How Long Does It Take To Get a Duplicate Title In NJ? (Real FACTS!)

In New Jersey, you have to make appointments to visit a Motor Vehicle Agency and apply for a duplicate title. Duplicate Title Requirements for No Proof of Ownership.

So, how long does it take to get a duplicate title in NJ? On average it takes between 8 to 12 weeks to get a duplicate title in NJ if you order it by mail. However, appointments work pretty well as you will get your duplicate title on the same day. The obvious choice is to set an appointment, but it’s understandable if you prefer mail.

Applying for a duplicate title and receiving it on the same day, is a pretty straightforward affair. There are two types of centers that operate in New Jersey, Licensing Centers, and Vehicle Centers.

The Vehicle Centers handle titling, regardless of what type of vehicle title is sought.

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How To Apply For A Duplicate Title In New Jersey

Vehicle Centers are open from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday or 8:00 am to 3:00 pm on Saturdays. You must book an appointment within those time frames.

Go online before your appointment so you can download and fill out an Application for Duplicate Certificate of Title Ownership (OS/SS-52 form).

You’ll present this form at the time of your appointment along with:

Vehicle registration
Original title
Proof of insurance
$60 for the application and processing fee
Lienholder’s statement if the vehicle is still under lease

If you bring in a lienholder’s statement, it should contain the Vehicle’s Identification Number (VIN) and the lienholder’s name. If the vehicle was recently paid off, you also need to bring a lien release form.

When your appointment time arrives, you’ll have to present your identification, which can either be your driver’s license or a State Issued ID card.

Once you submit the application and show the additional paperwork—along with your identification—a duplicate title will be given to you or the lienholder—if the vehicle is still under lease.

It’s one of the easiest methods for getting a duplicate title when compared to the process that takes place in other states. The only wait time is however long it takes to reach your appointment date.

Appointment wait times are a little longer than normal but that’s not a reflection of how New Jersey’s titling system usually operates.

How To Apply For A Duplicate Title By Mail In New Jersey

If you choose the mail route, understand that it takes a lengthy amount of time to receive your title. Eight to ten weeks is pretty standard, so if you need it quickly, an appointment is your best bet.

Applying for a mail-in duplicate title is much the same as the appointment process.

Download, print, and fill out an Application for Duplicate Certificate of Title Ownership (OS/SS-52).
Make clear copies of your driver’s license or State issued ID
Gather your proof of insurance information
A copy of a lienholder’s statement (if applicable)
A lien release form (if applicable)
Original title (if it’s not lost or stolen)
Copy of your vehicle’s registration
$60 fee in the form of a money order or check (cashier’s checks are acceptable)

Once you’ve gathered together all of these documents, double-check each one to make sure they are clear and legible. Nothing is more irksome than waiting for weeks only to receive mail requesting clarification.

When you’ve checked over everything, mail the documents to:

State of New Jersey

Motor Vehicle Commission

Special Title Section/Duplicate Titles

P.O. Box 017

Trenton, NJ 08666

Now all you have to do is sit back and wait. Around the time a season or two has changed (sarcasm intended), you’ll receive your duplicate title in the mail.

Can You Apply For A Duplicate Title Online In New Jersey?

The State of New Jersey hasn’t implemented an online application process. This is nothing new, as most states haven’t.

It’s a bizarre choice since mail is an acceptable form of application yet—despite the progression of faxing and scanning technology, along with various forms of facial recognition, chatting services, and other communication platforms—online applications aren’t making any headway.

You can download and print out all of the various forms, however, and you can utilize technology to print, scan, and save all of your paperwork.

But when it comes to the application process, mail and in-person remain your only choices.

Duplicate Title Updates And Changes

You can apply for a duplicate title just to make changes to things such as names, addresses, and other personal information.

Name change because of a recent Divorce
Name change from a marriage
Legal name changes from naturalization or court orders
Address changes from a move
Fixing errors

It’s important to keep vehicle titles up to date and if there is a change or an original error that requires an alteration, you should get those done as soon as possible.

Having an inaccurate title can cause problems down the road that are easily avoidable.

Duplicate Title Applications For Defaced Titles

There are several reasons for applying for a duplicate title in New Jersey:

Defaced or otherwise destroyed original title
Lien error
Incomplete sale
Odometer replacements

If you get an appointment with a local Vehicle Center, you’ll need to bring along proof that the title needs to be corrected, such as a defaced or damaged original, or documentation that there are errors on the original, or that something has changed.

The application remains the same, as in filling out an Application for Duplicate Certificate of Title Ownership (OS/SS-52). If it can be proven that the error was made by the Motor Vehicle Center, then the $60 fee will be waived.

Otherwise, you’ll have to pay the $60 fee to apply for a new duplicate title.

If there was an error on the lien release—something that was egregious enough to keep you from receiving a new title—you’ll need a signed and notarized letter from the original lien holder stating the error.

If you attempted to sell the vehicle. and have completed the title information, only for the buyer to back out, New Jersey considers it a “spoiled title” and you’ll have to request a correction by bringing the original “spoiled” title.

Any time an odometer is replaced, the mechanic has to provide a letter with the details of the odometer replacement:

The date that the installation took place
Vehicle’s mileage before replacing it with another odometer
A precise (as possible) calculation of how much mileage was added to the vehicle during the time that the original odometer was broken

You’ll have to bring in a receipt for the installation costs of the new odometer, along with the vehicle’s original title, and the $60 application fee for a duplicate title with the corrected information.

Do Titles Have To Be Notarized In New Jersey?

New Jersey doesn’t require that the titles themselves have to be notarized, however, the bill of sale for all pre-owned vehicles in the state have to be signed by both parties, in the presence of a certified notary, and properly notarized before applying for the title.

Titles in New Jersey have to have the following information on them:

Both the seller and buyer name
Bothe addresses for the seller and buyer
Date the sale took place
Price of the purchase
The driver’s license information of the buyer
Signatures from both the buyer and seller

Outside of those stipulations, nothing else is necessary for a legitimate title in New Jersey, including a notary signature and stamp.

However, if the bill of sale isn’t properly notarized with the signatures from both the buyer and seller, the bill of sale will be insufficient for an application of a certificate of title.

How To Handle A Lost Car Title With No Proof Of Ownership In New Jersey

The first thing you’ll have to do is download and fill out a Vehicle Registration Application Request and send it in via mail to the address above.

After the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission has received and approved it, you can move on to the next step, entirely by mail as required under New Jersey law.

Request, receive and fill out an Application for a Duplicate Certification of Ownership. Before you mail it in, take clear photos of both the back and front of your car. Also, you will have to send in—check or money order—the $60 fee to cover the application.

Once that is complete, you’ll have to wait the typical eight to ten-week period to receive your duplicate title in the mail.

All Things Considered

Despite or due to New Jersey’s usage of appointment or mail-only applications, you can get your duplicate title on the same day, assuming you elect an appointment meeting over the mail-in method.

Unfortunately, completing the process by mail requires a lot of patience, as it will take two or more months to receive a title you most likely need to have much sooner.

If you’re a New Jersey resident, and able to do so, scheduling an appointment to apply for a duplicate title is, by far and away, the most expedient process available to you. If not, prepare to settle in for a very long wait.

References

https://www.apollopreowned.com/

https://help.peddle.com/