USVI Title Replacement

If your USVI vehicle title is lost, stolen, damaged, destroyed in a hurricane, or still held by a lender after the loan was paid off, you can apply for a duplicate at the BMV office on your home island. The replacement uses form BMV-2 marked "Duplicate" and a $35 fee, and is typically issued within 6 to 8 weeks.

When you need a duplicate title

Common reasons:

• The original title was lost in a move, a flood, or a fire.
• The title was destroyed in Hurricane Maria, Irma, or any subsequent storm.
• The title was rendered unreadable or stolen.
• You paid off a vehicle loan and the lender failed to mail the title.
• The title was issued to a previous owner and never properly transferred (a "skipped title").
• You're preparing to sell or transfer the vehicle and don't have the original.

Hurricane-destroyed titles

Many USVI residents lost titles in Hurricanes Maria and Irma in 2017, and in subsequent storms. The BMV maintains digital records of vehicles registered in the territory; in most cases, a duplicate can be issued from the BMV's records even if the owner has no surviving paper documentation. The application requires a sworn statement of circumstances explaining the loss.

Documents required

Bring to the BMV office:

• A completed BMV-2 Application for Duplicate Certificate of Title, signed by the registered owner.
• The owner's USVI driver's license or other government ID.
• The current vehicle registration card (if available).
• If a lender holds a satisfied lien, a lien release letter from the lender.
• If the title was lost, stolen, or destroyed, a sworn statement of circumstances on the application.
• Payment of the $35 duplicate title fee.

Multiple owners

If the vehicle is titled to two or more owners — common for spouses or co-buyers — the application requires the signature of each owner whose name appears on the title. If one owner is unavailable (deployed, traveling, hospitalized), a notarized power of attorney from that owner authorizing the signing party is acceptable. If an owner is deceased, the application requires a certified death certificate and either a will or a small-estate affidavit.

Lender-held titles

USVI lenders typically hold paper titles until the loan is paid off (electronic title programs are less common in the territory than on the U.S. mainland). When a loan is paid off:

• The lender mails the original title to the registered owner along with a lien release letter.
• If the title doesn't arrive within 30 days, the owner can file a duplicate request at the BMV with a copy of the loan-payoff letter from the lender.
• The BMV verifies the lien release with the lender before issuing the duplicate.

Out-of-territory titles

You cannot apply for a USVI duplicate title if the vehicle is currently titled in a U.S. state. To get a USVI title for a vehicle previously titled elsewhere, follow the new-resident registration process at the BMV — see title transfer and vehicle registration for the document checklist and the 4% excise tax rules.

Title corrections

If the duplicate title needs a correction (misspelled name, wrong address, wrong VIN), you can file a duplicate request and the appropriate correction documentation in a single transaction:

• Misspelled name: bring a court order, marriage certificate, or driver's license showing the correct name.
• Address change: list the new address on the application.
• VIN correction: bring the original purchase paperwork showing the correct VIN, plus a vehicle inspection from a BMV-approved station if requested.

Branded titles

If the vehicle has a salvage, rebuilt, or flood-damaged title brand, the duplicate carries the same brand. USVI participates in the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS), so brands are reported across U.S. jurisdictions. A salvage vehicle that is rebuilt and reinspected may be reissued with a "rebuilt" brand but never returns to a clean-title status. See the related specialty registrations page for branded-title implications and the renewal page for ongoing requirements.