Car Title Fees & Rules in All 50 States
Replacing a lost title costs $2 in Texas and $72 in Pennsylvania — and everything in between, depending on your state. This reference covers every state's duplicate-title fee, official form, private-sale transfer deadline, and bonded-title availability, each sourced to the state titling agency. No service required: this is the same paperwork form-prep companies charge $150+ to pre-fill.
Verified against official state sources · 2026-06-12 · Reviewed by the CarWhere Vehicle Data Team
State names link to the official fee source. "Varies": Hawaii sets fees by county; Oregon ties the title fee to MPG ($101–$192); Washington's DOL publishes no flat figure. "—" deadlines: the state uses point-of-sale transfer or publishes no day count.
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FAQ
How much does a duplicate car title cost?
It varies enormously by state: from $2 in Texas (by mail) to $72 in Pennsylvania, with most states between $10 and $35. Oregon ties the fee to the vehicle's MPG rating ($101–$192), and Hawaii sets it by county. The table below has every state's fee with its official source. Form-prep services charge $150+ for the same paperwork — the state fee is all that's required.
Which states allow bonded titles?
Most states allow a surety-bonded title when proof of ownership is missing — typically a bond at 1.5–2× the vehicle's value held for 3 years. States with no bonded-title process include New Jersey (Improper Evidence of Ownership procedure instead), Ohio (court-ordered title), Indiana (affidavit or court order), North Dakota, Oregon, and per industry sources Delaware, Kentucky, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. The table marks each state.
How long do I have to transfer a title after buying a car?
Deadlines range from 7 working days (Mississippi) to 60 days (Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas), with most states at 15–30 days and late penalties that grow monthly. Some states (Pennsylvania, Wisconsin) handle transfer at the point of sale instead of a day-count.
Where do these numbers come from?
Each fact is sourced to the state titling agency (DMV/DOR/DOT) page or statute linked in the row, compiled and verified June 2026, with spot-checks against the official documents. Fees change by statute — several states raised fees recently (Wisconsin to $214.50 title fee Oct 2025, New Hampshire to $35 Jan 2026, Maryland to $200 Jul 2025) — so always confirm against the linked official page before filing.
Sources & methodology: every fee, form, and deadline is sourced to the state titling agency page or statute linked in its row, compiled June 2026 with spot-checks against official documents; recent fee changes are flagged in the per-state guides. Fees change by statute — confirm against the linked official page before filing. Cite this page: CarWhere, "Car Title Fees & Rules in All 50 States," carwhere.com/titles, verified 2026-06-12.