New York at a glance
| What | New York |
|---|---|
| Form | MV-902, Application for Duplicate Certificate of Title |
| Fee | $20 |
| How long | Order online before 8 p.m. and the title prints the next business day and goes out by mail the business day after. Apply at an office and it’s processed within 72 hours, then mailed |
| Faster option | Express mail, for an extra fee the DMV doesn’t list (not offered Friday 8:30 p.m. to Sunday 8:30 p.m.). Processing itself doesn’t speed up. |
| Ways to apply | Online, by mail or in person |
| Who can apply | The owner. Next of kin or an executor can apply for an owner who has died, and an agent can apply with a power of attorney. |
| ID | A New York driver license, learner permit or non-driver ID (current, or expired 2 years or less), or other proofs worth 6 points on form ID-82. Bring originals to an office, or mail photocopies. |
| Loan on the car | Every title is mailed to you, with any lender printed on it. Paid off? Send the original signed lien release with MV-902 by mail or at an office, and the new title comes without the lien for the same $20. |
Where New York’s $20 fee sits among the 50 states and DC
State fee for a duplicate car title in the 50 states and DC: Under $10, 9; $10 to $19.99, 19; $20 to $39.99, 13; $40 to $59.99, 5; $60 or more, 5. New York charges $20.
Step by step
Find the VIN
You don’t need the lost title to find the 17-character VIN: it’s on the lower left of the windshield and on your registration card, and it may be on your insurance card. Form MV-902 asks for: VIN (or hull number); year; make; license plate number; owner name; owner date of birth; current mailing address; daytime phone; signature and date.Check for a loan on the car
A loan doesn’t change where the duplicate goes: New York mails it to you, with the lender printed on it. If your lender released the lien electronically, no new title comes on its own, so apply for the duplicate.Fill in Form MV-902
The form is the Application for Duplicate Certificate of Title. Notary: No, unless an agent applies for you: then the power of attorney must be an original, notarized.Send it with the fee
- Online: Works if you own the vehicle, it’s registered and titled in New York, your U.S. address on file is current and nothing else on the title is changing. It doesn’t work if a title was processed in the last 15 days, you’re removing a lien, the owner has died or you’re using a power of attorney.
- By mail: Mail the form and a photocopy of your ID with a check or money order payable to Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to Title Bureau, New York State DMV, PO Box 2750, Albany, NY 12220-0750.
- In person: At a DMV office, by appointment. Albany prints the title and mails it to you.
Good to know in New York
- Once the duplicate is processed, the old title and any earlier duplicates are void. If the lost one turns up, you can’t use it to transfer the car.
- Moved? The title is mailed only to the address on your title record, so update it first, by mail or at an office (you can’t change it online right now).
- New York doesn’t title model year 1972 or older vehicles. Their transferable registration is the proof of ownership, so there’s no title to replace.
Title from another state?
Apply to the state that issued it. Find yours on the lost car title page for every state, or go straight to Alabama, Illinois, Texas or Wisconsin.