Updated November 8, 2026. Quick answer: in Georgia the Department of Revenue says “Titles and tags can be obtained at your County Tag Office for a vehicle that has been inherited or purchased from an estate.” Heirs with no will to probate and no estate debts use Form T-20, the Affidavit of Inheritance of a Motor Vehicle; an executor uses court letters; and a survivor on a joint title with rights of survivorship assigns the title with a death certificate.
The routes, in the order most families use them
- A joint title with rights of survivorship. “By having your title issued with ‘Joint Tenants with rights of Survivorship’ and one of the owners dies, the surviving owner may transfer the title to another party by only completing the assignment of title and attaching a copy of the deceased’s death certificate.”
- Form T-20, the Affidavit of Inheritance. The form covers a decedent who “left no will; no application for the administration of the estate of the deceased is to be had; the estate is not indebted; and the surviving spouse, if any, and the heirs, if any, have amicably agreed among themselves upon a division of the estate that the certificate of title for said vehicle be issued to the person named below.” “Important: If the deceased left a Will that is not to be probated, a legible copy of the Will must accompany this completed form.” “A certified copy of the deceased’s death certificate and the vehicle’s original valid title, issued in the deceased name or properly assigned to the deceased, must also accompany this form.” “If there is only one heir, a legible copy of No Administration Necessary may be submitted in lieu of Form T-20 Affidavit of Inheritance.” “If Form T-20 is submitted, the inheritor must title the vehicle in their name first before selling or transferring ownership.”
- Court papers instead of the T-20. The DOR’s inherited-vehicle page accepts a certified copy of the Letters Testamentary or a certified copy of a Year’s Support order. If the executor is deceased, “Executor is Deceased Submit Temporary Letters of Administration . Apply for a title in the name of the estate only . Cannot sell or transfer ownership of the vehicle without Permanent Letters of Administration .”
Forms and where to file
| Form | Name on the form | What the state says |
|---|---|---|
| MV-1 | Title/Tag Application | “submitted along with all required documents to the county tag office in the county where you reside or to the Department of Revenue (DOR), when applicable.” |
| T-20 | Affidavit of Inheritance | “A certified copy of the deceased’s death certificate and the vehicle’s original valid title, issued in the deceased name or properly assigned to the deceased, must also accompany this form.” |
| T-4 | Lien or Security Interest Release | “The Heir can release a lien or security interest by submitting the following to their County Tag Office:” |
| MV-16 | Affidavit to Certify Immediate Family Relationship | “If the vehicle is inherited by a family member, Form MV-16 Affidavit to Certify Immediate Family Relationship may be required.” |
| T-7 | Bill of Sale | “If the vehicle is exempt from the odometer disclosure requirements and the title is not available, the executor should complete and sign a Form T-7 Bill of Sale , transferring the ownership.” |
Fees, tax and deadlines
- Title fee. The DOR’s inherited-vehicle page lists a “$18 title fee”.
- Title ad valorem tax (TAVT). For an inherited vehicle with a T-20, the DOR’s TAVT page says that if the vehicle is currently in the TAVT system, the family member can pay a reduced TAVT rate of .5% of the fair market value of the vehicle; if it is currently in the annual ad valorem tax system, the family member can stay there or pay the full one-time TAVT.
- Family relationship. “This affidavit provides Georgia residents evidence that the listed vehicle was transferred (whether gifted, purchased or inherited) between persons who are immediate family members (Spouse, Parent, Children, Step-children, Sibling, Grandparent, Grandchild).”
- Where to file. “Titles and tags can be obtained at your County Tag Office for a vehicle that has been inherited or purchased from an estate.” “submitted along with all required documents to the county tag office in the county where you reside or to the Department of Revenue (DOR), when applicable.”
Liens, odometer, plates and insurance
- Liens. “Original valid title issued in the deceased’s name or properly assigned to the deceased with all recorded liens and/or security interests released in the spaces provided on the title.” “All liens and security interests shown on the Motor Vehicle Division’s records must be released.”
- Odometer exemption and no title. “If the vehicle is exempt from the odometer disclosure requirements and the title is not available, the executor should complete and sign a Form T-7 Bill of Sale , transferring the ownership.”
Keep it or sell it
Whether the car stays in the family or is sold, the federal tax starting point is the same. Under 26 U.S.C. 1014(a)(1), property acquired from a decedent takes as its basis the fair market value of the property at the date of the decedent’s death. A later sale is therefore measured against the value at death, not against what the decedent paid, so a date-of-death value for the vehicle is worth writing down before the title moves. How that applies to your return is a question for a tax preparer; the vehicle is also often the small part of a larger estate, and the Georgia probate cost page covers the rest of that picture.
What the state’s own pages do not settle
We read the agency’s pages, forms and the cited statutes on November 8, 2026. These points were not stated in them, so we do not state them either; confirm them with the office before you go:
- The Georgia statute text behind the transfer: we could not retrieve an official copy of the Code section, so this page cites the Department of Revenue’s pages and forms only.
- Whether a vehicle title can carry a transfer-on-death beneficiary: no DOR page we read says, and the title application has no field for one.
- A dollar threshold, waiting period or deadline for the T-20 route, a separate route for a surviving spouse, and any fee waiver for heirs.
- Plates and insurance after the owner’s death.
Common mistakes
- Selling the car before it is titled to the heir. “If Form T-20 is submitted, the inheritor must title the vehicle in their name first before selling or transferring ownership.”
Related: Georgia small estate affidavit, Georgia probate cost, deadlines after a death calculator, and car title after a death, by state.
Find the right next step for your situation
About how much do you have invested? Pick the range that fits; your next step appears immediately below.
Settling an estate? See advisors who fit
For U.S. investors with $250,000 or more in investable assets. WiserAdvisor is an independent service matching you with 2 to 3 vetted advisers. Its form asks for your ZIP code and answers to a few questions; a match is not guaranteed.
Free to request, with no obligation to hire. By submitting, you consent to calls, texts and emails from WiserAdvisor and up to three advisers. Advisers pay for introductions.
Clear Money Guide may earn a referral payment for a qualifying completed form. An introduction is not a Clear Money Guide recommendation.
Opens on WiserAdvisor’s site in a new tab.
Settling an estate? Request an adviser introduction
Considering financial advice? Request an adviser introduction with no obligation to hire.
The form is run by Kapitalwise, our advisor-matching partner. Requesting an introduction is free. Submitting the form shares your contact details with advisers, so expect calls and texts. Advisers pay for introductions. Clear Money Guide may earn a referral payment for a qualifying submitted form, whether or not you hire anyone. A match is not guaranteed.
The Kapitalwise form opens here; you stay on this page.
What happens when you press the button
It asks about nine questions: age, investable assets, location; then your name, email and phone number, and verifies the phone by text. Nothing loads and nothing reaches Kapitalwise until you press the button.
Prefer flat-fee or hourly pricing instead? Compare ranges here.
Answer againSources
- 26 U.S.C. 1014, Basis of property acquired from a decedent (Cornell LII): law.cornell.edu page
- Georgia DOR form MV-1, Title/Tag Application: dor.georgia.gov page
- Georgia DOR form MV-16, Affidavit to Certify Immediate Family Relationship: dor.georgia.gov page
- Georgia DOR form T-20, Affidavit of Inheritance of a Motor Vehicle: dor.georgia.gov page
- Georgia DOR, Deceased Title Lien or Security Interest: dor.georgia.gov page
- Georgia DOR, Vehicle Inherited or Purchased from an Estate: dor.georgia.gov page
- Georgia DOR, Title Application Disclosing Joint Ownership or Joint Tenants: dor.georgia.gov page
- Georgia DOR, Title Ad Valorem Tax (TAVT) and Annual Ad Valorem Tax: dor.georgia.gov page
Read from the state agency pages, forms and statutes linked above on November 8, 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and the motor vehicle office, the probate court clerk or an attorney is the right place to confirm anything consequential.