How to get a title in Michigan

A clean title is required to sell your car. The path depends on your situation — pick the one that fits below.

1. You had the title but lost it

Most common case. You own the car; the paper is missing.

Request a duplicate title from the Michigan Secretary of State. You can do it online, by mail, or at any SOS branch office.

Form: Application for Duplicate Michigan Title (TR-11L).
Cost: around $15 (standard) or $20 for instant issuance at a branch.
Bring your driver's license or state ID. If there's still a lien on the vehicle, the lienholder has to sign off.

Usually arrives within 2–3 weeks by mail, or same-day at a branch office. Start at michigan.gov/sos ↗

2. You bought the car but never got it in your name

You have the old title signed by the seller — or you don't.

If you have the seller-signed title:bring it to any SOS branch with your ID. They'll transfer it to your name the same day. Title fee is typically $15 plus any unpaid taxes.

If you can't find the seller and don't have a signed title: you'll need a bonded title. This is the state's backup path when the paper trail is broken.

Form: Application for Title with Surety Bond (TR-272).
You buy a surety bond for the vehicle's appraised value. For a junk car worth a few hundred bucks, the bond usually runs $100 or so.
The bond stays active for 3 years. After that, you get a regular clean title.

For a junker, this is often the cleanest path — the low value keeps the bond cheap.

3. The car's been sitting and you don't know the owner

Abandoned vehicle on your property — different process entirely.

You cannot just claim a car someone left behind. Michigan has a specific abandoned-vehicle process you have to follow, and it starts with the police:

Contact your local police or sheriff's department.
They'll run the VIN, try to contact the registered owner, and post the required notices.
If the owner doesn't claim it within the statutory window, the vehicle is declared abandoned.
Abandoned vehicles are sold at public auction — you can bid to get a title.

Don't skip the police step — selling or junking a car that technically still belongs to someone else is a real legal problem, not a paperwork hassle.

4. Inherited the car from someone who passed

Spouse, parent, or relative on the title.

Michigan has a simplified process for small estates — if you're the surviving spouse or heir and the vehicle's value is under the state threshold, you can transfer the title using a Certification from the Heir form (TR-29) without going through probate. Bring it to an SOS branch along with the death certificate.

None of these fit? Or stuck somewhere in the process?

Call Austin at (810) 701-9138. He's worked with hundreds of these situations and can usually tell you the fastest path in a 5-minute call.

The fees, form numbers, and thresholds above are accurate at the time of writing but Michigan updates them periodically. Always confirm current requirements at michigan.gov/sos before making a trip.

Once you've got the title in hand:

Come back and get your offer →