Wisconsin at a glance
| What | Wisconsin |
|---|---|
| Form | MV2119, Replacement Title Application |
| Fee | $20, plus a $5 counter fee in person (paying online by card adds a convenience fee) |
| How long | 7 to 10 business days after you apply online (mailed applications take longer) |
| Faster option | Online is the fastest way. |
| Ways to apply | Online, by mail or in person |
| Who can apply | The vehicle’s owner. |
| ID | In person, bring your driver’s license or ID card. Without it, DMV mails the title to the owner or lienholder instead. |
| Loan on the car | For any lien listed on or after July 30, 2012, Wisconsin sends the title to the lender. You get a Confirmation of Ownership and can’t apply for a replacement until the loan is paid off. If you paid off an older lien and lost the title, you can pay for the replacement when you clear the lien. Removing the lien is free. |
Where Wisconsin’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. Wisconsin 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 MV2119 asks for: VIN; year, make, type and color; license plate number; county and municipality where the vehicle is kept; owner’s legal name, birth date and Social Security or Wisconsin driver license number (FEIN for a business); co-owner’s name and ID number.Check for a loan on the car
Lender holds the title? Call the lender, not WisDOT. Once it releases an electronic lien, WisDOT prints and mails you a new title on its own. Paid off an older loan and lost the title? Pay for the replacement when you clear the lien.Fill in Form MV2119
The form is the Replacement Title Application. Notary: No notary. The owner and any co-owner sign the form.Send it with the fee
- Online: On WisDOT’s site, owners only. Have your Wisconsin driver’s license or ID number, the last four digits of your SSN, your date of birth, the VIN and an email address ready.
- By mail: Mail Form MV2119 with a check or money order payable to Registration Fee Trust to WI Dept. of Transportation, P.O. Box 7949, Madison, WI 53707-7949. Don’t send cash.
- In person: Any DMV Customer Service Center.
Good to know in Wisconsin
- The new title is marked as a replacement. If you find the original later, you have to return it to DMV.
- Online orders can’t be canceled or refunded once you pay.
- After a loan payoff, a clear title can take up to six weeks to arrive.
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, New York or Texas.