How to Sell a Deceased Person’s Car: 5 Steps for Executors
Inherited a vehicle and now need to sell it? Executors and administrators must follow a specific process when a vehicle belongs to a deceased person’s estate.
Five steps to sell an estate vehicle
- Get formal legal authority. The probate court appoints the Executor or Administrator and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
- Check the loan and title. Resolve any auto loan and locate the physical title and registration.
- Confirm authority level. Full Authority may permit a direct sale; Limited Authority can require additional court or heir-notice steps.
- Sign the title correctly. Never sign the deceased person’s name. Sign your own name followed by your role, such as “Jane Doe, Executor for the Estate of John Doe.”
- Keep proceeds separate. Deposit all sale proceeds into the estate bank account, not a personal account.
For probate real-estate support in Los Angeles, call Eric Baskett at (310) 807-6879. This page is educational information only, not legal advice.