Ohio Revised Code
Chapter 5814 | Ohio Transfers to Minors Act
Section 5814.02 | Subject of Gift or Transfer.

Effective: April 6, 2017
Latest Legislation: House Bill 432 - 131st General Assembly
(A) A person who is eighteen years of age or older may, during the person's lifetime, make a gift or transfer of a security, money, a life or endowment insurance policy, an annuity contract, a benefit plan, real estate, tangible or intangible personal property, or any other property to, may designate as beneficiary of a life or endowment insurance policy, an annuity contract, or a benefit plan, or make a transfer by the irrevocable exercise of a power of appointment in favor of, a person who is a minor on the date of the gift or transfer:
(1) If the subject of the gift or transfer is a security in registered form, by registering it in the name of the donor or transferor, another person who is eighteen years of age or older, or a trust company, followed, in substance, by the words: "as custodian for ________________ (name of minor) under the Ohio Transfers to Minors Act ; "
(2) If the subject of the gift or transfer is a security not in registered form, by delivering it to the donor or transferor, another person who is eighteen years of age or older, or a trust company, accompanied by a statement of a gift or transfer in the following form, in substance, signed by the donor or transferor and the person or trust company designated as custodian:
"GIFT OR TRANSFER UNDER THE OHIO TRANSFERS TO MINORS ACT
I, ____________________ (name of donor or transferor), hereby deliver to (name of custodian) as custodian for ___________________ (name of minor) under the Ohio Transfers to Minors Act, the following security (ies): (insert an appropriate description of the security or securities delivered, sufficient to identify it or them).
__________________________________
(signature of donor or transferor)
_______________________ (name of custodian) hereby acknowledges receipt of the above described security (ies) as custodian for the above minor under the Ohio Transfers to Minors Act.
Dated: _________________ _________________________
(signature of custodian)"
(3) If the subject of the gift or transfer is money, by paying or delivering it to a broker, or a financial institution for credit to an account in the name of the donor or transferor, another person who is eighteen years of age or older, or a trust company, followed, in substance, by the words: "as custodian for ___________________ (name of minor) under the Ohio Transfers to Minors Act."
(4) If the subject of the gift or transfer is a life or endowment insurance policy, an annuity contract, or a benefit plan, by assigning the policy, contract, or plan to the donor or transferor, another person who is eighteen years of age or older, or a trust company, followed, in substance by the words: "as custodian for _________________ (name of minor) under the Ohio Transfers to Minors Act."
(5) If the subject of the gift or transfer is an interest in real estate, by executing and delivering in the appropriate manner a deed, assignment, or similar instrument in the name of the donor or transferor, another person who is eighteen years of age or older, or a trust company, followed, in substance, by the words: "as custodian for _______________ (name of minor) under the Ohio Transfers to Minors Act."
(6) If the subject of the gift or transfer is tangible personal property, by delivering it to the donor or transferor, another person who is eighteen years of age or older, or a trust company, accompanied by a statement of a gift or transfer in the following form, in substance, signed by the donor or transferor and the person or trust company designated as custodian:
"GIFT OR TRANSFER UNDER THE OHIO TRANSFERS TO MINORS ACT
I, ________________ (name of donor or transferor), hereby deliver to __________________ (name of custodian) as custodian for __________________ (name of minor) under the Ohio Transfers to Minors Act, the following property: (insert an appropriate description of the property delivered, sufficient to identify it).
__________________________________
(signature of donor or transferor)
_________________________ (name of custodian) hereby acknowledges receipt of the above described property as custodian for the above minor under the Ohio Transfers to Minors Act.
Dated: _______________ ___________________________
(signature of custodian)"
(7) If the subject of the gift or transfer is tangible personal property, title to which is evidenced by a certificate of title issued by a department or agency of a state or of the United States, by issuing title to the donor or transferor, another person who is eighteen years of age or older, or a trust company, accompanied by a statement of a gift or transfer in the following form, in substance: "as custodian for _______________________ (name of minor) under the Ohio Transfers to Minors Act ; " or by delivering the title to another person who is eighteen years of age or older or a trust company, endorsed to that person followed in substance by the following words: "as custodian for (name of minor) under the Ohio Transfers to Minors Act."
(8) If the subject of the gift or transfer is the designation of a minor as beneficiary of a life or endowment insurance policy, an annuity contract, or a benefit plan, by designating as beneficiary of the policy, contract, or plan the donor or transferor, another person who is eighteen years of age or older, or a trust company, followed, in substance, by the words: "as custodian for ___________________ (name of minor) under the Ohio Transfers to Minors Act."
(9) If the subject of the gift or transfer is an irrevocable exercise of a power of appointment in favor of a minor or is an interest in any property that is not described in divisions (A)(1) to (8) of this section, by causing the ownership of the property to be transferred by any written document in the name of the donor or transferor, another person who is eighteen years of age or older, or a trust company, followed, in substance, by the words: "as custodian for __________________ (name of minor) under the Ohio Transfers to Minors Act."
(B) Trustees, inter vivos or testamentary, executors, and administrators having authority to distribute or pay any trust or estate property to or for the benefit of a minor, or having authority to distribute or pay any trust or estate property to any other person for the benefit of a minor may, if authorized by a will or trust instrument, distribute or pay trust or estate property of any type mentioned in division (A) of this section in the manner and form provided in that division, and may name the custodian or successor custodian of the property if the will or trust instrument does not name an eligible custodian, or if the will or trust does not name an eligible successor custodian and the naming of a successor custodian is necessary. A person who is eighteen years of age or older, in the person's will or trust instrument, may provide that the fiduciary shall make any payment or distribution as provided in this division and may name the custodian and a successor custodian of the trust or estate property. As to any distribution or payment so made, the testator of a will, under the provisions of which a testamentary trust or estate is being administered, or the settlor of an inter vivos trust shall be deemed the donor or transferor.
(C) Any gift, transfer, payment, or distribution that is made in a manner prescribed in division (A), (B), or (E) of this section may be made to only one minor and only one person may be the custodian. All gifts, transfers, payments, and distributions made by a person in a manner prescribed in sections 5814.01 to 5814.10 of the Revised Code to the same custodian for the benefit of the same minor result in a single custodianship.
(D) A donor or transferor who makes a gift or transfer to a minor in a manner prescribed in division (A) of this section and a trustee, executor, or administrator acting under division (B) or (E) of this section shall promptly do all things within the donor's, transferor's, trustee's, executor's, or administrator's power to put the subject of the gift or transfer in the possession and control of the custodian, but neither the donor's, transferor's, trustee's, executor's, or administrator's failure to comply with this division, nor the designation by the donor, transferor, trustee, executor, or administrator of an ineligible custodian, nor the renunciation by the person or trust company designated as custodian, affects the consummation of the gift or transfer.
(E) If there is no will, or if a will, trust, or other governing instrument does not contain an authorization to make a transfer as described in this division, a trustee, executor, or administrator may make a transfer in a manner prescribed in division (A) of this section to self, another person who is eighteen years of age or older, or a trust company, as custodian, if all of the following apply:
(1) Irrespective of the value of the property, the trustee, executor, or administrator considers the transfer to be in the best interest of the minor;
(2) Irrespective of the value of the property, the transfer is not prohibited by or inconsistent with the applicable will, trust agreement, or other governing instrument;
(3) If the value of the property exceeds twenty-five thousand dollars, the transfer is authorized by the appropriate court.
(F) Except with respect to real property, a donor or transferor who makes a gift or transfer to a minor in a manner prescribed in division (A) of this section and a trustee, executor, or administrator acting under division (B) or (E) of this section may also designate one or more successor custodians, in substance, by adding to such designation the following words or words of similar import for the successor or successors designated: "In the event of the death or inability or unwillingness to serve of __________________ (name of custodian), or any successor custodian designated hereby, __________________ (name of first successor custodian), followed by __________________ (name of second successor custodian), in the order named, shall serve as successor custodian."