Wisconsin title answers · Costs and fees
How much is a replacement title in Wisconsin?
Short answer
$20, the state fee for a replacement title, whether you apply online or mail form MV2119; at a DMV Customer Service Center a $5 counter fee makes it $25. The part people get wrong is who can apply: only the owner already on WisDOT's record, or the lender if a loan was listed on or after July 30, 2012. If the car is not titled in your name yet, the $20 route is not open to you.
What you actually pay
The state fee is set by Wis. Stat. 342.14(5): $20 for a replacement certificate of title. That is the whole fee when you apply online or by mail. Paying by credit or debit card online adds a convenience fee, while paying from a checking or savings account does not.
If you walk into a DMV Customer Service Center, WisDOT adds a $5 counter service fee, so the total is $25. If you are adding a new loan at the same time, the loan filing fee is $10 per loan on top of that.
- Online: $20 (plus a card convenience fee if you pay by card)
- By mail: $20 by check or money order payable to Registration Fee Trust
- In person: $20 plus a $5 counter service fee
- Adding a loan: $10 per loan
Who is allowed to apply
A replacement title is only for the person already on Wisconsin's record as owner. WisDOT's form says the names on the replacement will match what is currently in its records. You cannot use MV2119 to put a car into your name for the first time.
Liens change who can apply. Since July 30, 2012, Wisconsin sends titles with a loan listed to the lender, and the owner gets a Confirmation of Ownership instead. If your loan was listed on or after that date, the lender is the one who applies for a replacement. If the lender holds an electronic title, a paper replacement is not issued with MV2119 at all; the lender works with its own service provider.
When $20 is not the right answer
People often search this question when the real problem is different. If the title you lost was never in your name (the seller signed it over and you lost it before applying), a replacement has to come from the person on the record, and then that person signs the new title over to you. If the seller cannot be found, you are usually looking at a bonded title instead, which costs far more than $20 once you add the $214.50 title fee and a surety bond.
If the vehicle was titled to someone who has died, WisDOT has a separate path using form MV2300, and the replacement title fee can be waived for qualifying family members. If the car was never titled in Wisconsin at all, there is nothing to replace.
What gets a mailed MV2119 sent back
The form ends with its own stop-check: did you enclose a signed check, sign the application, and keep a copy? Beyond that, these are the gaps to look for before you seal the envelope:
- No VIN or plate number. MV2119 says both are needed to process the application.
- No Social Security or driver license number for each owner. The form marks them required.
- A missing co-owner signature on a title held in two names.
- A paid-off loan with no release. If you are clearing a lien at the same time, include the lien release; WisDOT charges nothing to remove a lien, but the $20 still applies if the title itself is lost.
- Cash in the envelope. WisDOT says never to mail cash; use a check or money order payable to Registration Fee Trust.
How long it takes
WisDOT says an online replacement should arrive in the mail within 7 to 10 business days. Mailed applications take longer. In person, bring a driver license or ID as proof of identity; if you do not have one, WisDOT mails the title to the owner or lienholder instead.
Step by step
- Confirm the vehicle is titled in your name and check for a listed lien with WisDOT's lien holder search.
- Apply online, or complete form MV2119 with the VIN, plate number and owner details.
- Pay $20 (by mail, a check or money order to Registration Fee Trust; never mail cash).
- Mail MV2119 to WI Dept. of Transportation, P.O. Box 7949, Madison WI 53707-7949, or take it to a service center.
- If the original title turns up later, do not use it once the replacement is issued.
Common questions
Is there a sales tax or title transfer fee on a replacement title?
No. A replacement does not change ownership, so the $214.50 transfer fee and sales tax do not apply. Those come into play only when the vehicle is sold or titled to someone new.
Can I get a replacement title for a car I just bought?
Not in your own name. Only the owner of record can apply. Ask the seller to apply for a replacement and sign it over to you, or look at the bonded title process if that is not possible.
My loan is paid off but I never got the title. Do I pay $20?
Usually not. After payoff the lender should release the lien electronically, and WisDOT then mails you a new title at no charge; it says to allow up to six weeks. Pay the $20 only if a title that was already in your hands is lost.
Can someone else pick up my replacement title?
Yes, with WisDOT form MV2932, Permission to Pick Up Title, signed by you, plus that person's proof of identity.
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 a Wisconsin bonded title costs
State fee, bond premium and paperwork, with a calculator.
Read this guide →What is Wisconsin form MV2119?
MV2119 is WisDOT's Replacement Title Application for a lost, stolen or damaged title. $20, signed by the owner of record, or the lender if one holds it.
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 get your title after paying off a car loan in Wisconsin?
Usually automatic: the lender releases the lien and WisDOT mails your title. No fee; allow up to six weeks. Older or private loans need a mailed release.
Read this guide →Can you replace a lost title that is in someone else's name in Wisconsin?
Only the owner on WisDOT's record (or the lender on a post-2012 loan) can get a $20 replacement. If that owner won't or can't, the route is a bonded title.
Read this guide →Lost title in Wisconsin
Replacement title or bonded title: how to tell.
Read this guide →Sources, checked 2026-10-31: WisDOT: Replace your title, plates or stickers · WisDOT: MV2119 Replacement Title Application · WisDOT: Vehicle title fees · Wis. Stat. ch. 342 (342.14 fees) · WisDOT: Lien holder search and lien release. 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.