How much does it cost to restore a car's title?

How are duplicates different from originals?

The duplicate PTS has virtually no differences from the original. Even though it says “Duplicate” right on the first page, it completely replaces the original. Moreover, upon receipt of a duplicate, the original loses its legal force. As for the external differences, they are minimal, but easily noticeable. In addition to the direct inscription on the front side, the “special marks” indicate the reason for replacing the vehicle title. Another important difference is the new car ownership count. A duplicate passport will not show the entire sales history of the car, but you can find it out by contacting the traffic police department with it.

Differences between the original and the duplicate

In principle, a copy of a passport is practically no different from the original.

The form contains basic information about:

• the number of car owners, the period of their ownership of the object;
• presence of customs restrictions;
• car manufacturer;
• engine and vehicle class;
• engine, body and chassis license plates;
• maximum weight and standard without load.

The main difference between the copy and the original is that on the form it says o. The document also contains security watermarks, signatures and seals of traffic police officers. All this confirms the legality of the issued form.

PTS original

Duplicate PTS

What documents are needed to obtain a new PTS?

Officially, the package of documents for obtaining a duplicate PTS is quite small:

• owner's passport;
• application for a duplicate;
• receipt of payment of duty.

However, in practice, traffic police officers may also require some other documents, for example, an explanatory note addressed to the head of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate (indicating the reason for receiving a duplicate), compulsory motor liability insurance, STS, DKP or another document confirming ownership of the car. The more complete the package of documents, the less chance of getting a refusal.

Issuance of a duplicate PTS through State Services

To submit an application, citizens can use electronic communication channels. This is very convenient, as you can choose the day and time of visiting the institution.

To obtain a duplicate through the State Services portal, you need to perform several steps:

• go to the official website of government services, enter your login and password, or register (if you don’t have an account);

• go to the “Services” section, then select the “transport and driving” tab;

• in the windows that appear, click on the “Vehicle registration” section;

• then, to obtain a duplicate PTS, select the required service; on the portal it is called “Loss of documents or change in vehicle data”;

• then you need to click the link with the name “Receiving STS, PTS....”;

• on the page that opens, citizens are invited to familiarize themselves with the information and only then click on the “Get a service” tab;

• Then windows appear where data about the citizen and transport are entered. You also need to select the date and time of your inspection visit.

When submitting an application for a duplicate through the State Services portal, citizens receive a 30% discount on state fees. This is an undeniable advantage, as it allows you to save significantly.

Many car owners appreciate the convenience of the service, because in this case they do not have to go to the establishment several times. The citizen will come to the appointment at the appointed time, so he will not have to stand in line.

How much does it cost to re-issue a title?

There is no penalty for the loss of a PTS, as, for example, for the loss of a civil passport. However, you will still have to pay when re-registering. To obtain a duplicate PTS you need to pay a fee of 800 rubles. (560 rubles when registering through State Services and paying via the Internet). Also, when replacing the PTS, you will have to reissue the vehicle registration certificate: you will also have to pay for this - 500 rubles. (350 rubles when registering through State Services and paying via the Internet). In total, the state will have to pay from 910 to 1,300 rubles for re-registration.

Important nuances

Car owners should remember that, apart from the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate, no other government or commercial agency has the right to issue a duplicate PTS. Any offers to issue copies from third parties are illegal. A citizen who decides to use the services of dubious companies may be held accountable.

The longest process of obtaining a duplicate PTS occurs if the form has been stolen. A positive decision to issue a copy of the form is made only after the completion of the investigation of the criminal case of theft. Citizens understand that such investigations can take a long time, so they rarely file a complaint about theft. Most often, car owners file a claim for loss of their passport due to their own carelessness. In this case, the issue is considered faster, so the form is issued in a shorter time.

Registration deadlines

Officially, the period for obtaining a new PTS is 30 days, but in practice you have to wait much less. Typically, the PTS can be picked up within the next few business days. The situation is different when the vehicle title has been stolen, since in addition to visiting the traffic police, the driver has to write a statement to the police department and wait for a decision on the case. This can delay the process for several weeks or even a month, and the thief will most likely never be found. That is why car owners who suspect that their title has been stolen still take risks and write that they themselves are to blame for the loss of the document.

Where to go to get it?

To obtain a new document for the car, you will need to contact the traffic police department where the car was registered. You need to visit the MREO as soon as possible. This is explained by the fact that lost or stolen documents can be used by fraudsters to register a duplicate car.

This practice is common in cases where a car is imported into the country as separate parts and then assembled. Such a vehicle cannot be registered with the traffic police through legal means. Consequently, the opportunity to use someone else’s documents is actively used, which creates problems for the original owner of the vehicle.

As an alternative to visiting a government agency, you can register on the State Services portal.

There, the owner of the car leaves a request, and then waits for a response in the system. If there are no problems with the issuance of a new passport for the vehicle, you will need to arrive at the MREO with a package of documents, and then receive new papers for the car.

Step-by-step instructions for obtaining a duplicate from the traffic police

You can apply for a new PTS in 2 ways: through State Services or visiting a branch. To quickly and easily obtain a PTS at the branch, you must act in accordance with the following instructions:

1. Firstly, it is necessary to collect as complete a package of documents as possible. You can pay the fee before visiting the branch (the main thing is to indicate the details correctly). You can also draw up an application and an explanatory note in advance, but it is easier to do this at the department using the samples provided by the State Traffic Inspectorate employees. You should also have your own paper and pen with you, just in case.
2. Having arrived at the department, you need to find out the desired office at the reception and take a queue (if the department is equipped with an electronic queuing system, you need to take a coupon with a number).
3. The car can be placed on the vehicle inspection site in advance. Perhaps the inspector will not have any suspicions and the inspection of the vehicle will be skipped, but it is better to park the car nearby in advance so as not to waste time on this later.
4. If all the documents are in order, next time you will only have to visit the branch to receive your documents: a duplicate vehicle passport and a new registration certificate.

However, this process can be made even easier if you arrange for a duplicate through State Services. So you will only have to visit the branch once - to receive ready-made documents. The application is submitted online, there is no need to carry documents (it is enough to enter some data they contain), and fees are paid through Internet banking or e-wallets.

Issuance of a duplicate PTS if lost

Loss is the most common reason for re-registration of PTS. In this case, recovery usually does not take much time: 1-3 days. However, before going to the traffic police, you should carefully look for the original in all places where it may be. And the problem is not even that you will have to pay a fee for re-registration. The problem is that selling a car with a duplicate title will be more difficult: you may have to reduce the price to find buyers. You can read more about this in the article “What is the danger of a duplicate PTS?”

Issuance of a copy of the PTS in case of theft

If a document is stolen, the process of obtaining a duplicate will be much more difficult and longer. Before contacting the traffic police, the owner will have to write a statement of theft at the police station. Based on this application, a criminal case will be opened, and it will be possible to apply for a duplicate only when the case is closed.

Registration of a duplicate PTS for the heir

If the car was inherited, but the title was lost, then the heir will have to deal with obtaining a duplicate himself. Within 10 days after entering into inheritance, he can drive a car without STS and OSAGO, but then he will receive a fine. To obtain a certificate and insurance, he will have to obtain a new vehicle title. To do this, he will need documents proving receipt of ownership, as well as documents necessary to register the car.

Duplicate title for trailer

Not all motorists know that trailers also need to have a title. If it was lost, then the process of obtaining a duplicate is no different from what is used to obtain a duplicate for a regular car. If the trailer was purchased without a title, then problems will arise when registering it. You will be able to obtain a title with the help of a dealer who sells these trailers. However, in order to avoid problems and difficulties, you should not buy trailers without a vehicle passport.

In what cases is a duplicate PTS issued?

There are not many situations in which it is necessary to change the vehicle passport. This list can include:

• Change of owner of a car or other vehicle.
• Loss of a document or its damage when the PTS cannot be restored.
• There are no more places to fill in the required fields.
• Change of registration by the owner of the vehicle.

Let's take a closer look at the two reasons that are most common in practice.

1. There is no longer any free space left in the car passport to make additional notes. Consequently, the owner is issued a duplicate of the main document. Plus, a special notes column is filled in, where it is written that this particular paper was issued instead of a recycled original.
   Such a replacement does not pose any big problems.

   Most often, such a change of document occurs in cases where a vehicle is transferred from one dealership to another, or when it was registered with a legal entity.

   If there is a mark on the disposal of the original vehicle passport, it would be a good idea to clarify the number of previous owners of the car.

2. The main vehicle passport was lost by the owner or stolen from him. The reason for issuing is indicated that the paper was provided to replace the lost original.

In the second case, it may turn out that the car does not have the cleanest past. For example, he has a criminal history. Another situation is also possible. For example, the previous owner took out a vehicle on credit, but cannot or does not want to fully fulfill the loan obligations.

Since the original PTS is stored in the bank, he contacts the traffic police with a statement about the loss of the document. In most cases, it is not possible to check the information at the bank, so the owner of the car is issued a duplicate passport for the car. After purchasing such a car, the new owner will have problems either with the traffic police or with the bank.

As a result, there is a risk of being left without funds and a car. Therefore, you need to be extremely careful when purchasing a vehicle secondhand and not trust car owners who provide a duplicate of a stolen or lost vehicle title.

What to do if your PTS renewal is refused?

In case of refusal, the driver has the right to demand a written explanation of the reason from the inspector. This refusal must be issued as a full-fledged document: have a title, number and signature. If the reason for the refusal is legitimate, then it is obvious that in order to receive a PTS, something will have to be corrected, for example, to pay off the debt due to which the FSSP has imposed restrictions. If the refusal is unmotivated or unlawful, then the driver can file a complaint with the head of the traffic police department, or even with the prosecutor’s office (sometimes just the mention of this forces unscrupulous inspectors to accept the documents). If the matter does come to the point of a complaint, then the evidence in the case may be the same written refusal or a video recording of the dialogue with the inspector (a traffic police officer on duty does not have the right to prohibit filming it).

If your request for a duplicate is refused

If you were not given a duplicate PTS at the traffic police department, but were denied this service, this problem needs to be solved. You must ask for the refusal to be given to you in writing. It is important that the reason for the refusal be indicated there. After this, again prepare a list of all documents and file a complaint with the head of the registration department.

If you are denied again and you do not agree with this decision, contact the judicial authorities to appeal. It is a good idea to hire a qualified attorney who specializes in similar cases. This will give you great guarantees for a positive resolution of the issue and the issuance of a duplicate PTS.

In addition to the registration department of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate, other institutions and organizations do not have the right to issue duplicates of the technical passport of a registered vehicle. In this regard, such requests to other authorities and institutions will be considered illegal and may be prosecuted by law. Most often, such organizations issue fake papers.

If your vehicle passport is stolen, obtaining a duplicate will be delayed. An employee of the MREO department will be forced to refuse to issue documents and order an investigation into the fact. According to statistics, it is known that the search for a criminal usually leads to nothing and drags on for a long time.

Knowing this, many owners of cars and other vehicles do not file an application with law enforcement agencies. When submitting an application to the traffic police, they write that the loss of the vehicle title occurred under unknown circumstances. This makes it possible not to wait for a long period of investigation and receive the document much faster. However, this method is also considered illegal.

Possible problems

The basis for replacing a lost title is always an application from the car owner. But it is worth considering that under certain circumstances the traffic police officer has the right to refuse the applicant’s request. For this purpose, several reasons are legally defined, which must be clearly stated on paper. What is the basis for refusal:

1. If the owner has provided documents with false information or that do not comply with legal requirements.
2. When registration actions in relation to a vehicle are prohibited.
3. The owner does not fulfill the obligations associated with civil liability insurance.
4. If the vehicle or license plates are wanted, the documents are considered stolen or lost, the documents provided are fake or have raised similar suspicions among the traffic police officer.

Attention! These reasons are more common, but are not the only ones. A more complete list is available to users on the State Services website.

After receiving a refusal, you should definitely receive a written explanation of the reasons for this decision. To do this you need to perform a number of actions :

1. Write a complaint to the head of the MREO to which the application was submitted.
2. The document should state all the facts, and also attach copies of all available papers that were applied to the department.
3. If there is no result and confidence in his own rightness, the owner of the vehicle has the right to sue. The statute of limitations is six months from the date of refusal, but it is better not to delay filing a claim.

Replacing a passport with a car or other vehicle in most cases does not cause inconvenience to the owner of the vehicle, but it is highly undesirable to do this for personal gain. Otherwise, it will be classified as fraud and will entail a large number of problems.

Registration procedure

If the owner of the vehicle has left an application for a new passport for the car on the State Services website, he will simply need to go to the MREO with a package of papers, which he submits for processing to the traffic police officers. Otherwise, he draws up an application on the spot and submits it along with a package of documents.

Receipts for payment of state fees are provided along with the main documentation. If necessary, a service officer will need to inspect the vehicle. This is not always a mandatory procedure; information on this issue should be clarified with the department. If action is necessary, the owner drives the car to the site.

A traffic police officer inspects the car and signs the application, after which the applicant submits the papers for processing.

If there are no reasons for refusal, the document is provided within an hour. Otherwise, the resolution of the case may be delayed, but not more than 30 working days.

This procedure is appropriate both for loss and disposal of a passport. In the second case, you will simply need to provide your old passport so that the responsible person can check the information in the electronic database. It is important here that there are no discrepancies in facts or errors, otherwise suspicions may arise that the document is fake.

If the car is pledged to the bank, the owner of the vehicle in practice can file a claim for the loss of the document and receive a new title according to the standard procedure. But in the future, when selling the car, this threatens him with big problems. If the loan is not repaid, the bank turns to the judicial authorities, after which the matter is resolved with the new owner of the car. And even if the vehicle is taken away from a person who has paid for the cost of the car in good faith, he can file his own claim against the seller demanding compensation for damages.