How to Get a Replacement Car Title in New York

To get a replacement car title in New York, file form MV-902 with the Department of Motor Vehicles and pay a $20 fee. You can apply online, by mail, or at a DMV office, and the new certificate is printed at a secure facility in Albany and mailed to the address on your title record. Allow up to 45 days for it to arrive.¹

Who Can Request a Duplicate

Only the person or business listed as the owner on the DMV’s title record can apply. The vehicle must be registered and titled in New York, and the DMV needs a current U.S. address for you.²

If the owner named on the title has died, the DMV will not print a duplicate in that person’s name. Ownership has to be transferred first, either by a surviving spouse (for a single vehicle valued at $25,000 or less) or through an executor or administrator appointed by Surrogate Court.³

What to Gather Before You Apply

The application itself is form MV-902. You will enter the Vehicle Identification Number, the year and make of the vehicle, and the owner’s name and address exactly as they appear on your registration.⁴

You also need proof of identity. For a mail application, include a photocopy of your New York driver license, learner permit, or non-driver ID. An ID expired by up to two years is still accepted. At a DMV office, bring the physical card. Other documents are accepted too; the DMV lists them in ID-82.²

The fee is $20. By mail, pay with a personal check or money order to “Commissioner of Motor Vehicles.” Do not send cash.⁴

Update Your Address First

This is the step that costs people the most time. The duplicate is mailed to the address on your title record, not necessarily where you live now. A USPS forwarding order is not a safe backup — the DMV warns there is no guarantee the postal service will forward its documents.²

If the registration is in your name, update your address online before you file. If someone else registered the vehicle on your behalf, call the Title Services Bureau at 1-518-486-4714 to have the address changed manually.

Three Ways to Submit

Online

The fastest option, when you qualify. On the DMV’s online title replacement page, choose the vehicle type, enter your VIN (or Hull Identification Number for a boat) and model year, and follow the prompts.⁵

You cannot use the online system if:

A title was already processed on this vehicle in the last 15 days
You need a lien removed at the same time
The titled owner is deceased
You are acting under a Power of Attorney

Any of those situations means applying by mail or in person.²

By Mail

Send the completed MV-902, a photocopy of your ID, any lien-release originals, and your $20 check or money order to:

Title Bureau
New York State DMV
PO Box 2750
Albany, NY 12220-0750²

At a DMV Office

Bring the completed MV-902, your physical ID, the $20 fee, and any lien-release documents. You will not leave with a title. Every certificate is printed in Albany and mailed to the owner, no matter where the application is filed.² Many offices require an appointment, so check before you go.

If the Old Title Shows a Paid-Off Lien

You can ask the DMV to leave the lien off your replacement, but you must submit original proof that the loan was satisfied. Photocopies are not accepted.⁶ Two forms of proof work:

Form MV-901 (Notice of Recorded Lien), signed by an authorized officer of the lienholder and marked satisfied.
A letter on the lender’s official letterhead identifying the vehicle, stating that the lien is satisfied, and signed by an authorized officer. If the lienholder is an individual, the letter must be notarized.

Send the original proof with your MV-902 and the $20 fee. Removing a lien from a lost title has to be done by mail or in person; the online option is not available for this.⁶

If your lender filed the lien electronically through New York’s Electronic Lien Transfer program, the release goes through that system as well. The DMV does not automatically print a clean title afterward. You still have to request a duplicate and pay $20 to receive a certificate without the lien on it.⁷ Ask your lender for written proof of satisfaction on company letterhead for your records.

Boats and Older Vehicles

The same MV-902 and $20 fee cover boats. Select “Boat” as the vehicle type and use the Hull Identification Number in place of a VIN.⁵

New York only issues titles for vehicles from model year 1973 or newer, and for boats at least 14 feet long from model year 1987 or newer. If your vehicle or boat falls outside those cutoffs, no title exists to duplicate. The DMV publishes separate guidance for proving ownership in that situation.

When It Will Arrive

Allow up to 45 days for the certificate to reach you by mail. That window covers both processing and postal delivery.¹ If you are lining up a sale or trade, plan around the full 45 days.

The certificate you receive is labeled a duplicate. Once it is issued, it replaces every earlier title on the vehicle, and only the duplicate can be used to sell, transfer, or trade it going forward.⁴ If nothing arrives within 45 days, call the Title Services Bureau at 1-518-486-4714 to check the status.²

1
New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Check a Title or Lien Status
2
New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Replace a Title Certificate
3
New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. If a Family Member Has Passed Away
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NY DMV. MV-902 Application for Duplicate Certificate of Title
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NYS DMV. Replace Title Certificate
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New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Add or Remove a Lienholder – Section: Remove a Lienholder
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NY DMV. ELT-1 Electronic Lien Transfer Program