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MDOT Motor Vehicle Administration

Discontinuance of the Duplicate Title after Lien Release

Bulletin | January 13, 2026

Updated:

Date: January 27, 2025
Bulletin: All Dealers and Tag and Title Agencies 
From: Vehicle Services Division 

Purpose
To inform all dealers and tag and title agencies that the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) will no longer print a clear duplicate title after a lien is released. This bulletin updates the November 27, 2024, Bulletin. The new text is italicized.

Summary
Effective December 4th 2024, the MVA will no longer print a duplicate title automatically when a lien has been released electronically. When the lien is released electronically, a customer may request a duplicate clear title at no additional cost via MVA website, myMVA account, kiosk or ERT systems. 

Notification
Once a lien is released electronically, MVA records will indicate the lien has been released. The customer will receive a notification of the release by email or their myMVA account. 

Duplicate Title
When requesting a duplicate title, dealers should use the VR-003 - PDF , title service agencies should use the VR-018 - PDF and provide the documents listed on the form. If a duplicate title is ordered via ERT (preferred), the duplicate title will be free once the record indicates the lien has been released. Dealers and title service agents can use the dealer inquiry to verify if the lien has been released. 

If the dealer inquiry shows that a lien has been released, a dealer can use the last issued title to transfer ownership in Maryland. A separate lien release letter or a lien clearance letter is not needed for an in-state transaction. If the vehicle is being sold or transferred out of state and a clear title is required, the dealer with the vehicle can request a clear title by submitting the title showing the lien with the request for a duplicate title.

Please note: If an electronic lien release request was submitted electronically and the lienholder received an error message, the MVA will continue to accept a notarized lien release letter. 

For any questions, please contact the Vehicle Services Division, Brian Forde at [email protected] or Shanequa Richards-Marks at [email protected].