How to Fill Out Form VP-012: Nevada Duplicate Certificate of Title Application

Nevada Form VP-012 is the application you file with the Department of Motor Vehicles to replace a Nevada certificate of title that has been lost, stolen, or damaged. The fee is $20 if the duplicate is mailed to a Nevada address and $35 if it is mailed out of state. You can submit it by mail, in person at a full-service DMV office, or start it online through Turbo Titles and finish in person. One timing rule catches people off guard: the DMV will not process a duplicate until at least 30 days after the most recent title was issued for the vehicle.¹

When VP-012 Is the Right Form

VP-012 replaces a paper Nevada title. Two situations put it out of reach.

The first is timing. The 30-day clock runs from the date the last certificate of title was issued, not the date you lost it. A brand-new title that disappears the week it arrives still has to wait out the window.¹

The second is jurisdiction and format. VP-012 only works for vehicles whose most recent title was issued by Nevada. If the vehicle was last titled in another state, contact that state’s motor vehicle agency. If the record is an electronic lien and title (ELT), the lienholder controls it through their service provider, and VP-012 does nothing. Once an ELT lien is satisfied and the record converted to paper, the DMV prints and mails a paper title at no charge, and only if that paper title is later lost does VP-012 apply.²³

Filling Out the Form

The form is a single page, and every field needs to match what the DMV already has on file. A name that does not match the last title or registration will bring back a correction letter instead of your duplicate.

Owner information: the full legal name and address of every registered owner or lessee, exactly as shown on the most recent title or registration. Both a physical and a mailing address are required.
Vehicle Identification Number: the complete 17-character VIN, which appears on the driver-side dashboard at the windshield, on the driver-side door jamb sticker, and on your registration card.
License plate number: your current Nevada plate.
Reason for the duplicate: check lost, stolen, mutilated, or other.

At the bottom of the form is a certification declaring, under penalty of perjury, that you are the legal owner and that the original title is no longer available. That signature is the part that has to be witnessed.¹

Signature and Notarization

Every VP-012 has to be signed in front of either a notary public or an authorized Nevada DMV representative.¹ If you are mailing the form, get it notarized first, since no DMV employee will be there to witness you. If you are going in person, a DMV technician at the counter can serve as the authorized witness, so a separate notary trip is not needed. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID either way.

If more than one owner is listed on the title, each owner must sign the certification.

Fees and Payment

The duplicate title fee depends on where the replacement will be mailed:

$20.00 for a duplicate mailed to a Nevada address.
$35.00 for a duplicate mailed out of state, for vehicles not physically located or registered in Nevada.

Payment must accompany the application. For mailed submissions, use a check or money order made out to the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. Cash is accepted at the counter for in-person transactions. Credit and debit payments are handled through the DMV’s Payment Authorization Form (ADM-205), which you can download and include with a mailed application.¹³

How to Submit

By Mail

Send the notarized VP-012, your payment, and any supporting documents to:

Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles
Title Section
555 Wright Way
Carson City, NV 89711⁴

Use a trackable mailing method. You are sending original signed documents and payment, and the DMV cannot process an application it never receives.

In Person

You can bring VP-012 to a full-service DMV office. Metropolitan offices require an appointment, scheduled through the DMV website.⁵ The advantage is that a technician can review your paperwork on the spot and witness your signature, saving the notary fee. The title itself is still printed at the central office in Carson City, so you will not leave with the document.

Online Through Turbo Titles

Nevada’s Turbo Titles system lets you enter the application data online before visiting a DMV office to finalize it, which shortens the counter portion of the visit.⁶

If There Is a Lien on the Vehicle

If the original title listed a lienholder and the loan has since been paid off, the DMV needs proof before it will issue a clean duplicate. Without proof, the new title will still show the lender’s name, and that blocks any future sale or transfer.

For a lien that was on a printed paper title, include a completed Lien Release (VP-186) or an original letter on the lienholder’s letterhead, signed by an authorized representative, stating the lien has been released.⁷ If the lienholder has the paper title, the lender can complete and notarize a VP-186 and mail it to you to submit with the VP-012.⁸

If the lien was part of an electronic title record, the lienholder must release it electronically through their service provider. VP-186 does not work for electronic records.²

Processing Time and What Comes Back

The DMV currently estimates approximately six weeks to process and mail a duplicate title.³ All title printing happens at the Carson City central office regardless of how the application was submitted. The title is mailed to the address on the application, or to the address already on file if no change was requested.

If the DMV finds a problem, such as a name mismatch, missing payment, or unresolved lien, it will mail a letter explaining what to correct. Resubmitting generally restarts the processing clock, so getting every field right the first time is worth the extra care.

If Someone Else Has to Sign

If you cannot apply in person or sign the form yourself, another person can handle the transaction with Nevada’s Power of Attorney form (VP-136). The VP-136 must identify the vehicle by year, make, model, and VIN, be signed in original ink rather than photocopied, and be notarized or witnessed by an authorized DMV representative on the same terms as the VP-012.⁹

Selling a Vehicle While Waiting for the Duplicate

Nevada requires a certificate of title, or an equivalent ownership document, to accompany any bill of sale. You cannot transfer a vehicle on a bill of sale alone while the duplicate application is still processing.¹⁰ File the VP-012, wait for the duplicate, and complete the sale with the new title in hand.

When the Owner Has Died

VP-012 is not the form for a deceased owner’s missing title. If the title named a transfer-on-death beneficiary, the beneficiary files the Transfer on Death – Beneficiary’s Affidavit for Title (VP-241) with a certified death certificate and the $20 title fee. If there is no beneficiary and no probate, heirs use the Affidavit for Transfer of Title for Estates Without Probate (VP-024).¹¹¹²

1
Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. Application for Duplicate Nevada Certificate of Title
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Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. Electronic Lien and Title
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Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. Vehicle Title and Ownership
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Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. Contact the DMV
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Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. Nevada DMV Appointments
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Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. Turbo Titles
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Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. VP-186 Lien Release
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Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. Loan Payoffs and Lease Buyouts
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Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. Power of Attorney (VP136)
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Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. Bill of Sale
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Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. Affidavit for Transfer of Title for Estates Without Probate
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Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles. Vehicle Beneficiary Transfer on Death