Lost your Wisconsin car title? Replace it for $20, or bond it.
If the car is titled in your name, a replacement on form MV2119 costs $20 and no bond is involved. A bond only comes in when nobody on WisDOT's record can get you a replacement. Here is how to tell which one is yours.
The short answer
A lost Wisconsin title is usually a $20 fix. The owner on WisDOT's record applies for a replacement online, by mail on form MV2119, or in person (add a $5 counter fee). WisDOT says online requests arrive in 7 to 10 business days.
The catch is the word owner. WisDOT only issues a replacement to the owner on its record, or to the lender if a loan was listed on or after July 30, 2012. If that isn't you and you can't get that person to apply, a replacement is off the table, and the route is a bonded title instead.
Which situation are you in?
1. It was titled in YOUR name
You need a replacement title. It is a one-page form and the state fee is $20. No bond.
One exception: if a loan was listed on or after July 30, 2012, the title went to the lender, and only the lender can request a replacement. Pay off the loan and the lender releases it.
2. It was signed over to you, then lost
Until you title it, the seller is still the owner on record. So the seller applies for the replacement, not you. The MV2119 has a permission-to-mail section so WisDOT can send it straight to you, and then the seller signs it over again. Lost it before registering?
3. No one can replace it
Seller vanished, never had it in their name, or won't help? Then Wisconsin's bonded-title path (a real title backed by a bond, for when you can't show normal ownership papers) applies: forms MV2082 and MV1, then a surety bond (like insurance, it protects a past owner or lender) for 1.5 times the vehicle's value, $2,500 minimum, once WisDOT asks for it in writing. Bonded-title guide →
Not sure whose name is on the record? WisDOT's online lien holder search shows whether a title went to the owner or to a lender. If the owner has died, the transfer runs through a separate process. Title after a death
Where replacement requests go wrong
- Using MV2119 to change owners. The form only reissues the title as it already stands in WisDOT's records. It says plainly that a transfer of ownership uses form MV1. What MV2119 is for
- The owner details don't match the record. Section A asks for the owner's legal name and Social Security, driver license or FEIN number as WisDOT has them, and there are signature lines for a co-owner.
- The lender has the title. If your loan was listed on or after July 30, 2012, you got a Confirmation of Ownership, not a title. It isn't lost; it's with the lender. Paid off the loan?
- Filing for a bonded title when a replacement would do. A bonded application doesn't skip the old owner. If WisDOT finds an active Wisconsin title record, its MV2082 instructions have you request that owner's information on form MV2896. If the owner can be reached, asking them for a $20 replacement is faster and cheaper.
Wisconsin requirements at a glance
What WisDOT's own pages say, checked 2026-10-23. Sources below.
- Forms
- State title fee
$214.50 (The $207 title fee plus the $7.50 supplemental title fee under Wis. Stat. § 342.14, in effect since October 1, 2025.) Paid to the state, separate from our service fee.
- Surety bond
1.5 times the vehicle's value, with a $2,500 minimum, set by WisDOT. WisDOT reviews your application and checks price guides to value the vehicle. If you disagree with its value, WisDOT also accepts an independent appraisal. Do not buy the bond until WisDOT sends you a written request stating the amount.
The title carries a “BOND POSTED” brand that stays in Wisconsin records for 5 years, the bond period under Wis. Stat. § 342.12(3)(b).
- Where to file
Mail: Vehicle Research Unit, Wisconsin Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 8070, Madison, WI 53708-8070. WisDOT says most mailed-in title applications are completed in 14 days or less. A bonded title takes two mailings, so plan on several weeks.
- Statute
Wis. Stat. § 342.12(3)(b) (bonded certificate of title)
Facts last verified 2026-10-23 against official WisDOT sources: WisDOT: Surety bond (bonded title) · WisDOT: Bonded title FAQ (BVS850) · WisDOT: Title fees · WisDOT: Title application status · Form MV2082 (PDF) · Form MV1 (PDF). Requirements can change; always confirm against wisconsindot.gov before filing.
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.
Common questions
How do I get a replacement title in Wisconsin?
If you are the owner on WisDOT's record, apply online, by mail with form MV2119, or in person at a DMV service center. The fee is $20, plus a $5 counter fee in person. WisDOT says an online replacement should arrive in 7 to 10 business days. By mail, send the MV2119 and a check to Registration Fee Trust at P.O. Box 7949, Madison WI 53707-7949.
Do I need a lost title bond in Wisconsin?
Not if the car is titled in your name. A replacement title needs no bond. A bond only comes in when nobody on WisDOT's record can get a replacement for you, for example a seller who can't be found. Then the route is a bonded title (forms MV2082 and MV1), and WisDOT tells you the bond amount in writing: 1.5 times the vehicle's value, with a $2,500 minimum.
I lost the title the seller signed over to me. Can I replace it?
Not in your name. Until your own application is processed, the seller is still the owner on WisDOT's record, and only the owner can request a replacement. Ask the seller to apply on MV2119, use the permission-to-mail section to have it sent to you, and sign the new one over.
My title never came in the mail. Is it lost?
Check first. WisDOT says most mailed-in title applications are done in 14 days or less, and its online title search shows whether yours was processed. If there is a loan on the car, the title went to the lender and you get a Confirmation of Ownership instead.
What if I find the old title after the replacement comes?
Use the replacement. WisDOT's selling page says to sign the replacement over to a buyer even if the original turns up, and to destroy the original.
What does TitleSolved do for a lost-title case?
You tell us your situation and we prepare the forms WisDOT publishes for it. You review, sign and mail them yourself. If the bonded path applies, you buy the bond directly from a licensed surety of your choosing, and we take no commission on it. We are a document-preparation service, not a law firm, not the DMV, and we cannot promise approval.
Related Wisconsin guides
Replacement title cost
The $20 fee, the counter fee, and who is allowed to apply.
Read this guide →Lost title in someone else's name
Who WisDOT will issue a replacement to, and what to do if it isn't you.
Read this guide →Selling with a lost title
Replace it first, then sign the replacement over.
Read this guide →Wisconsin bonded title
The complete, plain-English guide to the bonded-title path.
Read this guide →Bought a car with no title?
Every legal path to a Wisconsin title, and which one fits you.
Read this guide →Title a car after a death
Transferring a vehicle from someone who has died.
Read this guide →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.