You go to sell the car, or a buyer asks to see the title, and it is gone. Maybe it was lost in a move, maybe it was in the glove box when someone broke in. Either way, Minnesota will not let you transfer the car without it, so here is exactly what to do next.
The fix is a duplicate title, and most people can get one the same day. The full form-by-form walkthrough lives in our Minnesota duplicate title guide. This page covers the lost and stolen side: what to do first, what changes when a title is stolen, and what you can and cannot do with the car while you wait.
Replacing the car instead of chasing paperwork? Every car in our online auction comes with a free Carfax and a lifetime title guarantee, so the title is our problem, not yours.
To replace a lost or stolen car title in Minnesota, file the Application for Duplicate Title (form PS2067A) at a deputy registrar or by mail to DVS. The mail fee is $21.50 ($7.25 title, $2.25 tech fee, $12 filing fee), plus a $1 surcharge at a deputy registrar. Most offices can print the duplicate the same day.
Updated November 1, 2026. Checked against Minnesota DVS, form PS2067A and Minn. Stat. 168A.09.
Key takeaways
- One form covers lost and stolen: Minnesota uses form PS2067A for both. You just check a different box.
- Cost: $21.50 by mail, plus a $1 surcharge if a deputy registrar processes it.
- Speed: most deputy registrars print same-day duplicate titles. If yours cannot, DVS prints and mails it.
- A stolen title becomes void: issuing a duplicate invalidates every earlier title for that car.
- Free if it never arrived: if a new title has not shown up within six months, the duplicate is processed at no fee.
- No selling first: Minnesota sellers sign the title over at delivery, so get the duplicate before you sell.
What should you do first if you lost your car title in Minnesota?
Work through these in order. Most people are done in one trip.
- 1. Search once more. Check the glove box, your files, and old loan paperwork. If you paid off a loan recently, the title may still be in the mail.
- 2. Decide which box applies. Form PS2067A asks why you need a duplicate: lost, stolen, destroyed, mutilated, illegible, not received, or given to buyer. A mutilated or illegible title gets attached to the form.
- 3. Gather your details. You need the VIN, plate number, make, model year, your driver’s license number and date of birth. The form also asks for the title number of the missing document (more on that below).
- 4. Pick in person or mail. Use the DVS office finder and choose “Same-Day Duplicate Title” in the service field to find an office that prints on the spot.
- 5. Pay and sign. If the car is jointly owned, only one owner’s signature is required. Keep your receipt until the new title is in your hands.
How much does it cost to replace a lost title in Minnesota?
These are the fees DVS lists today. The total depends only on where you file.
| Fee | By mail to DVS | At a deputy registrar |
| Duplicate title | $7.25 | $7.25 |
| Technology surcharge | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Filing fee | $12.00 | $12.00 |
| Deputy registrar surcharge | None | $1.00 |
| Total | $21.50 | $22.50 |
One exception: if you applied for a title and it has not arrived within six months, DVS processes the duplicate at no fee. If you are also buying or selling, our breakdown of what a Minnesota title transfer costs shows the sales tax and transfer fees that come next.
How long does it take to get a duplicate title in Minnesota?
In person, it is often same day. DVS says most deputy registrars can print same-day duplicate titles in the office. If the office you visit cannot, the title is printed and mailed from the DVS central office.
DVS does not publish a processing time for mailed applications, so plan for extra time if you mail it, and go in person if a sale is waiting on you.
What is the “title number of missing document” on the form?
It is the first box on form PS2067A, and it trips a lot of people up. It asks for the title number of the title you are replacing, the number printed on the certificate itself.
If you do not have it, fill in the VIN, plate, make and year carefully. The form’s own instructions say to contact DVS or your local deputy registrar for help completing it, and a same-day visit is the easiest way to sort it out at the counter.
What if your car title was stolen?
Check the “Stolen” box on the same PS2067A form. Nothing else about the application changes, and the fee is the same.
The good news is in the law itself. Under Minnesota rules, issuing a duplicate title invalidates all previously issued titles for that vehicle. Once your duplicate is printed, the stolen paper is worthless, and the duplicate carries the legend “This duplicate certificate of title may be subject to the rights of a person under the original certificate.”
- Move fast: the sooner the duplicate is issued, the sooner the stolen title stops being usable.
- Report the break-in: if the title was taken in a theft, file a police report for your own records.
- Watch the vehicle record: DVS recommends checking vehicle history through NMVTIS before any used car purchase. Our vehicle history report guide explains what those reports show.
- Stolen car, not just the title: call the police first. A duplicate title does not help until the car is recovered.
What if you find the original title after getting a duplicate?
Do not use it. Minnesota law says anyone who recovers an original title after a duplicate was issued must promptly surrender it to DVS. The original is already invalid, and trying to sign it over will stall the buyer’s transfer.
Can you sell a car in Minnesota while the title is lost?
Not cleanly. Under Minnesota law, the seller signs the assignment on the title when the car is delivered, then reports the sale to DVS within ten days. The buyer has 20 days to apply for a new title. Without the title there is nothing to sign, and a buyer who pays you anyway takes on all the risk.
So get the duplicate first, then sell. Once you have it, our guide to signing a Minnesota title shows which lines are yours, and common title transfer mistakes covers the errors that void a title. If you are ready to list the car, see how to sell a car in Minnesota.
Buyers on the other side of this deal should read buying a car without a title in Minnesota before handing over cash.
Who can apply for a duplicate Minnesota title?
- The owner named on the title: DVS issues duplicates only to that owner or their legal representative.
- Someone acting for the owner: a power of attorney is required.
- A lender (secured party): the form has a box for a secured party to apply. The same form also replaces a lost lien card.
- Family of a deceased owner: this is a transfer problem, not just a duplicate. See title issues with inherited vehicles in Minnesota.
- A car you never titled, or an abandoned vehicle: a duplicate cannot help, because you are not the owner on record. For a car someone left on your property, see how to get a title for an abandoned vehicle in Minnesota. Start with our no-title guide instead.
Moving a car to a relative once the title is replaced? Our guide to transferring a title to a family member covers the tax break.
Can you replace a Minnesota car title online?
No. DVS lists two ways to apply: in person at a deputy registrar or by mail. Download form PS2067A from DVS, print it, sign it, and either bring it in or mail it with a check payable to DVS. Title paperwork is not the same as registration, and our guide to registration vs. title transfer explains the difference.
Shopping for a car with clean paperwork?
A lost title is a hassle you only want once. When you buy through Remarket Space, the title side is handled for you. The marketplace is open to the public, with no dealer license and no membership fee. Every listing has a full inspection, a free Carfax and an HD virtual test drive, and title issues are guaranteed for life.
You can hit Buy Now or bid in the live online auction, pay by card, and get the car delivered. Browse Ford vehicles in Minnesota or Chevrolet vehicles in Minnesota, see how it works, and check the buyer fees up front. Want to compare prices first? Our Minnesota car auction guide and recent sold prices help.
Frequently asked questions
It costs $21.50 by mail to DVS: a $7.25 duplicate title fee, a $2.25 technology surcharge and a $12 filing fee. A deputy registrar adds a $1 surcharge, for $22.50. It is free if a title you applied for never arrived within six months.
Yes, at most deputy registrar offices. Use the DVS office finder and select Same-Day Duplicate Title in the service field. If the office cannot print it, DVS prints the title at its central office and mails it to you.
Use the Application for Duplicate Title, Registration, Cab or Lien Card, form PS2067A. Check the box for lost or stolen, fill in the VIN, plate, make, year and your license details, then sign. Only one owner’s signature is needed on jointly owned cars.
It becomes invalid. Minnesota DVS says issuing a duplicate title invalidates all previously issued titles for the vehicle. If you later recover the original, state law requires you to surrender it to DVS rather than use it.
Not properly. The seller must sign the assignment on the title when the car is delivered and report the sale within ten days. Get a duplicate first, which many deputy registrars can print the same day, and then complete the sale.
Only your legal representative, and DVS requires a power of attorney. A lender listed as the secured party can also apply using the same form. A buyer who never had the title put in their name cannot get a duplicate.
Sources
- Minnesota DVS: Duplicate vehicle title application
- Minnesota DVS: Vehicle titles
- Minnesota DVS: Form PS2067A, Application for Duplicate Title, Registration, Cab or Lien Card
- Minnesota Statutes: Section 168A.09, duplicate certificate
- Minnesota Statutes: Section 168A.10, transfer of interest by owner
- Minnesota DVS: Vehicle title transfer
General information, not legal or tax advice.
