Wisconsin title answers · Lost or damaged title
What should you do if your car title was stolen in Wisconsin?
Short answer
Order a replacement right away. If the car is titled in your name, form MV2119 replaces a lost, stolen or mutilated title for $20, online or by mail. Wisconsin law marks the replacement to show it may be subject to rights under the original, and if the stolen original ever turns up, you must surrender it to WisDOT. Check that the car is still in your name first, and call your local police if you think someone may try to sell it.
Do these today
Speed matters more here than with a title that slipped behind a drawer, because a stolen title is in someone else's hands. Work through this in order:
- Check WisDOT's title search with your VIN to confirm the vehicle still shows you as owner and nothing new has been processed.
- Run the lien holder search too. If a loan was listed on or after July 30, 2012, the lender holds the real title and what was stolen was likely your Confirmation of Ownership.
- Apply for a replacement title on MV2119 or online. On the form you certify that your title is lost, stolen or mutilated.
- If you believe someone means to sell the car or use the title for fraud, file a police report and keep the report number.
What a thief can and cannot do with it
A title by itself does not move ownership. A transfer needs the owner's signed assignment on the title, and the buyer still has to apply to WisDOT. A thief would have to forge your signature to sell the car, and Wisconsin law makes it illegal to possess, sell or supply a forged or stolen certificate of title (Wis. Stat. 342.32).
The bigger risk is the car itself. A stolen title next to your vehicle can make a sale look legitimate to a careless buyer. If the car goes missing too, report that to police right away and give them the VIN.
How the replacement protects you
Wis. Stat. 342.13 says a replacement title carries a notation, in a form WisDOT chooses, identifying it as a replacement that may be subject to the rights of a person under the original. Anyone who later sees both documents can tell which one came second.
Online, WisDOT says the replacement should arrive in 7 to 10 business days. By mail, send MV2119 with $20 to WI Dept. of Transportation, P.O. Box 7949, Madison, WI 53707-7949. If your address has changed, fix that first or use the form's permission-to-mail section.
If the original turns up
Do not keep it, and do not use it to sell the car. Wisconsin law says a person who recovers an original title after a replacement has been issued must promptly surrender the original to WisDOT. Two live titles for one car is exactly the confusion the law is trying to avoid.
Common questions
The title was stolen before I put the car in my name. Can I order a replacement?
No. Only the owner on WisDOT's record can. The seller has to request the replacement and sign it over to you.
Can I sell the car while I wait for the replacement?
You need a title to sign over to the buyer, so wait for the replacement. Online requests usually arrive in 7 to 10 business days.
My registration card was taken too. What do I do?
Order a replacement certificate of registration for $2, online or on form MV2026. If the plates were taken, those are replaced separately on form MV2118 with a new number.
Is there an extra fee because it was stolen?
No. The replacement fee is $20 whether the title was lost, stolen or damaged, plus $5 if you apply at a DMV counter.
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
What if you lost both the title and the registration card in Wisconsin?
Replace them separately: a $20 replacement title (MV2119 or online) and a $2 replacement registration (MV2026 or online). You need neither old document.
Read this guide →How much is a replacement title in Wisconsin?
A Wisconsin replacement title is $20 on form MV2119, or $25 at a DMV counter. Only the owner of record, or a post-2012 lender, can apply.
Read this guide →Is a duplicate title the same as a replacement title?
Yes. Wisconsin calls a duplicate title a replacement title: form MV2119, $20, for the owner already on record. It is not a transfer or 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 you lost the title before registering the car in Wisconsin?
The seller is still the owner on WisDOT's record, so the seller orders a $20 replacement (MV2119), can have it mailed to you, and signs it over.
Read this guide →Lost title in Wisconsin
Replacement title or bonded title: how to tell.
Read this guide →Sources, checked 2026-10-31: Wis. Stat. 342.13, lost, stolen or mutilated certificates · Wis. Stat. 342.32, counterfeiting and unlawful possession of a title · WisDOT: Form MV2119, Replacement Title Application · WisDOT: Replace your title, plates or stickers · WisDOT: Title and plate processing status. Rules can change; confirm with WisDOT before you file.
TitleFiled 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.