How to sell a parent's car after they pass away in Nevada

September 25, 2026·5 min read

First, find out how the car is held

Losing a parent leaves a long list of small, hard tasks, and the car is often one of them. The good news is that Nevada's DMV has a defined path for each situation. According to the DMV's title page, the transfer of a vehicle after the owner's death is typically handled through a family trust or probate, if either applies. If neither does, heirs can use a DMV affidavit instead.

Start with the certificate of title and look for four things:

• A Transfer on Death beneficiary named on the title record.
• A trust listed as the owner.
• A second owner, and whether the names are joined by "and" or "or".
• A lienholder, meaning a loan that may still be open.

Also order several certified copies of the death certificate. Almost every route below asks for one.

If your parent named a Transfer on Death beneficiary

Nevada lets an owner name a beneficiary who receives the vehicle when they pass away. The DMV's Transfer on Death page says this avoids probate court, and that ownership transfers to the beneficiary once all legal owners have passed away.

To claim the car, the beneficiary brings the DMV:

1. Certified death certificates for all owners on the title.
2. The original certificate of title.
3. The $20 title fee.
4. Form VP 241 if the title can't be found. This is the Transfer on Death Beneficiary's Affidavit for Title. It must be completed by the named beneficiary and notarized or witnessed by an authorized Nevada DMV representative, with a certified death certificate for each owner listed on the title.

Once the title is in the beneficiary's name, they can sell the car like any other owner.

If there's no beneficiary, trust or probate: form VP 024

For smaller estates, Nevada has the Affidavit for Transfer of Title for Estates Without Probate, form VP 024, based on NRS 146.080. The person signing it, the affiant, swears to several things. In the form's own terms:

• The decedent was a resident of Nevada and left no real property or interest in it in the state.
• The total value of the decedent's Nevada property doesn't exceed the applicable amount defined by NRS 146.080. The form excludes the value of any motor vehicle registered to the decedent from that total.
• No application or petition for a personal representative is pending or has been granted in any jurisdiction.
• All debts, including funeral and burial expenses, have been paid or provided for.
• The affiant gave written notice, by personal service or certified mail, to every person whose right to the property is equal or superior to theirs, and at least 14 days have passed since then.
• More than 40 days have passed since the death, as shown by a certified copy of the death certificate attached to the affidavit.

The affidavit must be signed in front of a notary or an authorized DMV representative. The form also warns that filing a false affidavit is a felony in Nevada, so if you're unsure whether the estate qualifies, ask a probate attorney first.

The form doesn't print the dollar limit itself; it points to NRS 146.080. If the estate may be near that limit, confirm the current figure with an attorney rather than guessing.

If the car is in a trust

If the title lists a trust as the owner, the trustee handles the sale. Nevada's Trust Appointment and Powers Affidavit, form VP 188, is where the trustee declares under penalty of perjury that they were appointed and have the power to sign for the vehicle's transfer. The form says the person completing it must be the same person who signs the certificate of title, and it's notarized or signed before an authorized DMV representative.

When probate is already open

If a probate case has been opened or a personal representative appointed, the VP 024 route isn't available, because the affidavit requires that no such petition is pending or granted. In that case the court-appointed representative deals with the car as part of the estate. Their attorney can tell you what the DMV will need.

Joint owners: "and" versus "or"

How the names are joined on the title matters. The Nevada DMV's title page explains:

• "Person 1 OR person 2": either person can sign alone.
• "Person 1 AND person 2": both parties must sign.

So if your surviving parent is on the title with an "or", they can often sign on their own. With an "and", the deceased owner's interest has to pass through one of the routes above first.

If there's still a loan on the car

The DMV states that any loan or lien must be satisfied before ownership can be transferred. Contact the lender, ask for the payoff and how the estate can settle it, and get the lien release. If the paper title was lost after payoff, our guide to getting a duplicate Nevada title walks through form VP-012 and the lien release.

We only buy cars that are fully owned, so a financed car has to be paid off first.

Selling once the title is in your name

When the title is in the heir's, beneficiary's or trustee's name, the sale works like any other. We buy junk, non-running, wrecked and used cars anywhere in our Nevada service area. You get a firm offer online, the tow is free, and we pay by check at pickup.

Not sure the paperwork is complete yet? Our quote asks about the title directly, and our guide to selling a car without the title covers what's possible. For the bill of sale, plates and the rest of the seller's side, see the Nevada seller's paperwork checklist.