Duplicate title

What it means

A duplicate is the same title reissued. Applying for one voids the original, so a title that later turns up cannot be used.

After a death, whoever has authority over the estate normally applies — an executor, an administrator, or in some states an heir using an affidavit.

A recorded lien follows the vehicle onto the duplicate, so a duplicate does not clear an old loan that was never released.

Why it matters

A missing title stops a transfer completely, and it is one of a frequent reasons a vehicle sits for months after a death.

It is also worth starting early: a duplicate takes days or weeks depending on the state, and it cannot be done at the same counter visit as the transfer in every state.

When you are likely to meet it

• When the title cannot be found among a parent's papers.
• When the title was held by a lender that has since been paid.
• When a vehicle has to be sold and there is no certificate.

How this varies by state

Who may apply for a duplicate after a death, and what proof of authority is required, are set by state law.

Related terms

• Certificate of titleThe state-issued document that proves who owns a vehicle — and whose issuing state decides the procedure after a death.
• Electronic titleA title a state holds as a record rather than as a piece of paper. Nothing arrives in the post, and there is nothing in the drawer to find.
• Lien releaseA document from a lender confirming a loan is paid off, so the lien can be removed from a title.
• Motor vehicle agencyThe state office that issues titles and registrations. It goes by a different name and a different set of initials in almost every state.
• RetitlePutting an asset into a new owner's name on the official record.
• Title applicationThe form that asks a state to issue a certificate of title in a new name. It is the central document in almost every vehicle transfer.
• Vehicle identification numberThe unique code identifying a specific vehicle. Every title, registration and transfer form is matched against it.
• VIN inspectionA physical check that the vehicle's identification number matches its paperwork.

Sahvelo guidance that uses this

• Vehicle title transfer