Wisconsin title answers · Lost or damaged title
How do you fix a misspelled name on a Wisconsin title?
Short answer
Mail form MV1020, the Title/Registration Correction Request, with your current title to WisDOT's Vehicle Research Unit. If your lender holds the title, send the Confirmation of Ownership instead. The detail people get wrong is where the error happened: if the seller wrote the wrong name in the buyer area before you applied, the fix is the seller's Statement of Intent (MV2489), not MV1020. Either way, do not white it out.
First, find where the typo lives
If the title WisDOT mailed you has your name wrong, the error is on WisDOT's record and MV1020 corrects it. If you have not applied yet and the wrong name is on the back of the old title, in the purchaser area the seller filled in, WisDOT's record has not changed. That is a seller-side fix that travels with your title application.
It matters because the forms are not interchangeable. MV1020 itself says to use MV2489 when a title has a change or erasure in the purchaser, lien holder or odometer area.
Fixing a title WisDOT already issued (MV1020)
Check the box for "Owner name(s) are incorrect". The form asks you to send the current title, or the Confirmation of Ownership if a lender has the title. Describe the error in the space provided, for example "Owner last name printed as Jonson, should be Johnson", and sign.
Mail it with the original title or Confirmation of Ownership to WisDOT, Vehicle Research Unit, P.O. Box 8070, Madison WI 53708-8070. There is a line for an email address if you would rather WisDOT reach you by email than by letter when it needs something else. The form does not list a fee.
When the seller wrote your name wrong (MV2489)
The Statement of Intent has a box for a seller who "printed the wrong name in the purchaser area". The seller checks it, prints the correct first and last name of the buyer, fills in the vehicle details, and signs. You send it with the title and your MV1.
The form carries a warning worth taking seriously: a knowingly false statement in a title application can bring a fine up to $5,000, up to 7 years and 6 months in prison, or both, under section 342.06(2). It is for honest mistakes only.
Where corrections get stuck
These are the small things that send a correction back:
- White-out or writing over the name. That creates the erasure MV2489 exists to explain. Leave the mistake and use the form.
- Sending a photocopy. MV1020 asks for the original title, registration or Confirmation of Ownership.
- Using a correction to change owners. MV1020 says adding or deleting a co-owner is a transfer of ownership, done on MV1 with the title fee.
- AND versus OR. MV1020 can fix the conjunction between owners' names too, but that box needs the current title and every owner's signature.
A typo versus a legal name change
A misspelling is an error. A legal name change, after a marriage or divorce for example, is different. Ask WisDOT how it wants that shown before you send anything, so you do not file the wrong form.
If the name problem is tangled up with a missing title or a seller you cannot reach, the forms change completely. That is the kind of case we prepare for one flat $299: we fill in the forms at your direction, and you sign and mail them.
Step by step
- Decide whether the error is on a title WisDOT issued or in the seller's purchaser area.
- Issued title: fill out MV1020, check "Owner name(s) are incorrect", describe the fix, and sign.
- Mail it with the original title or Confirmation of Ownership to the Vehicle Research Unit.
- Seller's mistake: have the seller complete and sign MV2489, and send it with the title and your MV1.
Common questions
Can I fix a misspelling online?
MV1020 is a mail-in form. It points to online services only for ownership transfers, not corrections.
Does a misspelled name make my title invalid?
A typo does not change who owns the car. Fixing it now saves questions later, especially when you sell or a lender checks the record.
My lender has the title. Do I need the lender to sign?
For a name correction, MV1020 accepts the Confirmation of Ownership in place of the title.
Can MV1020 fix other mistakes at the same time?
Yes. It also covers a wrong VIN digit, a wrong odometer reading or status, lien errors, and plate or registration mix-ups.
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
Lost title in Wisconsin
Replacement title or bonded title: how to tell.
Read this guide →What do you do if you make a mistake on a Wisconsin title?
A wrong name or mileage in the buyer, lien or odometer area: form MV2489 with the original title. Used White-Out: a $20 replacement title instead.
Read this guide →What if the seller filled out the Wisconsin title wrong?
Usually fixable without a bond. Use WisDOT form MV2489 for buyer, lien or odometer errors. If White-Out was used, the owner orders a $20 replacement.
Read this guide →How do you sign over a car title in Wisconsin?
Seller signs and dates the back of the title, writes mileage (2011 or newer), price and buyer's name, and gives a lien release if a loan is listed.
Read this guide →What does AND versus OR mean on a Wisconsin title?
AND means every owner on a Wisconsin title must sign to sell. OR means any one owner can. The word also decides what happens after a death.
Read this guide →What if the VIN does not match the title in Wisconsin?
Find out why first. A WisDOT typo gets fixed on MV1020; a title for a different vehicle means a bonded title; an altered VIN means police.
Read this guide →Sources, checked 2026-10-31: WisDOT: Form MV1020, Title/Registration Correction Request · WisDOT: Form MV2489, Statement of Intent · WisDOT: Form MV1, Title and License Plate Application · Wis. Stat. 342.06, title application and false statements. 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.