Updated October 8, 2026. Quick answer: Yes, for securities and vehicles. Connecticut’s Uniform Transfer on Death Security Registration Act, General Statutes sections 45a-468 to 45a-468m, lets an owner register a security in beneficiary form, and the owner may cancel or change it “without the consent of the beneficiary”. Section 14-16 separately lets an individual owner name a beneficiary on a motor vehicle registration.
How Connecticut handles transfer-on-death registration
| Item | What the state documents say |
|---|---|
| Brokerage and securities accounts | Connecticut’s Uniform Transfer on Death Security Registration Act is codified at General Statutes sections 45a-468 to 45a-468m, together with section 45a-369. Only individuals who hold a security alone, or together with survivorship rather than as tenants in common, may obtain registration in beneficiary form. The source says: “registration of a security which indicates the present owner of the security and the intention of the owner regarding the person who will become the owner of the security upon the death of the owner”. A registering entity is not required to offer or accept beneficiary-form registration, and any request must be in writing, so the firm’s terms control availability. |
| Effect on the will and probate | A transfer on death from a registration in beneficiary form takes effect through the contract between the owner and the registering entity, and on the last owner’s death the security passes to the surviving beneficiaries. If no beneficiary survives all owners, the security belongs to the owner’s estate. Creditors’ rights against beneficiaries under other Connecticut laws are not limited. |
| Changing the beneficiary | The designation has no effect on ownership until the owner’s death, and the sole owner or all surviving owners may cancel or change it at any time. The beneficiary has no say while the owner is alive. |
| Vehicle titles | Connecticut General Statutes section 14-16(b) lets a single owner who is a natural person name a beneficiary in a space provided on the motor vehicle’s certificate of registration. The beneficiary assumes ownership after the owner’s death by applying to the Department of Motor Vehicles. The source says: “a beneficiary who shall assume ownership of such motor vehicle after the death of the owner and upon the making of an application pursuant to this subsection”. The owner keeps all rights of ownership during life, and the beneficiary must apply within sixty days of the owner’s death with the original registration and a death certificate. |
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 transfer on death deeds by state. For what probate costs in Connecticut, see Connecticut probate cost, and for Connecticut’s own estate or inheritance tax, see Connecticut estate and inheritance tax. Which of these your account or vehicle falls under depends on how it is titled.
Related: Connecticut probate cost, how Connecticut taxes retirement income, Connecticut estate and inheritance tax, transfer on death deeds by state, and car titles 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.
Compare vetted advisors for your estate plan
If your portfolio is $250,000 or more, this connects you (free, with no obligation to hire anyone) with 2 to 3 vetted advisors.
Before you start, what actually happens. The matching service is run by WiserAdvisor, an independent advisor-matching company. It opens on their site, asks for your ZIP code and a few questions, and matches you with 2 to 3 vetted advisors. It is free to you.
WiserAdvisor states the service is built for portfolios of $250,000 and above. By submitting, you consent to emails, phone calls and text messages from WiserAdvisor and up to three advisors, so expect to be contacted. Clear Money Guide may earn a referral payment for a qualifying completed form, whether or not you ever hire anyone.
Opens on WiserAdvisor’s site in a new tab.
See how an advisor plans your estate
Price the destination before you decide. The matching service below introduces you to advisers who pay to meet you.
Before you start, what actually happens. The form is run by Kapitalwise, our advisor-matching partner. Kapitalwise sends your details to advisers who pay for the introduction, so expect calls and texts. Clear Money Guide may earn a referral payment through this service, whether or not you ever hire anyone. This is free to you and there is no obligation to hire anyone.
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
- Chapter 802b, Uniform Transfer on Death Security Registration Act, sections 45a-468 to 45a-468m: https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_802b.htm
- Section 14-16, Transfer of ownership. Designation of beneficiary (Chapter 246): https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_246.htm
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.