Updated October 8, 2026. Quick answer: Yes, for securities. Utah’s Uniform Transfer on Death Security Registration Act, Utah Code sections 75-6-301 to 75-6-313, lets an owner register a security in beneficiary form, and the registration may be canceled or changed at any time “without the consent of the beneficiary”. Utah’s DMV page for deceased owners does not describe a beneficiary designation on a vehicle title.
How Utah handles transfer-on-death registration
| Item | What the state documents say |
|---|---|
| Brokerage and securities accounts | Utah’s Uniform Transfer on Death Security Registration Act is Part 3 of Chapter 6 of Title 75 of the Utah Code, sections 75-6-301 to 75-6-313. It lets an individual who is the sole owner of a security, or one of several owners with right of survivorship, obtain registration in beneficiary form. The source says: “Uniform Transfer on Death Security Registration Act”. A registering entity is not required to offer or accept beneficiary-form registration, so the firm’s own terms control availability. |
| Effect on the will and probate | A transfer on death from a registration in beneficiary form is effective by reason of the contract between the owner and the registering entity and the Act. It is not testamentary, so it does not pass under the will. The Act does not limit the rights of creditors of security owners against beneficiaries under Utah law. |
| Changing the beneficiary | The designation of a beneficiary has no effect on ownership until the owner’s death. The sole owner, or all then surviving owners, may cancel or change the registration at any time. The beneficiary has no say while the owner is alive. |
| Vehicle titles | The Utah DMV page on deceased vehicle owners cited here describes transfer through a survivorship affidavit under Utah Code section 75-3-1201 or through court documents, and it does not describe naming a transfer on death beneficiary on a title. The Utah Motor Vehicle Division is the place to confirm whether a beneficiary can be named. The page does not say whether a beneficiary designation is available or unavailable. |
A $250,000 brokerage account split
An owner holds a brokerage account worth $250,000 and registers it in beneficiary form to two named beneficiaries, with each to receive half. Each share is computed as $250,000 x 50% = $125,000. The 50/50 split is the owner’s illustration, not a rule of the state: the owner names the beneficiaries and, where the form allows it, the shares.
Real estate, probate and estate tax
A transfer on death deed is a different instrument for real property: see Utah transfer on death deed. For what probate costs in Utah, see Utah probate cost. Which of these your account or vehicle falls under depends on how it is titled.
Related: Utah probate cost, how Utah taxes retirement income, Utah transfer on death deed, and car titles after a death, by state.
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Answer againSources
- Utah Code Title 75, Chapter 6, Part 3, Uniform Transfer on Death Security Registration Act: https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title75/Chapter6/C75-6-P3_1800010118000101.html
- Utah Code section 75-6-307, Effect of registration in beneficiary form: https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title75/Chapter6/C75-6-S307_1800010118000101.html
- Utah Code section 75-6-310, Nontestamentary transfer on death: https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title75/Chapter6/C75-6-S310_1800010118000101.html
- Deceased Vehicle Owners: https://dmv.utah.gov/titles-overview/deceased-owners/
Sources: the primary documents linked above, read on October 8, 2026. General information, not tax advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and a preparer, the plan administrator or the agency itself is the right place to confirm anything consequential.