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Rep. Rauscher introduces bill to allow transfer-on-death vehicle and boat titles
Summary
Representative Brett Rauscher introduced House Bill 18 during the House Transportation Committee meeting on Feb. 13 proposing a transfer‑on‑death title for vehicles, boats and certain DMV‑titled manufactured homes to pass to named beneficiaries outside probate.
Representative Brett Rauscher introduced House Bill 18 during the House Transportation Committee meeting on Feb. 13, 2025, proposing a transfer-on-death (TOD) title option for vehicles, boats and certain DMV-titled manufactured homes to pass outside probate.
Rauscher said the bill “expands this concept to vehicles and boats that require state issued titles” and described the measure as building on the state’s earlier Transfer-on-Death deed statute. The bill would allow an owner to designate up to two beneficiaries on a TOD title, require the beneficiary to submit proof of the owner’s death and an application to the Division of Motor Vehicles, and permit the owner to revoke or change the designation without the beneficiary’s consent.
The bill text, as explained in a sectional analysis provided to the committee, adds a new section under AS 5.25 and amends AS 13.33 and AS 13.48 provisions to create a process by which the Department of Administration (Division of Motor Vehicles) will accept, revoke, reissue and otherwise manage TOD titles for titled vehicles and boats. The analysis says TOD titles would be non‑testamentary, not require acceptance by the beneficiary, be subject to the decedent’s creditors, and allow enforcement of creditor claims against the assets in proportion to each asset’s net value. The analysis also requires a designated beneficiary to survive the decedent by 120 hours for the transfer to take effect.
Committee members pressed on the fiscal note and technical implementation. Representative Stutes noted a change from an initial fiscal note showing zero state cost; Rauscher and staff explained the Department of Transportation/Division programming estimate was revised to an indeterminate amount after a note describing “600 programming hours at $125 an hour” (for adding a checkbox/process in DMV systems), and that the bill is intended to be fee‑supported and not cost the state after startup expenses.
Representative Tilton sought and received confirmation from the sponsor’s staff that if two beneficiaries are listed they “become joint owners,” a substantive ownership consequence included in the bill language. Committee members also asked whether aircraft are included; Rauscher said airplanes are excluded because they are federally regulated and cannot be added under state title law.
Kathy Wallace, listed as acting DMV director and available online, was present for technical questions. Isabel Bridal (staff to Representative Rauscher) summarized the bill sections for the committee, describing how the DOA/DMV would develop regulations, forms and fees and noting an effective date structure in the draft: an immediate effective date for the department’s regulatory authority (section 7) and an overall effective date of July 1, 2025, for other sections.
No committee action or vote was taken; the sponsor set the bill aside after the introductory hearing and the committee moved to the next item on the agenda.
Ending: The committee did not vote on HB 18 on Feb. 13; the bill received its introductory hearing and a round of questions and will be available for follow‑up with the sponsor’s office and DMV staff. Representative Rauscher and staff offered to provide additional technical and fiscal details to committee members on request.
