both current ownership and the TOD designation.

Changing or Removing a Beneficiary

You keep full control of the vehicle during your lifetime. The beneficiary gets no ownership rights and no say over what you do with the vehicle. You can sell it, trade it in, or scrap it without asking permission, and transferring the title to a buyer erases the TOD designation automatically.⁴

To swap in a different beneficiary, fill out a new BMV 3811 with the replacement’s information, get it notarized, and file it with your current title. The clerk issues a fresh title reflecting the change. To remove a beneficiary without naming a replacement, apply for a duplicate title that drops the TOD language. Either change costs the standard $18 or $23 title fee.⁶

What Happens After the Owner Dies

A new title does not arrive in the mail automatically. The beneficiary must visit a Clerk of Courts Title Office in person and bring:⁷

The original Ohio title showing the TOD designation.
A certified copy of the death certificate. A photocopy will not be accepted.
Application for Certificate of Title (BMV 3774), available at the Title Office or on the BMV website.
A driver’s license or state ID card.
The $18 or $23 title fee.⁶

A TOD beneficiary claiming the vehicle does not owe Ohio sales tax on the transfer; exemption code “TD” is used on the title application to document the tax-free transfer.³

Only beneficiaries who survive the owner can claim the vehicle. If you name multiple beneficiaries and they all survive you, they become co-owners.¹ If a named beneficiary dies before you and no other named beneficiary survives you, that share does not pass to the beneficiary’s heirs. The vehicle falls into your probate estate instead.

What the TOD Designation Does Not Protect Against

The BMV 3811 keeps the vehicle out of probate court, but it does not shield the vehicle from Medicaid estate recovery. Ohio defines a deceased person’s estate to include all real and personal property owned at the time of death, whether or not it passed through probate.⁸ A vehicle with a TOD designation still counts as part of the estate for recovery purposes. If the deceased owner received Medicaid benefits, the state’s claim takes priority over distribution to the beneficiary.

1
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 2131.13 – Transfer-on-Death of Motor Vehicle, Watercraft, or Outboard Motor
2
Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Transfer on Death Beneficiary Designation / Removal Affidavit
3
Franklin County Law Library. Ohio Transfer on Death (TOD) Law – Transfer on Death of Vehicles
4
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 4505.06 – Application for Certificate of Title
5
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 147.08 – Notary Fees
6
Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Code 4505.09 – Certificate of Title Fees – Funds
7
Summit County Clerk of Courts. Designating a Beneficiary
8
Ohio Department of Medicaid. Ohio Medicaid Estate Recovery