To replace a lost title in Ohio, fill out BMV Form 3774 (Application for Certificate of Title to a Motor Vehicle), get your signature notarized, and file it with your county Clerk of Courts Title Office in person or by mail. The fee is $18 in most counties and $23 in a few.1Ohio.gov. Vehicle Title Fees by County In person, the clerk prints the duplicate while you wait.2Ohio BMV. Vehicle Titles
Fill Out BMV Form 3774
Download Form 3774 from the Ohio BMV website or pick one up at any Clerk of Courts Title Office.2Ohio BMV. Vehicle Titles Enter your name, current mailing address, and Social Security Number (or EIN if the vehicle is titled to a business). At the bottom, enter the vehicle’s year, VIN, make, model, and body type. Mark the box for “Duplicate Certificate of Title” and indicate whether the original was lost, stolen, or destroyed.3Ohio.gov. Application for Certificate of Title to a Motor Vehicle BMV 3774
Do not sign the form yet. Your signature has to be notarized, and this is the step people most often miss. Sign it in front of a notary public. Ohio caps notary fees at $5 per notarial act, and banks, UPS stores, and shipping centers commonly offer the service. Some Clerk of Courts offices have notaries on-site, which makes the in-person filing route especially simple.
If you don’t know your title number, you can look it up with the VIN search tool on the Ohio BMV website.2Ohio BMV. Vehicle Titles
What to Bring or Include
- The completed, notarized Form 3774.
- A valid Ohio driver’s license or state ID card.2Ohio BMV. Vehicle Titles
- Proof of ownership if the clerk asks for it: a Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin, an assigned title from any state, a bill of sale, or a sworn statement of ownership.2Ohio BMV. Vehicle Titles
- A lien release letter, if your vehicle had a loan that has been paid off but the lien is still showing on the record.
To check on the lien, use the BMV’s VIN search tool and look at the “Lien 1 Cancel Date” field. If a date appears, the lien is cleared and you don’t need a release. If the field is blank, you’ll need to provide a lien release letter from the lender before the clerk can issue a duplicate.2Ohio BMV. Vehicle Titles
If the Lender No Longer Exists
When the original lender has failed and gone into FDIC receivership, you can request a lien release through the FDIC’s online Information and Support Center. Include a legible copy of your title (or a vehicle inquiry report from the state if the title is lost) and proof the loan was paid, such as a cancelled payoff check or a promissory note stamped “PAID.” Processing takes about 30 business days. If the bank was acquired rather than closed, contact the acquiring bank. The FDIC cannot help with credit unions (contact the NCUA) or banks that closed voluntarily without government assistance.4FDIC.gov. Obtaining a Lien Release
Filing in Person
Take the notarized Form 3774, your photo ID, and payment to any Ohio County Clerk of Courts Title Office. The duplicate is printed on the spot and you leave with it in hand.2Ohio BMV. Vehicle Titles Offices accept cash, checks, and credit or debit cards; some counties add a surcharge for card payments.
Filing by Mail
Mail the notarized Form 3774 to the Clerk of Courts Title Office in the county where the vehicle is titled, along with payment and a self-addressed, stamped return envelope.5Ohio BMV. Title Replacement and Duplicate Make checks or money orders payable to the Clerk of Courts. Allow standard mail time in both directions, and call that county’s title office if you haven’t received the duplicate after a few weeks.
Fees
Most Ohio counties charge $18 for a duplicate title. A handful charge $23. The exact fee for your county is on the BMV’s county fee schedule.1Ohio.gov. Vehicle Title Fees by County On top of the title fee, expect about $1 for the notarization recording fee at the title office, plus what you pay the notary who witnesses your signature (up to $5).
Who Is Allowed to Apply
The registered owner listed on the title record is the one who applies. If two owners are on the title, both need to appear at the Clerk of Courts, unless one signs a notarized Power of Attorney for Certificate of Title (BMV Form 3771) authorizing the other to act alone. A non-owner representative can apply only with the original signed Form 3771; a generic power of attorney is not accepted for Ohio title transactions.2Ohio BMV. Vehicle Titles
If the Owner Has Died
Ohio law lets a surviving spouse have the decedent’s interest in a vehicle transferred by filing an affidavit with the Clerk of Courts along with the title. The affidavit must state the date of death, confirm the vehicle was not disposed of by will, and give an approximate value of each vehicle being transferred.6Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 4505.10 – Certificate of Title When Ownership Changed by Operation of Law
Where there is no surviving spouse, the transfer runs through probate, usually with a court order, letters of administration, or a small estate affidavit presented to the Clerk of Courts. If the prior certificate is unavailable, the clerk can accept satisfactory proof of ownership such as an affidavit plus a copy of the court order establishing the applicant’s right to the vehicle.6Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 4505.10 – Certificate of Title When Ownership Changed by Operation of Law
Electronic Titles
Ohio keeps many titles as electronic records, especially for vehicles with active liens held by participating lenders. If your title exists only as an electronic record, there is no paper copy to lose; the lender holds the record until the loan is paid. Once the lien is released, you can request a paper title through the Clerk of Courts. If you need a physical copy of a currently electronic title, for example to sell the vehicle, the Electronic Liens and Titles system supports requests for physical titles from electronic records; the lender or Clerk of Courts can help.7Ohio BMV. Vehicle Titles – Electronic Titling
If the Original Title Turns Up Later
Once the Clerk of Courts issues the duplicate, the original certificate is legally superseded. Ohio law requires you to turn the original in to the Clerk of Courts for cancellation immediately if you find it.8Ohio Legislative Service Commission. Ohio Revised Code 4505.12 – Duplicate Certificate of Title Only the most recently issued title is valid. Do not use the old one for a sale or a loan.