How to Apply for a Lost Title in Tennessee: In Person or by Mail

To apply for a lost title in Tennessee, complete the Multi-purpose, Noting of Lien, and Duplicate Title Application (Form RV-F1315201) and submit it to your local county clerk’s office in person or by mail with a $14 fee. There is no online option. If your vehicle has an active loan, the request has to come from your lienholder rather than from you directly.¹

What You Need

The application itself is Form RV-F1315201, available from the Tennessee Department of Revenue website or any county clerk’s office. On it, you’ll fill in your vehicle’s VIN, make, model, year, and current mileage, and mark the reason you’re requesting a duplicate.²

Along with the form, bring or include:

The $14 duplicate title fee, plus any additional county fees.¹
A government-issued photo ID (driver’s license, passport, or similar) if you’re applying in person.³
Proof that any prior lien on the vehicle has been paid off, if that applies.

Only one owner’s signature is required, even when the vehicle is titled in two names.³

Applying in Person

Take your completed Form RV-F1315201, photo ID, payment, and any supporting documents to your local county clerk’s office. These applications are handled by the county clerk, not by a driver services location. At the clerk’s main office, the duplicate can often be issued the same day, which makes this the faster route if you need the title soon.

Applying by Mail

To apply by mail, send your local county clerk’s office:

The completed Form RV-F1315201
A check or money order for $14, plus any county fees you’ve confirmed in advance
Proof of lien discharge, if applicable

Photo ID isn’t listed as a mail-in requirement, though a photocopy is a reasonable thing to include.³ Mailing addresses are available on the Department of Revenue website or by calling the clerk’s office directly.

How Long It Takes and Where It Goes

In-person applicants at a county clerk’s main office may leave with the duplicate title the same day. For applications processed centrally, the state prints and mails most titles within 24 to 48 hours of processing.⁴ Add mail time on both ends and the total for a mailed application can run a few weeks.

The title is mailed to the registered owner’s address on file. If the vehicle has an active lien, it goes to the first lienholder on record instead.¹ If nothing has arrived after a reasonable wait, call the county clerk’s office where you filed.

If the Vehicle Still Has a Lien

When there’s an outstanding loan, you can’t file the duplicate title request yourself. The lienholder has to initiate it, and the replacement title is sent to the first lienholder on record.¹ Contact your lender to start the process. Lienholders and out-of-state applicants file through the county clerk in the county of the owner’s last Tennessee residence.

If Someone Else Is Filing for You

A person other than the registered owner can submit the request, but they need the owner’s power of attorney. Tennessee has a specific form for vehicle transactions that lists “Duplicate Title” as an authorized purpose.⁵ The representative also brings their own photo ID when filing in person.

If you’re trying to put an inherited vehicle in your name, that’s a different process from a duplicate title. It uses the will and a death certificate, or an Affidavit of Inheritance when there’s no will, rather than Form RV-F1315201.⁶

A Note on False Information

Only apply for a duplicate title on a vehicle you own or are legally authorized to represent. Using a false name, concealing a material fact, or otherwise committing fraud on a title application is a Class C misdemeanor under Tennessee law.⁷

1
Tennessee Department of Revenue. Duplicate Title
2
Tennessee Department of Revenue. Application for Noting of Lien, Duplicate Title, or Multipurpose Use
3
Tennessee Department of Revenue. VT-6 – How to Obtain a Duplicate Title
4
Tennessee Department of Revenue. VTR-4 – When Title Can Be Expected in the Mail
5
Tennessee Department of Revenue. Power of Attorney for Vehicle Transactions
6
Tennessee Department of Revenue. GI-4 – Inherited Vehicle – Title/Registration Process
7
Justia Law. Tennessee Code 55-5-113 – Fraudulent Statements in Applications for Certificate of Title or Registration