Selling a Deceased Relative's Vehicle in Wisconsin

We know this often comes at a hard time, so we’ve kept it plain and practical. This is a companion to the documents you need to sell a car and how to sign over a title.

Badger Junk Cars (local, insured junk-car buyer, since 2014) handles estate pickups in the Milwaukee area with patience. Call (414) 367-7245 and we’ll walk you through it.

Step 1 — Establish who can transfer the vehicle

A car can’t be sold until ownership legally moves from the person who passed. How that happens depends on the estate:

• Transfer by affidavit (estates of $50,000 or less): Under Wis. Stat. § 867.03, heirs can transfer property — including vehicles — by affidavit when the estate, less debts, doesn’t exceed $50,000, avoiding full probate. For the vehicle, the Wisconsin DMV uses Form MV2300 (“Statement of Transfer of Vehicles to or by a Surviving Family Member, Domestic Partner or Heir”) together with a title application (Form MV1).
• Surviving spouse or domestic partner: Under Wis. Stat. § 342.17(4), a surviving spouse or domestic partner can transfer title by statement — up to 5 vehicles under 20 years old, or any number of vehicles 20 years or older — also using Form MV2300.
• Probate (estates over $50,000): If the estate exceeds $50,000 and goes through probate, the court-appointed personal representative submits the court papers (instead of MV2300) to handle the transfer and sale.
• Lost title? Request a replacement on Form MV2119.

Step 2 — Gather the documents

Typically you’ll need:

• The vehicle title (or, if it’s lost, a replacement via MV1/MV2119)
• A certified death certificate
• Form MV2300 (the statement/affidavit of transfer) — or court personal-representative papers if the estate is over $50,000
• Your photo ID and proof of your relationship/authority to the estate

Exact requirements vary by situation — confirm your specific case with the Wisconsin DMV.

Step 3 — Sell the vehicle

Once ownership is established, the sale works like any other:

• If it’s a running car with value, a private sale may net more.
• If it’s an old, non-running, or truly end-of-life vehicle, an established junk-car buyer can take it — with free towing — and pay cash, so you’re not stuck storing or hauling it.

We can often arrange pickup at the home, a storage lot, or wherever the vehicle sits.

We’ll handle it with care

Selling a vehicle from an estate? We handle estate pickups in Milwaukee →

More paperwork help is on the Guides hub.

• Call or text: (414) 367-7245
• 530 S Muskego Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53204 — serving Milwaukee + Southeast Wisconsin
• Insured · DNR/EPA compliant · local direct buyer · free towing · flexible, patient pickups

Badger Junk Cars is a local, insured Milwaukee junk-car buyer. General information, not legal advice; estate and title rules vary — confirm your situation at wisconsindot.gov, the Wisconsin court system, or with an attorney.