Wisconsin title answers · Forms and paperwork
What is Wisconsin form MV2459, the Junked Vehicle Bill of Sale?
Short answer
MV2459 is WisDOT's Junked Vehicle Bill of Sale. It moves a vehicle to a licensed salvage dealer, between salvage dealers, or from an insurer after the title was surrendered to WisDOT. The form states that no certificate of title will be issued for the vehicle, and state law (section 342.34(3) of the statutes) bars titling a junk vehicle. A car bought on an MV2459 cannot be titled or plated in Wisconsin, bonded or otherwise.
What the form actually says
MV2459 is a short, one-page form dated 3/2008. The top lists the only three transfers it is meant for: a registered owner selling to a licensed salvage dealer, one licensed salvage dealer selling to another, or an insurance company selling a vehicle whose title has already been surrendered to WisDOT.
The seller affirms that there are no outstanding liens, that they have the right to sell, and that the title was either lost or destroyed, or marked JUNKED and surrendered to WisDOT. The owner's identity is checked with a driver license or photo ID number. Then comes the line that matters most to buyers: a note that no certificate of title will be issued for this vehicle.
Why this ends the title question
Wisconsin law treats a junked vehicle as finished as a road vehicle. Wis. Stat. 342.34(3) says no certificate of title may be issued for a junk vehicle. WisDOT's selling guidance puts it plainly: a junked vehicle can never be titled or licensed again. WisDOT's online title service also lists junk vehicles as not eligible for a Wisconsin title or registration.
That rules out the bonded title route too. A bonded title solves a missing ownership document. It does not override a statute that forbids titling the vehicle at all.
How buyers end up with one
You may run into MV2459 at an online auction. Copart, for example, labels these lots 'WI - Junked Vehicle Bill Of Sale'. The car may run fine and look complete, and the price may reflect that it is sold for parts or scrap. Read the document type on the listing before bidding, not after.
Do not confuse it with a salvage title. A vehicle sold with a Wisconsin salvage title (or an out-of-state salvage title) follows the salvage and rebuilt route, which includes a salvage inspection before it can be driven. That is a separate path with its own rules.
Other paperwork that means the same thing
MV2459 is not the only way a vehicle leaves the titled system. Watch for these too:
If you see any of these, assume the vehicle is parts, and price it that way.
- A title with JUNK written across it. WisDOT tells owners selling a vehicle as junk to write the word across the title before handing it over. That is the same dead end as an MV2459.
- A title marked JUNKED and surrendered. MV2459 itself lists this as one of the two ways the old title was disposed of.
- A seller who says it was 'junked but runs great'. WisDOT's selling page says that once a vehicle is junked, it can never be titled or licensed again, even if someone repairs or restores it.
What you can do with an MV2459 vehicle
Use it the way the form intends: as a parts source or for scrap through a licensed salvage dealer. If you already bought one expecting to drive it, the honest answer is that no paperwork service, including ours, can get it titled in Wisconsin. Contact the seller or auction about their return policy if the listing was unclear.
Common questions
Can I get a bonded title for a car sold on an MV2459?
No. The bonded process is for vehicles that can be titled but lack proof of ownership. A junked vehicle cannot be titled in Wisconsin, so there is nothing to bond.
The seller lost the title and used MV2459. Does that change anything?
No. The form covers a title that was lost or destroyed as well as one marked JUNKED. Either way it carries the same note that no title will be issued.
Is a Junked Vehicle Bill of Sale the same as a regular bill of sale?
No. A regular bill of sale records a sale of a vehicle that keeps its title. MV2459 records a sale of a vehicle that is leaving the titled system.
Can I register it in another state instead?
That depends on the other state's rules and is outside what we cover. Wisconsin will not title or register it.
How can I tell before an auction whether a car comes with an MV2459?
Check the document or title type on the listing and ask the auction directly if it is unclear. Wording such as Junked Vehicle Bill of Sale, or a reference to MV2459, means the vehicle will not be titled in Wisconsin. Get the answer in writing before you bid.
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
Can you title a junked car in Wisconsin?
No. Wisconsin law bars a title for a junk or junked vehicle, even after repairs. A Junked Vehicle Bill of Sale (MV2459) says no title will issue.
Read this guide →What is the difference between salvage and junk in Wisconsin?
Salvage can be repaired, inspected and retitled as rebuilt salvage. Junk can never be titled in Wisconsin. How the law draws the line.
Read this guide →Can you title a Copart car in Wisconsin?
Usually yes. The document type on the lot decides it: clean, salvage, bill of sale or Junked Vehicle Bill of Sale. That last one is never titled.
Read this guide →What counts as a junked vehicle in Wisconsin?
A junk vehicle is parts-or-scrap only, or an insurer's write-off where repairs exceed its value, even if it runs. Wisconsin will never title it.
Read this guide →Auction vehicle on a bill of sale
What you can and cannot title after an auction.
Read this guide →Sources, checked 2026-10-31: WisDOT: MV2459 Junked Vehicle Bill of Sale · Wis. Stat. ch. 342 (342.34 junk vehicles) · WisDOT: Sell your vehicle · WisDOT: Title and register with eMV Public. 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.