You want your home to pass to your kids (or anyone you choose) when you die — without probate — but you don't want to give up an ounce of control while you're alive. That's exactly what a Transfer on Death Deed (a.k.a. a Beneficiary Deed) does, and this makes the recordable instrument that states it. You stay the full owner: you can live in, rent, sell, mortgage or refinance the property, and you can revoke the deed at any time — the beneficiary gets nothing until you die and has no interest, and no creditor claim, while you're alive. Pick the action: a Transfer on Death Deed names your beneficiary and reserves your lifetime rights, or a Revocation of Transfer on Death Deed recites and cancels a TOD deed you recorded earlier. Then pick how the beneficiaries take: a single beneficiary; multiple beneficiaries in equal shares as tenants in common; or a primary beneficiary with a named alternate who takes only if the primary predeceases you. Name yourself as owner, name the beneficiary (and their relationship), give the property address, legal description and parcel number, and PaperKit assembles the whole non-probate instrument — the recitals, the beneficiary designation, the transfer-effective-on-death and non-probate clauses, your reserved lifetime rights and power to revoke, and — because a TOD deed makes no present transfer — an assertion that NO documentary transfer tax is due now. Like any deed it's a drafter-signs recordable certificate: the OWNER executes and e-signs it; the beneficiary simply takes on death. Hosted online for the owner to review & e-sign. Clean recordable PDF. (TOD / beneficiary deeds are available in many but not all states — confirm your state's statute.)
The big lever — make a new Transfer on Death Deed, or revoke a TOD deed you recorded before.
Transfer on Death Deed (a.k.a. Beneficiary Deed): names your beneficiary to take the property on your death, without probate, while you keep full ownership and the right to revoke during life.
One beneficiary takes the property on your death.
The record owner of the property. Like any deed, this is a recordable certificate the owner executes — the beneficiary takes on death and does not sign. You keep full ownership and control during your lifetime.
A TOD deed makes no present transfer, so — unlike a fresh conveyance — no documentary transfer tax is due when it's recorded. PaperKit recites the exemption; confirm your recorder's language and your state's TOD-deed statute.
A real, section-by-section recordable non-probate instrument. The instrument choice drives whether it designates a beneficiary or revokes; the structure choice reframes how the beneficiaries take. Publish to get a hosted link the owner can e-execute online.
$9/mo — remove the DRAFT watermark + “Made with PaperKit” badge, unlimited clean-PDF recordable deeds, and Pro across every tool.
A transfer-on-death / beneficiary deed is a template for convenience, not legal advice. TOD deeds are authorized in many — but not all — U.S. states, and the required form, wording, witnessing / notarization and revocation rules vary by state; the deed must generally be signed by the owner, notarized, and RECORDED during the owner's lifetime to be effective, and it does not transfer any present interest. Whether a TOD deed is the right tool (versus a living trust, a life-estate / lady-bird deed, or joint tenancy) depends on your state and circumstances. PaperKit is not a law firm. Review the instrument and consult a qualified attorney.