Three forms in one document, for a vehicle that is not part of a probated estate. The TR-40a certifies that the person signing is the surviving spouse or the closest next-of-kin; the TR-40b is how another heir stands aside; the TR-40c is how the vehicle goes to somebody who is neither. Which combination you need depends on how many people have a claim and who ends up with the car.
Written against TR-40 (01/2026), issued under MCL 257.236, with MCL 324.80312 for watercraft and MCL 700.1210 for mobile homes.
The certification you sign says the estate is not being probated nor will it be probated in the future. If there is any prospect of a probate, this is not the route - the personal representative assigns the title instead, and the new owner takes a copy of the Letter of Authority to the branch.
Two documents, and they are not the same thing. Take the blank TR-40 from the michigan.gov copy so you get the revision that is current today.
This is all 4 pages of the actual TR-40, rendered from the PDF the Michigan Department of State publishes and completed end to end: letterhead, every field, and the blocks at the foot.
Amber — you write it
Grey — not yours to fill
Numbered — explained below
Page 1 of 4. The introduction. Read the three descriptions here before filling anything in: most families need the TR-40a alone, and the other two exist for the cases where they do not.Page 2 of 4. TR-40a, the heir's certification. The lower half is greyed because it is marked for Michigan Department of State office use only - the branch records the death certificate there and stamps it.Page 3 of 4. TR-40b, how a second heir stands aside. It is worthless on its own and has to travel with a verified TR-40a for the same vehicle.Page 4 of 4. TR-40c, where the vehicle goes to somebody who is not the closest next-of-kin. The heir signs it, not the new owner.
Field by field
Every line, in the order you meet it
1
You fill this in
The vehicle title: is attached, or cannot be located
Two tick boxes opening the TR-40a.
Watch out: If it cannot be located, the introduction wants a document listing the year, make and VIN instead, and warns that other documents may be required. The title is the preferred proof and everything is easier with it.
2
You fill this in
VIN/HIN
The identification number, under the year, body style, make and title number.
Watch out: The same number has to appear on every one of the three certifications you submit, because that is how the branch associates them.
3
You fill this in
Printed name of heir
The surviving spouse, or the closest next-of-kin if there is no spouse.
Watch out: Closest next-of-kin has a legal meaning here and the department will not settle a dispute about it. The department's own advice is to refer questions about the rights of next-of-kin to an attorney or the probate court.
4
You fill this in
Relationship to deceased
One box beside the signature - daughter, son, spouse, and so on.
Watch out: It has to be consistent with the claim you are making. An heir who is not the closest next-of-kin needs the others to stand aside on TR-40b forms.
5
Dealers only
Death certificate verification
State, county, docket number, date examined, branch number, examiner name and a branch stamp.
Watch out: Marked office use only, and it is why the form has to be taken to a counter rather than posted. Leave every box in it empty.
6
You fill this in
TR-40b: the vehicle again
Year, make, body style, title number and VIN, repeated at the top of the second certification.
Watch out: One TR-40b per heir who does not want the vehicle. Two siblings standing aside means two forms, not one signed twice.
7
You fill this in
TR-40b: printed name and signature of heir
The heir certifying that they have no ownership interest in the vehicle.
Watch out: Read the note underneath before signing: the department says that while it is not intended to, this certification could affect ownership interest as it relates to estate resolution.
8
You fill this in
TR-40c: the vehicle again
The same five identifying boxes at the top of the third certification.
Watch out: Only needed where the vehicle is going to somebody other than the closest next-of-kin - including a buyer.
9
The buyer fills this in
TR-40c: New owner's information
First and last names, street address, city, state and ZIP code of whoever ends up with the vehicle.
Watch out: More than one owner may be listed, and there may be several TR-40c forms if there will be several new owners.
10
You fill this in
TR-40c: printed name and signature of heir
The heir signs again, certifying the transfer and that the title is free of all previous liens.
Watch out: It is the heir who signs this page, not the new owner. If a lien is still recorded, deal with the termination before anyone signs anything.
At a glance
What goes where
On the form
What to put in it
TR-40a: the vehicle title
Two tick boxes at the top - is attached, or cannot be located - then vehicle year, body style, make, title number and VIN or HIN.
TR-40a: the certification
Two printed declarations. The second is the substantive one: that the signer is the surviving spouse or the closest next-of-kin, that the estate is not being probated nor will be, and that the total value of all vehicles owned by the deceased does not exceed the amount set out in MCL 257.236.
TR-40a: the signature block
Printed name of heir, signature of heir, relationship to deceased, and the date.
TR-40a: death certificate verification
A block marked for Michigan Department of State office use only - state, county, docket number, date examined, branch number, examiner name and a branch stamp. Nobody outside a branch writes in it.
TR-40b: Certification of No Interest
The same vehicle identification, then one printed certification - that the signer has no ownership interest in the vehicle - a printed name, a signature and a date.
TR-40c: Certification of Ownership Transfer
The vehicle again, a new owner's first and last names, street address, city, state and ZIP code, and a certification signed by the heir that the vehicle is sold or transferred to that person and that the title is free of all previous liens.
What gets this one rejected
•A TR-40b or TR-40c on its own. Both carry the same printed note: not valid unless submitted together with a completed TR-40a that has been verified by a Secretary of State office and associated with the same vehicle.
•A TR-40a that has not been through a branch. All TR-40a forms must be verified at a Secretary of State office - the death certificate verification block underneath is the record of that happening.
•Using it where there is a probate. The document is for vehicles that are not subject to a probated estate; where a personal representative has been appointed, they assign the title and a copy of the Letter of Authority goes in instead.
•Forgetting the odometer. Vehicles subject to disclosure need the odometer statement completed on the title, and where the title cannot be located a BDVR-108 has to be completed instead.
•Leaving a lien on it. A signed lien termination statement is one of the four things the introduction says you will also need to present, because the lien has to be released before the title transfers.
Rules that decide whether it is accepted
•Multiple heirs means multiple forms. If more than one heir is eligible to inherit the vehicle, each qualifying heir submits a TR-40a, and each heir who does not want it submits a TR-40b. There is no single form that covers a family.
•The value ceiling is not a fixed number any more. MCL 257.236 sets it at a figure that is adjusted each year by a cost-of-living factor and published by the Department of Treasury by 1 September for the following calendar year. Check the current figure before you rely on the certification.
•What else goes in with it. The current vehicle title, which the introduction calls the preferred proof of ownership; the death certificate of the owner shown on it; a signed lien termination statement; and an odometer disclosure.
Every line here was read off TR-40 (01/2026) itself —
the PDF is here — and off the Michigan Department of State pages.
This is plain-language help with a form, not legal advice, and where our wording and the agency's differ,
theirs governs.
