How to get a duplicate car title

The short version

1. Find the right state. Apply to the state that issued the title, which is usually where the car was last titled, not necessarily where you live now.
2. Clear any lien. If a lender is listed, get a lien release (or have the lender apply).
3. Fill in the state’s duplicate-title form and sign it. If several owners are listed, they may all need to sign.
4. Prove who you are with a driver license or other photo ID.
5. Pay the fee and submit online, by mail, or in person.
6. Wait for the new title, then use it, not the old one, from then on.

Before you apply

Check whether the title is really lost. If a lender held it, the loan may be paid off and the title mailed to an old address. If you just bought the car and it never arrived, ask whether your state has a free “lost in transit” option (Florida does, below).

Check the lien status. A lien recorded on the title has to be dealt with. Texas warns that a paid-off lien may still be recorded on the title. In that case you need an original release of lien from the lender, not a fax or photocopy.¹

Gather details: VIN, plate number, title number if you have it, and every owner’s ID.

How states differ: four examples

State	Form	Fee	Where
California	REG 227	$282	Online, by mail or at a DMV office34
Texas	VTR-34	$2 by mail, $5.45 in person1	Mail, or a TxDMV Regional Service Center1
Florida	HSMV 82101	$75.25 (electronic), plus $2.50 for a paper title5	Local tax collector office6
New York	MV-902	$207	Online, DMV office or by mail7

California. Use the Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title (REG 227). It can be submitted in person or by mail, and you can start a replacement-title request online with your license or ID, the last five digits of the VIN and the plate number.³⁴ Notarization is needed only when a legal owner or lienholder is shown. Then section 5 of the form must be notarized.³ One catch: if your registration card says “Nontransferable/No California Title Issued”, you can’t use REG 227. You must get a title from the state where the car was last titled.³ See California junk car laws.

Texas. Apply for a certified copy of title with Form VTR-34. All recorded owners must sign and provide photo ID. There’s a 30-day waiting period after the last certified copy was issued.¹ See Texas junk car laws.

Florida. Form HSMV 82101 covers three cases: a duplicate for a lost, stolen or damaged title (fee required), a title lost in the mail, and a duplicate issued together with a transfer to a buyer, where both parties must be present.⁶ Lost-in-transit applications are free if made within 180 days of the last title issue date.⁶ The $75.25 transfer/duplicate fee is for an electronic title. Add $2.50 when a paper title is printed.⁵ See Florida junk car laws.

New York. Use the Application for Duplicate Certificate of Title (MV-902), with proof of identity and current address. By mail, include photocopies of your ID and proof of address, and a check or money order payable to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles.⁷ See New York junk car laws.

Every state’s process is on our junk car laws pages.

Special situations

Owner has died. A family member usually can’t just apply for a duplicate in their own name. They first need the state’s inheritance or estate paperwork. California, for example, lets heirs transfer with a death certificate and an Affidavit for Transfer without Probate (REG 5), with value limits.³ See sell an inherited car.

Title was voided by a mistake. A cross-out or correction can void a title. New York says that if a title is voided, even by mistake, you must get a duplicate before transferring ownership.⁷ See how to sign over a car title.

Out-of-state title. Apply to the issuing state, even if you’ve moved. California, for instance, tells owners whose car has no California title to get one from the state where the vehicle was last titled.³

Branded titles. A new copy doesn’t clear a brand. Florida’s duplicate-title form, for example, has a section for the vehicle’s usage and brands, such as rebuilt and flood.⁶ See branded title.

If you’re junking the car

A duplicate title is usually the cleanest way to junk a car whose title is missing. Junkyards want a signed title, and you’ll get more buyers. If the fee and wait don’t make sense for a low-value car, some states let licensed scrap buyers take older vehicles without a title under strict conditions. See sell a car without a title before you decide.

Once you have the new title, sign it over carefully, keep a bill of sale, and file your state’s release of liability.

References

1. Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, “Get a Copy of Your Title”, https://www.txdmv.gov/motorists/buying-or-selling-a-vehicle/get-a-copy-of-your-title ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

2. California DMV, Vehicle Industry Registration Procedures Manual, “Appendix 1F: Fees” (Replacement certificate of title, VC §9265), https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/handbook/vehicle-industry-registration-procedures-manual-2/appendix-1f-fees/ ↩

3. California DMV, “Title Transfers and Changes”, https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicle-registration/titles/title-transfers-and-changes/ ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

4. California DMV, “Replacement Title”, https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv-virtual-office/replacement-title/ ↩ ↩²

5. Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, “Fees”, https://www.flhsmv.gov/fees/ ↩ ↩²

6. Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Form HSMV 82101, “Application for Duplicate or Lost in Transit/Reassignment for a Motor Vehicle, Mobile Home or Vessel Title Certificate”, https://www.flhsmv.gov/pdf/forms/82101.pdf ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

7. New York State DMV, “Information and instructions about your certificate of title”, https://dmv.ny.gov/brochure/information-and-instructions-about-your-certificate-of-title ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴