Start with these guides
- What is a car title? - the five-minute foundation every other guide assumes.
- How to replace a lost car title - the step-by-step replacement process.
- Lost title with a bill of sale - proving ownership without the certificate.
- Lost title but have registration - what the registration can and cannot do.
- Title never arrived in the mail - free reissue rules and non-receipt forms.
Situation-specific help
- Lost the title before a sale or transfer - the duplicate-first sequence for buyers and sellers.
- Lost title with an active loan - lienholder rules, payoffs, and e-title releases.
- Inherited or estate vehicles - affidavits, probate letters, and TOD shortcuts.
- Lost motorcycle title - the two-wheeled version of the problem.
State guides
Every state has its own fees, forms, and quirks. The 50-state index links each deep-dive guide, including California, Florida, Delaware, and Georgia.
Official tools worth bookmarking
- NMVTIS vehicle history (vehiclehistory.gov) - the federal title database.
- Your state DMV's title pages - linked in every state guide.