Virginia VSA 12 Affidavit in Lieu of Title: Form, Notarization, Fees

The Virginia VSA 12 form, officially the Affidavit in Lieu of Title Certificate, lets you apply for a Virginia title when the original certificate is lost, is being withheld by someone who holds it, or is otherwise unavailable. Under Virginia Code § 46.2-632, the DMV can accept the sworn affidavit along with supporting documents, investigate the circumstances, and issue a new certificate of title once satisfied you are the rightful owner.¹ The form itself is free from the DMV’s website, but it has to be notarized and submitted with a separate title application, fees, and taxes before anything happens.²

When the VSA 12 Is the Right Form

The form covers three situations: the title has been lost, the title is being unlawfully detained by someone else, or the title is otherwise not available for a legitimate reason.² The most common trigger is a private-party sale where the seller never signed over the title and has since become unreachable.

The standard VSA 12 is for motor vehicles and manufactured homes. If your vehicle is a moped, all-terrain vehicle, or trailer, use Form VSA 12M instead.³ If a law enforcement investigation is involved, you need Form VSA 12LE; the regular VSA 12 will not be accepted in that situation.

What to Gather Before You Start

Pulling everything together first saves a trip. You need two kinds of material: the vehicle’s identifying details and documented proof that you tried to get the title through normal channels.

For the vehicle, you’ll need the VIN, year, make, model, body type, and color.² The VIN plate on the driver’s side dashboard or door jamb is the reliable source. Before you commit to the affidavit process, consider running the VIN through the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS), which will surface title brands, theft records, and odometer history that could complicate your application.⁴

For the proof of effort, the DMV wants to see that you actually tried to reach the prior owner.² The strongest documentation is a certified letter sent to the owner’s last known address with return receipt requested. If it comes back undeliverable, keep the unopened envelope as physical evidence. Attach the receipts or returned mail to your completed affidavit.

Filling Out the Form

Download the current form from the DMV’s vehicle forms page.⁵ Work through the sections in order:

Owner information. Enter your full legal name, and a co-owner’s name if the vehicle will be jointly titled.
Vehicle information. Fill in the VIN, year, make, model, body type, and color. One wrong digit in the VIN will cause a rejection.
Narrative section. Describe how and when you acquired the vehicle, who you got it from, and the specific steps you took to obtain the title. Names, dates, and methods of contact carry more weight than a general statement that you tried.
Certification. You sign under penalty of perjury that everything in the form and attachments is true. A knowingly false statement is a criminal violation.²

Notarization

The form includes an Affidavit Verification block that a notary public must complete.² Do not sign the form in advance. The notary has to watch you sign and administer the oath, then fill in their name, registration number, commission expiration, and seal. Banks, UPS stores, and shipping centers commonly offer notary services. A missing or incomplete notarization will stop the application.

The Companion Form: VSA 17A

The VSA 12 is not itself a title application. You also need Form VSA 17A, the Application for Certificate of Title and Registration, which is the standard form for any Virginia title transaction.⁶ Both forms go in together as one package with your supporting documents and payment.

Fees and Taxes

The titling fee is $15.⁶ Virginia also collects a 4.15 percent Sales and Use Tax on the vehicle’s gross sales price, with a $75 minimum; you pay whichever is greater.⁷ A $1,000 purchase price produces $75 in tax, because 4.15 percent of $1,000 is $41.50, below the minimum. A $5,000 purchase produces $207.50. Report the actual price. Understating it on a sworn affidavit creates obvious legal risk.

Where to Submit

You can take the package to a DMV Customer Service Center in person or mail it to the Titling Department in Richmond. In person has a practical advantage: the clerk reviews everything on the spot and can flag missing items before you leave. The DMV also offers a drop-off option at service centers, where you leave the paperwork and pick up the result in three to five business days.⁶

For mail submissions, the address depends on the carrier:⁸

USPS: Virginia DMV, Titling Department, P.O. Box 27412, Richmond, VA 23269
UPS or FedEx: Virginia DMV, Titling Department, 2300 West Broad St, Richmond, VA 23269

Include the notarized VSA 12, the completed VSA 17A, your supporting documents (certified mail receipts, returned envelopes, bill of sale if you have one), and payment for the title fee and Sales and Use Tax.

What Happens After You Submit

The DMV reviews the affidavit, investigates the circumstances, and verifies the vehicle’s status, including checking for active liens or theft reports.¹ The statute says the department “may” issue the title when satisfied you are entitled to it, so approval is discretionary. Thin documentation or gaps in the story can draw a request for more information or a denial.

Standard drop-off titling runs three to five business days, but affidavit applications that need investigation can take longer.⁶ Mail submissions add transit time on both ends. Once the DMV approves, it issues a new certificate of title and mails it to the address on file, and you can then register, insure, sell, or trade the vehicle in Virginia.

1
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 46.2-632 – Transfer When Certificate of Title Lost
2
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. VSA 12 – Affidavit in Lieu of Title Certificate
3
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. VSA 12M – Moped or All Terrain Vehicle or Trailer Affidavit in Lieu of Title Certificate
4
American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. NMVTIS for General Public and Consumers
5
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Download Vehicle Forms
6
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Title Your Vehicle or Trailer
7
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax
8
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Submit Titling and Registration Applications by Mail