If you have a lost boat title in Michigan, you can get a duplicate from the Secretary of State for $15 by mail or online, or $20 for a same-day copy at any branch office. The application form is WR-11L, and one owner listed on the title is enough to request the replacement.
How to Apply for a Duplicate
Michigan gives you three ways to request a replacement watercraft title. The right one depends on where you live and how fast you need the paperwork.
In Person
Walk into any Secretary of State branch office with your Michigan driver’s license or state ID and the hull identification number. You have two choices at the counter. The standard duplicate is $15 and arrives by mail in about 14 days. The instant title is $20, printed and handed to you the same day.1Michigan Department of State. Title Replacement/Duplicate
Only one owner listed on the title needs to appear. If none of the owners can go in person, an Appointment of Agent form lets someone else handle the $15 mailed version for you. Agents cannot request the instant title; that option requires the owner to appear personally.1Michigan Department of State. Title Replacement/Duplicate
Online
Log into the Secretary of State’s online services portal, or create an account if you don’t have one, and follow the prompts under vehicle transactions. The fee is $15 and the title arrives by mail in about 14 days. The instant option is not available online.1Michigan Department of State. Title Replacement/Duplicate
By Mail (Out-of-State Owners Only)
If you live outside Michigan, mail your completed application to the Department of State’s Internal Services Section in Lansing with a check or money order payable to “State of Michigan.” You can also include debit or credit card information or a bank account number instead of a check. Electronic or digital software signatures are not accepted on mailed applications.1Michigan Department of State. Title Replacement/Duplicate
Fees and Processing Time
- Standard duplicate title: $15, mailed within about 14 days. Available online, in person, or by mail from out of state.
- Instant title: $20, issued the same day. Available only at a Secretary of State branch office.
If you need the title in hand to sell or transfer the boat soon, the branch visit is the only way to get it same-day.1Michigan Department of State. Title Replacement/Duplicate
What to Bring and What Goes on the Form
The application is the Application for Michigan Watercraft Title, Form WR-11L. You’ll list the hull identification number and the make of the boat, then sign a declaration under penalty of perjury that the information is true.2Michigan Department of State. Application for Michigan Watercraft Title (WR-11L)
Bring a valid Michigan driver’s license or state ID. If you still have a bill of sale, an old registration, or any prior title paperwork, bring those too. The Secretary of State checks the application against its own watercraft records, and supporting documents can clear up any questions that come up during that review.3Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 324.80307 – Certificate of Title for Watercraft
If There’s a Lien on the Boat
The Secretary of State checks its records for existing liens when you apply. If a lien shows up and you can’t prove it’s been paid off, you’ll still get the duplicate title, but the lien will be printed on it. Losing the old title doesn’t erase a lien.4Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 324.80312 – Certificate of Title for Watercraft
For a boat worth more than $2,500, if the state has doubts about who actually owns it, it can require a surety bond for twice the boat’s value before issuing the title. That’s uncommon for a routine duplicate, but it can come into play when the paper trail has gaps.3Michigan Legislature. Michigan Code 324.80307 – Certificate of Title for Watercraft
If the Titled Owner Has Died
When the owner on the title has died and the estate is not going through probate, a surviving spouse or next-of-kin can transfer the title using Form TR-40. The heir certifies that the estate is not being probated and will not be probated.5Michigan Department of State. Transferring Vehicle Ownership of a Deceased Family Member (TR-40)
If more than one heir has a legal claim to the boat, each qualifying heir files a separate TR-40a. Any heir who doesn’t want the boat files a TR-40b to give up their claim. All of the forms are submitted together at a Secretary of State office.5Michigan Department of State. Transferring Vehicle Ownership of a Deceased Family Member (TR-40)
If the estate is being probated, the personal representative appointed by the probate court handles the transfer using court documentation.
Boats That Don’t Have a Michigan Title
Before you spend time on a replacement, confirm your boat was titled in the first place. Michigan only requires titles for watercraft 20 feet or longer, and for boats with a permanently affixed engine such as an inboard motor, regardless of length. Smaller boats without a permanently affixed engine may only need registration, and there is no title to replace.6Michigan Department of State. Recreational Vehicles and Watercraft
Vessels holding a U.S. Coast Guard Certificate of Documentation also don’t carry a Michigan title. The federal certificate is the proof of ownership. Michigan registration is still required for those boats, but a state title replacement doesn’t apply.6Michigan Department of State. Recreational Vehicles and Watercraft