Apply for, Transfer, or Replace a Delaware Vehicle Title

Establish the vehicle's existing ownership record

Start a Delaware title transaction by locating the most recent certificate or manufacturer's origin document. Compare the VIN, owner names, issuing state, lien entries, and any brands with the vehicle itself. The DMV titling overview identifies the principal transaction categories. A registration card is useful supporting information, but it should not be offered as a universal substitute for an original title that is required.

Delaware's certificate-of-title law generally requires the appropriate title before a covered vehicle is registered or operated. Buyers of Delaware-registered vehicles must seek the new title promptly and within the stated 30-day limit. That filing deadline should not be interpreted as unrestricted permission to drive using the seller's documents while ownership remains untransferred.

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Complete an ordinary Delaware-to-Delaware transfer

Follow the in-state title-transfer instructions on the existing certificate. The seller fills out the assignment with the purchaser's name and address, sale date, price, and applicable odometer information. The purchasers complete their application and financing sections and sign where required. Check the front of the title before deciding which co-owners must participate in the assignment.

When the Delaware title lists ownership as AND, all sellers must sign. The agency permits one selling owner to sign under the stated AND/OR arrangement. All buyers sign their application. Delaware titles themselves do not require a notary, although a power of attorney or an out-of-state supporting instrument can. Do not leave the purchaser's identity blank or let an intermediary substitute an unsigned ownership chain.

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Use MV212 for the transactions it covers

The Application for Title explains that it is required for an initial Delaware title using an out-of-state title, certificate of origin, or certain Delaware titles reassigned outside the state. An ordinary Delaware in-state transfer uses the assigned Delaware title without a separate MV212. Select the form based on the document history, not simply whether the buyer calls the vehicle new to them.

Complete the application in blue or black ink without corrective tape, alterations, or erasable ink. Include fuel type, the requested weight information, owner identification, residence and mailing addresses, and all secured parties. Original title documents, lien releases, and powers of attorney are required under the form's instructions; specified court records may use originals or certified copies, while photo identification has separate copy allowances.

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Verify identity and authority to sign

An individual applicant supplies the requested identifying information and proof of Delaware residence. Every owner named on the supporting title or origin document must sign the application as directed. For a company, an authorized officer signs and supplies the official position. Ask about the required business evidence before submitting a company purchase under a personal name simply to make the paperwork easier.

When someone signs for an owner, use a valid motor-vehicle power of attorney with the required notarization and original document. Follow the signing convention showing the owner's name and the representative's authority. Permission to deliver a packet and authority to execute an ownership document are different roles; determine which one the representative will actually perform at DMV.

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Obtain a lender-held original before the visit

Use the lienholder title-request form when the original must be sent from a bank, finance company, or lessor. Select the DMV location where the transaction will occur and send the form to the company holding the title. Verify the company's document address or fax number, since a payment-processing address may not reach the department responsible for releasing title paperwork.

DMV contacts the customer after receiving the title and normally holds it no longer than 60 days. The existing lien remains a separate issue from moving the certificate to Delaware. Requesting the document for registration does not mean the debt has been paid. Supply the current secured-party information so the resulting title accurately preserves any continuing claim under the Delaware lien provisions.

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Address leases and dealer authority carefully

The lease-titling instructions require a notarized power of attorney from the leasing company when the lessee will sign the title application. Identify the lessor and customer in the arrangement specified by the application. A lease buyout involves a new ownership transaction and supporting documents; renewing the lease registration does not silently convert the vehicle into the customer's personal property.

Dealerships have a distinct MV386D ownership-and-mileage authorization for the circumstances stated on that form, including certain lender-held or lost titles. It should not be treated as a general-purpose private-party shortcut. The July 2026 instructions distinguish co-owner signatures on lienholder-title transactions from duplicate-title requests, for which all owners must participate under the form's rule.

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Resolve inspection and mileage requirements

For a vehicle coming from another state, consult the interstate title procedure and the current inspection-exemption chart. Qualifying newer vehicles still require VIN verification, while older or otherwise ineligible vehicles require the applicable full inspection. Have any inspection result matched to the same VIN shown on the ownership papers before submitting the title application.

The mileage-disclosure guidance explains actual mileage, mechanical-limit rollover, and nonactual mileage entries. Do not mark a modern six-digit odometer as exceeding mechanical limits merely because it has passed 100,000 miles. If the odometer was replaced or does not reflect total mileage, disclose the appropriate status. An inaccurate number can create a lasting title problem and mislead a later buyer.

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Budget for the actual title transaction

The official fee schedule separates an ordinary $35 title from the $55 amount when a lien is included. Registration charges and the vehicle document fee are additional where applicable. The current document-fee notice identifies the 5.25 percent rate for covered transactions, replacing older material that uses 4.25 percent. The tax base and any exemption still depend on the transaction's facts.

An eligible vehicle replacement may qualify for the document-fee credit procedure, with supporting MV347 documentation when required. Keep the sale date, replacement title date, and submission deadline clear. A title correction, ordinary purchase, lease turn-in, and insurance total loss do not all use identical credit evidence or timing, so choose the category that actually applies.

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Replace a missing title through the duplicate process

The duplicate-title instructions require MV213 and a $50 fee. All owners must sign the duplicate request, even though one owner might be permitted to sign a different sale transaction involving an AND/OR title. Include the identifying information and any required copies of signatures or identification when mailing the request or using a representative.

The current duplicate application reproduces the last title information in DMV's system. It does not update mileage, change the owner name, add a new plate number, alter a brand, or add a new lien during the duplicate transaction. First obtain the duplicate, then process an eligible correction or supplementary title with its additional requirements and charges. A replacement certificate does not erase an existing lien.

If a lien is recorded, have the lienholder complete the required release or acknowledgment portion, or provide the acceptable separate documentation described by DMV. A duplicate retaining the lien is mailed to that lienholder. Requests made within 15 days of the latest title issue receive additional review, so avoid promising a buyer immediate delivery before the agency has examined the actual record.

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Check the issued certificate and keep records aligned

When the title is available, compare the legal owners, VIN, mileage status, secured parties, and any brands with the completed transaction. Raise a discrepancy promptly and keep the supporting originals and receipt accessible. Do not write a private correction onto an issued certificate or cover an error with correction fluid, since an altered title can create a more difficult ownership problem.

Use the vehicle address-change procedure when contact information changes and ask DMV whether the requested change requires a new title or only an updated record. Keep a sale or lien-release copy outside the vehicle for later reference. A complete title file should show how ownership was acquired, which claims remain, and which agency transaction established the current certificate.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do Delaware title assignments require notarization?
An ordinary Delaware title assignment does not require a notary, but powers of attorney and some other supporting or out-of-state documents can require one.

Can one AND/OR owner sign a duplicate-title application?
DMV requires all owners to sign MV213, even when the ownership wording permits one seller to sign a separate transfer assignment.

How much does a Delaware duplicate title cost?
The duplicate request costs $50; a later correction or supplementary title can create additional charges.

May I add a new lien while requesting a duplicate title?
The duplicate process first reproduces the existing record, and a new lien must be handled afterward through the applicable supplementary transaction.

Does MV35 ask DMV to contact the bank for me?
The owner sends MV35 to the lienholder or lessor, which forwards the original title to the selected DMV location.

Does a duplicate certificate remove a salvage or mileage brand?
A duplicate preserves the last recorded title information, including existing brands, rather than authorizing their removal.

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More Delaware DMV guides

The other Delaware DMV guides, 52 of them:

The records side of the same subject, state by state on SearchSystems: the Delaware property records guide and liens and deeds recorded in Delaware.

Property records in the largest Delaware counties, each with the local court and office that holds the file: New Castle, Sussex and Kent.