To get a duplicate car title in Indiana, apply through your myBMV.com account, at any BMV branch or BMV Connect kiosk, or by mailing State Form 205 with a copy of your unexpired photo ID. The fee is $15, and the BMV allows up to 21 calendar days to process and mail your new title.
Last updated: August 2026
A lost title is the paperwork problem we hear about most at Cash Car Heroes. Every week, some version of the same call: “I’d sell it today, but I can’t find the title.” The good news is that Indiana makes replacing one about as painless as anything the BMV does — one form, one $15 fee, a handful of ways to file. This guide walks through every step, what it costs, how long you’ll wait, and the shortcuts most guides skip (including one that lets many older cars skip the title entirely).
If you want the full picture of every Indiana title rule for junk cars — salvage titles, abandoned vehicles, the works — our Indiana junk car laws and BMV guide covers all of it. This post zooms in on one job: getting the duplicate in your hands.
What Counts as a Lost Title in Indiana?
Indiana issues a duplicate title when the original has been lost, stolen, mutilated, destroyed, or has become illegible (Indiana BMV, 2026). That covers the title that went through the washing machine, the one that vanished in a move, and the one the dog ate.
Two catches worth knowing before you start:
- You can’t order a duplicate just to have a spare. If you know where the original is and it’s in good condition, the BMV won’t issue a second copy.
- A duplicate can’t change anything. No adding or removing owners, no changing lien information. It’s a reprint of what’s on file, nothing more. If the title needs to move into your name, that’s a title transfer — a different process with different paperwork.
One more wrinkle: since July 1, 2025, Indiana lets owners hold titles electronically instead of on paper (Indiana BMV, 2026). An electronic title can’t be lost, so the BMV doesn’t process duplicates on them. If yours is electronic, you request a conversion to paper instead — free, as long as no lien is listed, or $25 if you want it printed as a speed title.
How to Get a Duplicate Title in Indiana (Step by Step)
Here’s the whole process, start to finish:
- Confirm you’re the titled owner. The duplicate comes out exactly as the original was issued. If the car isn’t titled in your name — you inherited it, bought it and never transferred it, or it was left on your property — skip ahead to the not-the-owner section below, because a duplicate won’t fix that.
- Gather what you need. An unexpired photo ID (driver’s license, state ID, passport, and several others qualify), the vehicle’s VIN, and a lien release if a loan on the car was paid off but the lien still shows on BMV records.
- Pick your application path. Online through your myBMV account, in person at any BMV branch or BMV Connect kiosk, through a Partial Service Provider, or by mail with State Form 205, the Application for Certificate of Title.
- Pay the $15 fee. Add $25 if you want a speed title (more on that below). Mail applications pay by check, cashier’s check, or money order payable to BMV — and personal checks are not accepted with an out-of-state address (Indiana BMV, 2026).
- Wait for the mail. The BMV asks you to allow up to 21 calendar days to process and mail a title (Indiana BMV FAQ, 2026). Past 21 days with no title? Call the BMV Contact Center at 888-692-6841 and they’ll research it.
That’s it. No notary, no court, no inspection.
Selling a junk car and the title is the only holdup? Cash Car Heroes handles missing-title situations case by case — free quote in 10-15 minutes, free towing, cash on the spot. Call or text (317) 538-4824 or tell us about your car →
Which Application Method Is Fastest?
All five routes end with the same $15 duplicate. The difference is how much of the work happens while you stand there.
| Method | What You Need | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Online (myBMV.com) | myBMV login, card for the $15 fee | Anyone who wants to file from the couch tonight |
| BMV branch | Photo ID, VIN | Questions, lien complications, or adding the speed-title option in person |
| BMV Connect kiosk | Scannable ID | Skipping the line — kiosks work outside branch hours |
| Partial Service Provider | Photo ID | Towns where the PSP is closer than a branch |
| U.S. Mail | Form 205, ID copy, check or money order | No internet access and no branch nearby — otherwise, honestly, skip it |
Our take: use myBMV or a kiosk. The mail route adds postage time on both ends of that 21-day clock, and a missing signature or an out-of-state personal check gets the whole packet bounced back. Mail applications go to the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, 100 N. Senate Ave., Room N411, Indianapolis, IN 46204 — about six miles up the road from our lot on Stanley Ave, though the processing happens on the state’s schedule, not ours.
How Much Does a Duplicate Title Cost in Indiana?
The duplicate title fee is $15 flat (Indiana BMV, 2026). The only add-on is the speed title: an extra $25, which moves your application into expedited processing and ships the finished title by FedEx Ground to Indiana street addresses (USPS Priority Mail to PO boxes).
Is the speed title worth it? If you have a buyer lined up, yes — $25 against weeks of waiting is the easiest math in this whole process. If the car is sitting in the driveway with no timeline, save the money and let the standard queue do its thing.
How Long Does a Duplicate Title Take?
Plan on up to 21 calendar days for standard processing, per the BMV’s own guidance. Many arrive faster, but the BMV won’t research a missing title until the 21 days have run. Worth being straight about the speed title: the BMV describes it only as processing in a shorter period than normal and does not publish a guaranteed turnaround. Treat it as faster, not as a date you can promise a buyer.
We won’t pretend otherwise: we can’t speed the BMV up, and neither can anyone else who says they can. What we can do is work the sale around the wait — which brings us to the part most title guides leave out.
What If You’re Not the Titled Owner?
A duplicate title only reprints what the BMV already has on file. These situations need a different route:
- There’s a lien on the record. A duplicate reprints the lien exactly as it stands — it can’t remove it. Before you can sell, the lienholder has to release its interest, either by signing the release section on the title or by giving you a release letter on company letterhead showing your name, the release date, and the vehicle’s year, make, and VIN (Indiana BMV, 2026). Paid the loan off years ago? Chase the lender — or whoever bought the loan — for that letter first. If the lender is out of business, you’ll need a court order directing the BMV to release the lien.
- You inherited the car. Estate paperwork — a will, small-estate affidavit, or letters of administration — has to establish you as the owner before a title can come out in your name.
- You bought it and the title never got signed over. You need a transfer, not a duplicate. The seller may need to pull their own duplicate first so they can sign it over to you.
- It was abandoned on your property. Indiana has a separate abandoned-vehicle process based on the vehicle’s value.
Every one of these has a legal path, and we walk through all of them in our guide to getting cash for a junk car with no title.
Can You Scrap a Car in Indiana Without a Title?
Sometimes, yes — and this is the option most title guides leave out. If your certificate of title is faulty, lost, or destroyed, Indiana’s Certificate of Authority — Disposal of a Vehicle (State Form 55018) lets the BMV authorize you to sell the vehicle to a licensed automotive salvage recycler for scrap metal without applying for a new title at all (Indiana BMV, 2026). The same form covers a vehicle in your possession that was abandoned. Its legal authority is Indiana Code 9-22-5-3.
Two things to know before you count on it. A Certificate of Authority is not a title and it is not a way to keep the car — it authorizes disposal for scrap, full stop. And it is not instant: the application costs $4, goes in by mail with proof of ownership and a lien release if one applies, and the BMV approves it only if it finds enough credible evidence behind your ownership claim (State Form 55018, rev. 4-2026).
Here’s the part worth knowing. A licensed automotive salvage recycler can file that application on your behalf — Section 1B of the form exists for exactly that. Cash Car Heroes is a fully licensed, bonded, and insured auto salvage recycler, so on a scrap-bound car with a missing title, this is a conversation to have with us before you get in line at the BMV.
Not sure which paperwork path fits your car? Tell us the year, make, and model — we deal with Indiana title questions every day and we'll point you to the right route, no charge. 4.8 stars across 1,596+ Google reviews. Get your free quote →
Do You Need the Duplicate Before You Sell?
If you’re selling to a private buyer: yes. In Indiana, a title usually has to change hands for the sale to be legal, and no private buyer should hand you cash without one.
If you’re selling to us, the answer is: usually, but not always. A clean duplicate in your name is the simplest sale there is — here’s how the whole process works, and 86% of our leads are picked up the same day they accept an offer. But when the title situation is messy, we work it case by case: duplicate title, Certificate of Authority on a scrap-bound car, estate paperwork, lien releases. Start the duplicate application today, then get your quote while the BMV does its thing — across Indianapolis and Central Indiana, the paperwork and the pickup can often move in parallel. Our step-by-step guide to selling a junk car in Indianapolis covers what happens after you accept.
And if you’d rather not deal with the BMV at all, our sell your car without a title page explains what we can and can’t do before you ever pick up the phone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a duplicate car title in Indiana the same day?
Not truly same-day — the title is printed and mailed centrally, not handed over the counter. Your fastest option is the speed title: $15 for the duplicate plus a $25 expedited fee, processed ahead of the normal queue and shipped by FedEx Ground (Indiana BMV, 2026). Standard processing allows up to 21 calendar days.
Can I apply for an Indiana duplicate title online?
Yes. Log in to your myBMV.com account, open the Titles section, choose the duplicate title option, and pay the $15 fee by card. You’ll need your vehicle’s VIN handy. Online filing skips the branch trip entirely and the finished title arrives by mail, just like every other method.
What do I need to get a duplicate title in Indiana?
Three things cover most cases: an unexpired photo ID, your vehicle’s VIN, and $15. Applying by mail adds a completed State Form 205 and payment by check, cashier’s check, or money order payable to BMV. If BMV records show a released loan, bring the lien release document too.
What if there is a lien on my Indiana title?
A duplicate title reprints the lien; it cannot remove it. To clear it, the lienholder must sign the release section on the title or give you a release letter on its letterhead listing your name, the release date, and the vehicle’s year, make, and VIN. If the lender is out of business, get a court order directing the BMV to release the lien (Indiana BMV, 2026).
Can I sell my junk car while waiting for a duplicate title?
Often, yes. Cash Car Heroes works missing-title sales case by case. If the car is headed for scrap, a Certificate of Authority (State Form 55018, $4) can authorize the sale without a title at all, and as a licensed salvage recycler we can file it for you. Otherwise we schedule pickup around your paperwork. Call or text (317) 538-4824 — quotes take 10-15 minutes.
What happens if I find the original title after getting a duplicate?
The duplicate becomes the valid title and the original is void — Indiana treats the newest issuance as the official record. Don’t sign or sell with the old paper. Shred it or mark it void, and use only the duplicate for the sale so the buyer’s transfer goes through cleanly.
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