This guide covers how vehicles are treated for Will-based Estate Plans. If you have a Trust-based Estate Plan, see our guide: Transferring Vehicles to Your Trust
Should I add my vehicle, boat, or RV as a specific gift in my Will?
You could list the vehicle as a gift if there's a specific person who you'd like to receive it. Otherwise, it would fall to the executor to pay off, sell, or distribute the vehicle as part of your residual state, and therefore does not need to be specifically added as a gift.
Which states allow me to add a beneficiary for my vehicle?
In certain states, vehicle owners can register their cars and boats using a transfer-on-death (TOD) form provided by the state's Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). An advantage to naming a TOD beneficiary is that after the owner’s death, no probate court proceeding is necessary to transfer the vehicle (the vehicle bypasses your Will due to the named TOD beneficiary).
If your state allows it, you may consider naming a transfer-on-death (TOD) beneficiary for vehicles you own. This allows vehicles to be transferred to the beneficiaries you choose quickly and easily upon your death while avoiding probate.
Here is a list of 19 states with links to their state resources: