Wisconsin title answers · No title
I bought a car on Facebook Marketplace with no title. What now in Wisconsin?
Short answer
You can still title it, usually through a Wisconsin bonded title on forms MV2082 and MV1, but save your proof first. Screenshot the listing, the seller's profile and every message today, because Marketplace accounts disappear and those screens may be the only record of who sold you the car. Then run WisDOT's lien search on the VIN and give the seller one clear chance to fix the title. If anything points to a stolen car, stop and call police before you file.
Save the sale before it vanishes
MV2082 has a written statement where you explain how you got the car, who you got it from, why there was no title, what you did to get one, and how long you have had it. On Marketplace, your evidence for all of that lives on someone else's account.
Grab screenshots of the listing, the seller's profile page, the full chat, and any payment confirmation. Write down the date, price, and where you met. The form asks for the seller's address, and if you do not know it, you list the place where you bought the car, so be specific (a store parking lot and city, not just "Milwaukee").
If you can still reach the seller, get a bill of sale. WisDOT's checklist says it should show the year, make and VIN and be signed by both seller and buyer.
Check the car before you put more money in
If the car comes back stolen, it is not yours to title. Call your local police department.
- Run WisDOT's lien holder search with the VIN. Since July 30, 2012, a Wisconsin title with a loan on it goes to the lender, so "the bank has the title" can be true. A personal loan will not show the lender's name.
- Compare the VIN on the dash and door to anything the seller showed you. Removing or altering a VIN is illegal under Wis. Stat. 342.30.
- Look up the history. WisDOT points buyers to services like Carfax, using the VIN.
Was the seller really a dealer?
WisDOT says anyone selling more than five vehicles a year needs a dealer license. Its warning signs for unlicensed dealers read like a typical Marketplace deal: several cars listed at once, a title in someone else's name ("selling it for my cousin"), no title at all, no plates, and a meetup at a gas station or shopping center.
If that sounds like your seller, you can report it to WisDOT's Dealer and Agent Section at (608) 266-1425.
Ask the seller once, in writing, to sign over the title. Section 342.15 says the owner has to assign the title and deliver it when the car changes hands. If the title is lost and they are the owner of record, they can order a $20 replacement on MV2119 and sign that.
If the seller goes quiet
Mail MV2082 and MV1 to the Vehicle Research Unit, WisDOT, P.O. Box 8070, Madison WI 53708-8070. Include photos of all four sides and the VIN, your bill of sale or screenshots, and a check to Registration Fee Trust for the total on the MV1 (the $214.50 title fee plus sales tax on what you paid).
WisDOT then checks for an active title record in Wisconsin and other states. This is where Marketplace buyers get stuck: if a Wisconsin record turns up, WisDOT has you file MV2896 to get the prior owner's information and try them before the bond step continues. If the record is in another state, you chase it there.
Once that clears, WisDOT values the car and mails a letter with the bond amount. Buy the bond from a surety only after that letter arrives. Our $97 kit walks through the statement and every MV2082 field if you want to do it yourself.
Common questions
Are Marketplace screenshots enough proof of purchase?
MV2082 asks for a bill of sale if you have one. Screenshots and payment records back up your written statement, and a signed bill of sale is still worth getting if the seller will answer.
I paid cash and got no receipt. Can I still apply?
Yes. Explain the cash sale in your statement and include whatever ties you to it, like the messages where you agreed on a price.
How is sales tax figured if I have no receipt?
WisDOT's bonded title FAQ says sales tax is based on the bill of sale if there is one, or on your own verification of the price. It is not based on the bond amount.
My VIN photo is blurry. What do I do?
MV2082 says that if you cannot get a clear picture of the VIN, have law enforcement complete form MV3623, Public Vehicle Identification Number Certification, and include it.
Want us to do the paperwork?
You tell us your situation. We fill out the WisDOT forms for it and give you a checklist of what to include. You review, sign and mail the package yourself.
If the state asks for a bond, you buy it from a licensed surety of your choosing. We take no commission.
- ✓ $299, one flat fee, bonded titles included
- ✓ Track your case online
- ✓ The application is in your name from the start
State fees are paid to WisDOT. Any bond premium is paid to the surety you choose.
Prefer to fill out the forms yourself? The $97 do-it-yourself kit walks you through every form field, the real costs, and the 12 reasons packets get rejected.
Related answers
The seller stopped answering and I have no title. What can I do in Wisconsin?
Yes, you can still title it. Document the silence, find the last titled owner with MV2896, and if no title turns up, apply for a bonded title.
Read this guide →How do you check if a car is stolen before buying it?
Run the VIN through NICB's free VINCheck, buy an NMVTIS-based report, match the VIN to the title, and confirm the title is in the seller's name.
Read this guide →What if the title is not in the seller's name in Wisconsin?
The ownership chain is broken. WisDOT says rebuild it with each in-between owner first, and apply for a bonded title only if you cannot.
Read this guide →How do you write the ownership statement for a Wisconsin bonded title?
Page 3 of the MV2082 asks five things: how you got the vehicle, from whom, why no title, how long you have had it, and its known history.
Read this guide →What photos does WisDOT want for a bonded title?
WisDOT wants 5 photos with MV2082: front, rear, left side, right side and the VIN. No clear VIN shot? Law enforcement completes MV3623.
Read this guide →No title for your car in Wisconsin
Which path fits: replacement, bonded title, or neither.
Read this guide →Sources, checked 2026-10-31: WisDOT: Form MV2082, Application for Bonded Certificate of Title · WisDOT: Purchased or received a vehicle without a title · WisDOT: Liens and lien holder search · WisDOT: Unlicensed car dealers · WisDOT: FAQ on Wisconsin's bonded title process (BVS850) · Wis. Stat. 342.15, transfer of interest in a vehicle. Rules can change; confirm with WisDOT before you file.
TitleSolved is a document-preparation and title-recovery assistance service operated by Nuvent66 LLC, a Wisconsin limited liability company. It is not a law firm, does not provide legal advice, and is not affiliated with, authorized by, or endorsed by any DMV or government agency, including the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT). We do not guarantee that any agency will approve or issue a title. Information on this page is provided for general reference, was verified against official WisDOT sources on the date shown, and is not legal advice.