How to Get an MVA Duplicate Title: VR-018, Fees, and Timing

To get a Maryland duplicate title, file MVA form VR-018 with a $40 fee when your original certificate of title is lost, stolen, or too damaged to read. You can apply online through myMVA, in person at a full-service branch, or by mail to the Motor Vehicle Administration in Glen Burnie.¹ Without a valid title you cannot sell the vehicle, and a lender cannot release a lien, so it pays to move quickly.

What You Need to File VR-018

The application is form VR-018, “Application for Duplicate Certificate of Title,” available on the MVA website or at any full-service branch.² You’ll check a reason for the request: lost, destroyed, altered, mutilated, misassigned, returned to another state, or other. If the title is damaged, misassigned, or mutilated rather than lost, you must send in the damaged original with your application.

The vehicle section asks for your current Maryland title number, the make, model, year, and full VIN. The owner section asks for your full legal name, driver’s license number (or FEIN for a business), date of birth, and your residential and mailing addresses. A co-owner must supply the same information and sign. There is also a section to list any lienholder.

If you submit by mail or in person, attach a copy of valid state-issued ID for every owner on the title and for anyone presenting the application.²

How to Submit and What It Costs

Maryland offers three filing channels:

Online through myMVA. Sign in and apply electronically. This is the fastest route for most owners, though not every vehicle is eligible for online processing.
In person at any full-service MVA branch. This is the better choice for unusual situations like an estate or a lien question. Same-day pickup is available if your application is processed by 3:00 p.m.
By mail. Send the completed VR-018 and ID copies to the MVA at 6601 Ritchie Highway N.E., Glen Burnie, MD 21062.

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The fee is $40 no matter which channel you use.² The MVA accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, Mobile Wallet Pay, cash, or a check made payable to the Motor Vehicle Administration. A check must carry an imprinted name and address and include your driver’s license number and a phone number.⁴ The fee is non-refundable once you submit.

When You Need Extra Documents

If the vehicle has more than one owner, every owner must sign. A missing co-owner signature will get the form rejected.

For a jointly owned vehicle where a spouse has died, the surviving spouse may not need to attach a death certificate if the Department of Vital Statistics has already flagged the deceased spouse’s record “Reported Deceased.” Otherwise, bring a certified copy of the death certificate to the MVA.²

When a sole owner has died, the personal representative or legal heir applies and must attach letters of administration from the probate court.² A bankruptcy trustee applying for an owner must include a copy of the court appointment.

If someone else needs to file for you, use Maryland’s Restricted Power of Attorney, form VR-470. It authorizes a representative to complete and obtain MVA documents for the owner, and a copy of every owner’s driver’s license must be attached.⁵ For a business-owned vehicle, the signer must state their authority after signing, such as “President” or “Managing Member.” Trustees sign as trustee.

If a lien is still recorded against the vehicle, the lienholder may need to be involved before the MVA will issue a duplicate. Call your lender before applying so added paperwork doesn’t stall things.¹ VR-018 does include a lien-satisfaction section, but you can only use it if the lien is more than seven years old and has been fully paid.²

How Long It Takes and What the Duplicate Says

Apply in person and request same-day pickup before 3:00 p.m. and you can leave with your duplicate the same day.³ Otherwise the MVA mails the duplicate to the address on record once the application is approved, and delivery time depends on mail volume.¹

Every duplicate carries a printed legend: “This is a duplicate certificate and may be subject to the rights of a person under the original certificate.” That language warns a buyer that an earlier title once existed and could theoretically surface with a prior claim.⁶

If the Original Turns Up Later

If the original title reappears after a duplicate has been issued, Maryland law requires you to surrender it to the MVA promptly. You cannot keep both in circulation; two valid-looking titles for one vehicle create exactly the ownership confusion the duplicate legend is meant to flag.⁶

Penalties for a False Application

Falsifying a duplicate title application is a separate offense that carries a fine of up to $1,000.² That covers misrepresenting ownership, fabricating a reason for the request, or giving false vehicle information. The form functions as a sworn statement, and the MVA cross-references the details against its database before issuing a replacement.

1
MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration. Request a Duplicate Vehicle Title
2
Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Application for Duplicate Certificate of Title
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MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration. Requests for Duplicate Titles
4
MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration. Fees and Payment Options
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MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration. Restricted Power of Attorney
6
Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation 13-111