What Does a Car Title Look Like in Indiana: Front, Back, Security

A car title in Indiana looks like a letter-sized sheet printed on heavier security paper, with a blue, green, and teal patterned background, the words “State of Indiana” and “Certificate of Title” across the top, and the official state seal nearby. The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles issues every one, and since July 1, 2025, the title you own may also exist purely as an electronic record in the BMV’s system instead of on paper.¹

If someone is handing you a document that is supposed to be an Indiana title, here is what should be on it and how to tell the real thing from a forgery.

The Front of the Title

The front groups the car and the owner into clearly labeled fields. Indiana Code § 9-17-2-4 sets what the BMV prints on every certificate. Near the top you will see the title number assigned by the BMV and the vehicle’s seventeen-character Vehicle Identification Number. Below that are the year, make, model, and body style, so the paperwork can be matched to the physical car in front of you.

The odometer reading at the time the title was issued is also on the front. That figure is one of the strongest fraud checks on the document, because it creates a mileage paper trail over time. If the number on the title is higher than what the dashboard shows, the odometer may have been rolled back.

Further down comes the registered owner’s full legal name and residential address. If the car is financed, a separate section lists the lienholder’s name and address. That lien notation means the lender has a legal interest in the car, and the owner cannot freely sell or transfer it until the loan is cleared.

The Lien Release Section

Once a loan is paid off, the lienholder has to sign the lien release area on the title itself or provide a separate letter of lien release. If the lienholder is an individual rather than a bank or dealership, a general affidavit (State Form 37964) signed by that individual can also clear the lien.² Until the lien is formally released, the BMV will not process a transfer to a new owner. In a private sale, confirm the title is lien-free before any money changes hands.

Security Features to Check

Indiana titles carry several layers of anti-counterfeiting technology, and knowing them is worth a minute if you are buying from a private seller. The background is covered in fine-line geometric patterns that break apart or blur when the document is photocopied or scanned.³ They look decorative, but they are engineered to fail on consumer printers.

Micro-printed text runs through the border area. To the naked eye it looks like a solid line; under a magnifying glass, it reads as tiny letters. Watermarks are built into the paper itself and show up when you hold the title to a light source. Color-shifting ink is another standard feature: tilt the document and certain printed elements change from one color to another.³

If a title feels flimsy like regular copy paper, has no background pattern, or shows no watermark against a light, treat it as suspect. Walking away from a questionable title costs nothing. Untangling a title fraud problem later is expensive.

The Back of the Title

Flip the title over and you will find the Assignment of Title section. This is where a sale is recorded. The seller prints their name, signs, and enters the date. The buyer’s full legal name and current address go in the adjacent fields. A separate line records the total purchase price.

The odometer disclosure sits on the back as well. The seller must write the exact mileage shown on the vehicle at the time of sale. Under Indiana Code § 9-17-2-6, knowingly writing a false odometer reading is a Class B infraction.⁴ Federal law treats odometer tampering more seriously, with potential fines and prison time for deliberate fraud. Forging anything else on a title can trigger criminal forgery charges under Indiana’s general fraud statutes.

The BMV will reject a title that has been altered with white-out, heavy scribbles, or corrections that make any field illegible. If a mistake happens while filling out the assignment section, do not try to patch it on the document. A separate correction affidavit is required instead.

Clean, Salvage, and Rebuilt Titles

A standard or “clean” title carries no special branding. Vehicles with damage history carry a title branded with the word “Salvage” or “Rebuilt” printed on it to flag the status for any future buyer. If a seller claims the car has a clean title, look for that branding text, or the absence of it, before you commit.

Electronic Titles

Since July 1, 2025, the BMV offers a choice between a paper title and an electronic title held in the state’s system. An electronic title is legally identical to the paper version but has no physical document, which cuts the risk of loss, theft, or damage.¹ When you complete a title transaction, the BMV asks which format you want.

One catch matters: if a lienholder is listed, the lienholder’s preference controls the format, not yours. Once the lien is released and no other liens remain, the title reverts to whatever format you originally chose.¹ If you hold an electronic title and later need a physical copy, you can request a standard paper printout at no extra charge as long as no lien is recorded.

Replacing a Lost or Damaged Title

If a paper title is lost, stolen, destroyed, or illegible, the owner can apply for a duplicate. The duplicate looks just like the original except the word “DUPLICATE” is printed on its face, and the original is automatically voided.⁵

Online through a myBMV.com account, in the Titles section.
In person at any BMV branch or BMV Connect kiosk with an unexpired photo ID.
By mail, with a completed Application for Certificate of Title (State Form 205), a copy of a photo ID, and a $15 payment.

A duplicate cannot change any information on the title. Adding or removing an owner, or updating a lien, is a separate transaction. Duplicates are not issued for electronic titles, because there is no physical document to replace.⁵

1
IN.gov. Electronic Titles Overview
2
IN.gov. Liens
3
American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA). Appendix A: Recommended Universal Certificate of Title Specifications and Minimum Security Features – Section: Document Design Features
4
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-17-2-6 – Odometer Reading; False Information; Bureau Immunity; Violation
5
IN.gov. Duplicate Title Application