Selling or junking a car in Wisconsin, step by step
- Find your title (or replace it). If the title is lost or damaged, request a duplicate from the Wisconsin DMV using Replacement Title Application (MV2119); it can be done online.
- Pay off any loan. If a lender is listed on the title, it must release the lien before the car can change hands. See our guide to junking a car with a lien.
- Sign the title over at pickup. The seller signs and dates the title in the seller section (all owners if joined by 'and'), completes the odometer statement and enters the selling price. The seller also removes the plates and should report the sale to DMV.
- Deal with your plates. Sellers take their plates off (with exceptions such as heavy trucks and trailers) and either move unexpired plates to a similar vehicle they own or destroy them rather than returning them.
- File the Seller Notification. Sellers report the VIN, buyer, price and sale date online within 30 days; DMV notes this does not replace a seller's other responsibilities.
How to sign over a title in Wisconsin
The seller signs and dates the title in the seller section (all owners if joined by 'and'), completes the odometer statement and enters the selling price. The seller also removes the plates and should report the sale to DMV.
Official page: wisconsindot.gov. For general tips on avoiding mistakes, see how to sign over a car title.
Lost title? Getting a duplicate in Wisconsin
A replacement title can be ordered online, by mailing Form MV2119, or in person at a DMV service center.
- Form: Replacement Title Application (MV2119) — download
- Available online: yes
- Official page: wisconsindot.gov
More background: how to get a duplicate title before junking.
Seller Notification
Sellers report the VIN, buyer, price and sale date online within 30 days; DMV notes this does not replace a seller's other responsibilities.
- Can be filed online: yes
- Official page: wisconsindot.gov
Why it matters: release of liability when selling a car.
License plates after you sell
Plates stay with you, the seller, not the car. Sellers take their plates off (with exceptions such as heavy trucks and trailers) and either move unexpired plates to a similar vehicle they own or destroy them rather than returning them.
Source: wisconsindot.gov
Junk and salvage titles in Wisconsin
When selling a vehicle as junk, the owner writes 'Junk' across the title before handing it over; a junked vehicle can never be titled or plated again.
Official page: wisconsindot.gov. Background: salvage vs. rebuilt vs. junk titles.
Selling a car without a title in Wisconsin
Wisconsin DMV says an owner who has lost the title does not need a replacement to junk the vehicle; the Junked Vehicle Bill of Sale (MV2459) covers transfers to salvage dealers when the title is lost or destroyed.
Official page: wisconsindot.gov
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Wisconsin title questions
How do I replace a lost car title in Wisconsin?
A replacement title can be ordered online, by mailing Form MV2119, or in person at a DMV service center. The form is Replacement Title Application (MV2119).
Do I need to notify Wisconsin when I sell or junk my car?
Wisconsin uses the Seller Notification. Sellers report the VIN, buyer, price and sale date online within 30 days; DMV notes this does not replace a seller's other responsibilities.
What happens to my license plates when I sell a car in Wisconsin?
Sellers take their plates off (with exceptions such as heavy trucks and trailers) and either move unexpired plates to a similar vehicle they own or destroy them rather than returning them.
Can I junk a car without a title in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin DMV says an owner who has lost the title does not need a replacement to junk the vehicle; the Junked Vehicle Bill of Sale (MV2459) covers transfers to salvage dealers when the title is lost or destroyed. Confirm the details with the Wisconsin DMV.
Official sources
- Wisconsin DMV — homewisconsindot.gov
- Selling or transferring a vehicle titlewisconsindot.gov
- Duplicate or replacement title (Replacement Title Application (MV2119))wisconsindot.gov
- Replacement Title Application (MV2119) formwisconsindot.gov
- Seller Notificationwisconsindot.gov
Summarized from official Wisconsin government websites in October 2026. Fees and procedures change; always confirm with the Wisconsin DMV before you sell. This guide is general information, not legal advice.