A vehicle passport is the main document of a car, which is equivalent to a citizen’s passport. There are situations when the owner loses it. It is clear that the situation is unpleasant, but be that as it may, it is fixable. Let's take a closer look at how to restore the title to a car if it is lost, and what steps need to be taken immediately.
What does duplicate PTS mean?
A duplicate PTS is an equivalent replacement for the original. An employee of the State Road Safety Inspectorate enters the series and number of the original into it, and also indicates the reason for issuance.
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If the original is lost, the owner contacts the nearest branch of the MREO in order to obtain a duplicate of the PTS. A copy of the vehicle’s passport gives the car owner full right to carry out purchase and sale transactions of a car or otherwise dispose of their property legally. The presence of a duplicate issued by the traffic police department is an equivalent replacement for the original.
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Normative base
What laws provide for the need to obtain a duplicate of the PTS in the event of loss of the original and regulate the restoration procedure? These provisions include:
- Part 10 of Section 1 “General Provisions” of Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia No. 496 of June 23, 2005 “On approval of the Regulations on vehicle passports and vehicle chassis passports.”
- Part 3 of Resolution No. 938 of August 12, 1994 “On state registration of motor vehicles and other types of self-propelled equipment on the territory of the Russian Federation.”
- Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs No. 605.
Refusal of paper
In the near future, the problem of lost, written down and damaged PTS will be a thing of the past, as paper documents will replace electronic vehicle passports (EPTS). Data about the car and its owners will be stored in a single database, and all changes will be made only on a computer.
The first registration of a car with EPTS took place at the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate in mid-March 2021, but so far such a document is not mandatory. It is expected to be introduced for all new vehicles from November 1, 2021. At the same time, owners of used cars will be able to use paper PTS indefinitely , but if they wish, they will always have the opportunity to switch to “digital”.
The difference between a duplicate PTS and the Original
At first glance, the appearance of the duplicate vehicle passport is completely identical to the original. It contains complete information about:
- the number of owners and the length of their ownership of the car;
- engine parameters (power, volume and type);
- body, chassis and engine numbers;
- car make, color and year of manufacture
- maximum permissible weight and unladen weight;
- environmental class cars;
- presence of customs restrictions;
- the concern that produced this vehicle, etc.
The only visual difference is the presence of o. Otherwise, it is also made on blue paper and has the necessary watermarks that confirm the legality of its issuance.
A buyer who decides to purchase a car with a duplicate vehicle passport must remember: such a document does not reflect the real situation with the number of previous owners.
The standard PTS form allows you to enter only 6 owners, the first of which will be the official dealer. Consequently, the number of owners in the duplicate may be much less than in the original. This allows criminals to hide a long string of resales. A potential buyer can obtain comprehensive information about the number of owners on the traffic police website or by contacting an inspector at any of the nearest departments. The only condition is the presence of a duplicate PTS, which indicates the number and series of the previously issued original.
How to check the authenticity of a duplicate PTS?
If you want to buy a used car, then finding a photo of a duplicate title on the Internet and checking it with the one provided is not a problem. However, the differences found do not guarantee that the document is genuine. You should check carefully:
- the paper on which the document was printed (the duplicate is printed on rough paper, but if it is glossy, then it is a fake)
- presence of watermarks
- the presence of inscriptions that were removed from the document (the presence of such can be seen in the light)
- make, model, production date, etc. (some things can be checked by looking under the hood of the car, and some can be checked at a car service center)
When is a duplicate PTS issued?
The owner has the right to legally apply for a copy of the original PTS in several cases:
- Loss of the original as a result of carelessness. Despite the recommendations of traffic police officers to store it in a safe place, car owners are often negligent about this issue. The result is the loss of the original and the inability to complete transactions with the vehicle.
- Damage to the original. With frequent changes of owners and careless handling of the original, it quickly becomes unusable. Damage to the PTS is also caused by accidental washing, which eliminates the possibility of obtaining accurate information about the vehicle.
- Loss due to theft. This is another scenario that will require an urgent application to the traffic police.
- The absence of empty fields in the vehicle passport for entering information is also grounds for visiting the MREO.
Regardless of the reasons that led to the need to obtain a duplicate PTS, you should not delay contacting the traffic police.
Step by step procedure
The step-by-step procedure for a car owner when submitting documents at a personal appointment is as follows.
- Contact the MREO or MFC at the place where the car was previously registered.
- Get an appointment with a specialist.
- Write an explanatory note and indicate in it the reason for the need to obtain a duplicate document for the vehicle.
After this, you will need to provide the state registrar with:
- your personal passport;
- vehicle registration certificate (VRC);
- original receipt of payment of the state fee for obtaining a new document.
In some cases, you can provide a general power of attorney as a document confirming the right to act on behalf of the legal owner. If there is a complete absence of documents (for example, all originals are lost), you will have to go through a complicated procedure. During this process, a technical examination of the car must be carried out, documents must be retrieved from the database at the place of registration and all other formalities must be resolved.
Payment for the provision of services must be made in advance. You can do this in any of the available ways:
- from a card account online;
- payment order through the bank's cash desk.
Many large registration centers have a recording. This is done to prevent crowding. Therefore, it is advisable to find out about this possibility and choose an appointment time in advance.
Necessary documents for obtaining a copy of a vehicle passport
When contacting the traffic police in order to obtain a duplicate PTS, the car owner must prepare a package of documents in advance. It includes:
- Owner's passport allowing personal identification. In some cases, it is possible to provide other documents with a photograph and a stamp.
- Certificate of registration of the vehicle (STS) with the traffic police. This is a small document made on pink paper and laminated by an MREO employee. The owner receives it when registering the car and is required to present it to the traffic police upon request when stopping the car for inspection.
- A contract of sale, gift or inheritance, which confirms the owner’s right to this vehicle.
- An MTPL policy and a copy of the previous PTS (from a prudent owner) will also be a significant addition to the package of documents. Traffic police officers rarely request an MTPL policy when they receive a package of documents. But it is better to take care of its availability in advance.
The above list should be prepared in advance. When visiting the MREO in person, the owner needs to collect three more equally important documents to obtain a duplicate PTS. These include:
- Completed explanatory note addressed to the head of the department. It should indicate the reason for the application, as well as the circumstances that led to the need to obtain a copy of the original.
- Correctly filled out and paid state fee for the service provided.
- Application for obtaining a duplicate PTS. It must contain the correct passport details of the owner, as well as information from the STS.
If the package of documents is collected and filled out correctly, and the car is not stolen or pawned, then the likelihood of a positive decision is very high.
What exactly should you do if you have lost your car document?
If the owner discovers that he does not have a vehicle passport, he needs to take several not too difficult steps. We'll tell you how to proceed to restore the vehicle's title.
Drawing up an application
The first step of a car owner who has lost the passport for his car will be to write a statement about the loss of the title. Unlike the application for registration, there is no official form provided for it, and therefore it can be written in free form. However, in many traffic police departments they place samples on stands and you can use them if you wish.
The application may be:
- handwritten;
- compiled and printed on a computer.
The first option is preferable when contacting in person.
If you need to make any additions to the application, it is easier to do this in a handwritten document than in a printout. For any filling option, the application must indicate the following :
- The name of the traffic police department to which the application is being submitted.
- Name and passport details of the applicant.
- STS data.
- OSAGO insurance policy details.
- PTS data, if saved (for example, in a copy).
When submitting in person, the easiest way is to fill out the application directly to the MREO of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate using the sample provided.
Submitting an application on the State Services portal
You can submit an application not only during a personal visit to the MREO of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate, but also using the online services of the State Services portal. To do this, you need to register there and confirm your account (this can be done at any MFC, while simultaneously solving some other issue).
To submit documents through Gosuslugi you must:
- Go to the portal on the main page or directly to the section for replacing registration documents for a car, located at https://www.gosuslugi.ru/10059/11
- Fill out the application with all the required information.
- Pay the state fee. This can be done using online banking, electronic payment systems, or even from a mobile phone account.
- Send an application to the traffic police.
- Choose a time to visit the registration department.
- Show up at the appointed time and receive a duplicate PTS to replace the lost document.
Drawing up an explanatory note
In addition to the application for a replacement PTS, the applicant will need to provide a written explanation as to the circumstances under which the document was lost.
The explanatory note is also drawn up in any form . It only needs to indicate the following:
- An indication of the official to whom the document is addressed (“Head of the MREO…”).
- Details of the vehicle for which the title was lost.
- Circumstances under which the document was lost.
- The obligation, upon discovery of a lost vehicle title, to transfer it to the traffic police for disposal.
- Applicant's signature.
An explanatory note is required by MREO employees in order to determine what procedure will be used to restore the documents for the car.
Getting a duplicate
Once the documents have been reviewed, the MREO will issue a duplicate PTS . From now on, the car can be used and disposed of as usual.
Step-by-step instructions for registering a duplicate PTS at the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate
In order to receive a duplicate PTS in a minimum amount of time, you must follow a simple scheme:
- Prepare a package of documents in advance. Particular attention should be paid to correctly filling out the receipt for payment of the state duty. An error in the details or information about the payer can become a reason for the traffic police officer to refuse to accept documents.
- On the day of application, you should personally visit the MREO and stand in line at a specially designated window.
- The vehicle must be placed on the vehicle inspection site. Perhaps the traffic police officer will not check the body and engine numbers. But if he makes such a decision, then finding the car in a specially designated place will save time and speed up the registration process.
- After checking the documents and inspecting the car (unless the inspector decides that it is necessary to make requests to other authorities), the owner receives a duplicate PTS and a new vehicle registration certificate.
The legislation allows not only the owner to receive a duplicate PTS. To do this, the person who applied to the traffic police must have a general power of attorney for the right to carry out this procedure and its notarized copy. A copy remains with the MREO employee to confirm the legality of the passport issuance.
Where else should a vehicle owner turn?
After a duplicate PTS is issued, most of the car owner’s problems are solved. He can not only use the car (the lack of a passport for the car does not prevent this), but also sell it or make other transactions with it.
However, there are situations when other persons need to be notified about the replacement of the registration document. This is usually associated with moments when other people have rights to the car. We'll tell you what to do in this case, having received a duplicate after losing your car. The vehicle owner must contact :
- To a notary – if a general power of attorney has been issued for the car, tied to the PTS details.
- To the counterparty under the contract - if the car is pledged.
In this case, you need to notify interested parties that the details of the registration document for the car have changed.
Issuance of a duplicate PTS through State Services
To obtain a duplicate PTS using the State Services portal, you will need a little free time. You need to follow a few simple steps:
- Register on the portal or log into your personal account.
- Go to the section of the site called “transport and driving”.
- Select the “Vehicle Registration” section from the categories presented in the window.
- The next step in obtaining a duplicate PTS through State Services will be to select a service called “Loss of documents or changes in vehicle data.”
- You must select the link entitled “Obtaining STS, PTS or registration plates..”.
- On the page that opens, you should familiarize yourself with the information posted and then click on the “Get a service” link.
- The new page is a data entry form. Also on the page, the user selects the time and date of application to the MREO, a convenient address of the traffic police department for receipt.
The undeniable advantage of using the site is the absence of queues, as well as an impressive discount, which allows you to save 30% when paying the state fee by bank transfer through the site for receiving a duplicate PTS.
The simplicity of registration and the absence of the need to visit the traffic police department twice attracts a huge number of users and makes the State Services portal increasingly in demand among car owners.
Passport status
Evidence of the legality of purchasing a car is the vehicle passport. It indicates the main parameters and characteristics that identify the vehicle with 100% accuracy. The traffic rules do not stipulate that it must be present when driving a car, so the passport is usually at home. But you can’t do without it:
- when selling or donating;
- re-registration to another owner;
- if it is necessary to change personal data.
With a high probability, it may accidentally get lost and will not be found at the right time when completing the documentation. Tips on how to restore a vehicle title if lost through Gosuslugi will be useful to both experienced drivers and those who are just planning to buy a vehicle.
Registration deadlines
The legislation provides for a period of up to 30 days for the owner to receive a duplicate of the PTS. But in most cases, traffic police officers draw up the document within 1-2 days. The duration of the entire procedure for obtaining a duplicate PTS directly depends on factors such as:
- The need to check body and engine license plates;
- Sending requests to other authorities if the inspector has doubts about the legality of the owner’s demands to receive a duplicate of the title.
Possible problems during re-registration
In the case when the owner has all the title certificates and certificates, and above all, the purchase and sale agreement, there are no problems with obtaining a duplicate passport and a new STS. But many people purchase cars by proxy in order to avoid paying taxes. And in this case, it will be difficult to prove the ownership of the car. It all depends on the type of power of attorney.
This is also important to know:
What to do if you lost your car documents
Also causing a lot of trouble are vehicles that were registered to a deceased person. It will be necessary to look for heirs and settle all formalities. And if the car is new and not yet fully registered without compulsory motor liability insurance, then it is considered scrap and the documentation may not be restored at all. From all these options it follows that mistakes made during the initial design can lead to unsolvable problems.
Issuance of a copy of the PTS in case of theft
To obtain a duplicate PTS, you must not only provide a standard package of documents. Before visiting the traffic police, the owner is required to write a statement to the police about the fact of theft. Based on the application, a criminal case will be initiated. And only after its closure and receipt of confirmation in writing from a police officer, the car owner is sent to the MREO.
Until the police complete the investigation, traffic police officers do not have the right to legally issue a duplicate PTS to the owner of the car. The duration of the investigation can be lengthy depending on the circumstances of the theft.
What are the consequences of losing your title and driving without a document?
The PTS does not have to be presented to the traffic police officer. Installed registration plates, an issued MTPL policy, and STS are sufficient for inspection by an inspector. There are no fines for the absence of a vehicle passport or its loss in 2021. The owner can drive a vehicle without an original passport (with impunity), but not dispose of it (sale, donation, etc.).
Registration of a duplicate PTS for the heir
In order for the heir to receive a duplicate PTS, it is necessary to provide the traffic police department with an MTPL policy, a vehicle diagnostic card, a package of documents for registering the car, as well as a notarized confirmation of the right to enter into the owner’s inheritance.
The MREO inspector checks whether the vehicle is subject to disposal, and also whether it is stolen. The traffic police inspector checks the body and engine numbers with the data entered into the vehicle title. And then he gives the heir the long-awaited duplicate of the document.
It is important to understand that it is necessary to register the car within ten days. Otherwise, the owner faces a fine .
What is indicated in the application for a new vehicle registration certificate?
In order to write an application, you need to take a standardized form from the traffic police department, which can be viewed at stands, but the filling out procedure is not so complicated:
- At the top of the application it is necessary to indicate that the application is being written to replace the PTS.
- Next, you need to fill in all the information about the owner of the vehicle. This is your full name and passport details
- After this, you need to fill in information about the vehicle itself. This includes a license plate number, registration data, body type, and other information.
Duplicate title for trailer
In case of loss of the vehicle passport after its registration for the trailer, the procedure for restoring a copy of the document is not complicated. It completely repeats the restoration scheme for the car.
A slightly different situation arises if a person purchases a new trailer and, without having time to register it, loses the original. In this case, you must contact the MREO at the owner’s place of registration and provide the inspector with the series and number of the lost vehicle passport. This information is specified in the purchase and sale agreement. Based on the information provided, the inspector will include the vehicle title in the database of lost documents.
You can request a duplicate title for a trailer that has not been registered with the traffic police through the dealer who sold the trailer. The basis for issuance is a complete set of documents, as well as an application addressed to the general director of the company that manufactured the trailer.
How to protect yourself from scammers when buying a car
When purchasing a car, you must carefully check the title. To do this, follow the advice of a specialist:
- Look how many car owners there were. If there were a lot of them and they changed frequently, this should alert you.
- Check the numbers on the car body and in the documents. A title can be obtained for a duplicate vehicle.
- Check where the vehicle is registered and the region of the last owner. If they are far away from each other, the purchase needs to be made more carefully and there is a lot to think about.
- Find out who exactly is selling the car. Do not draw up a purchase and sale agreement with the person who presents the power of attorney. It does not matter whether it is certified by a notary or not.
- Carefully study the document to see if there is a note about deregistration. If the title indicates that the car has been deregistered for disposal, then registration will be impossible for you.
In this document you can find a lot of interesting things: the initiation of criminal cases using changed numbers and other data. Pay attention to the security marks on the PTS form. The fake can be easily spotted. Even if you bought a car without any problems or questions, but with a duplicate title, selling it will be much more difficult.
Refusal to issue a copy of the PTS and actions in case of refusal
If, as a result of contacting the traffic police, the owner is refused to issue a duplicate PTS, then one should not give up. It is important to ask employees to issue a written refusal with a mandatory indication of its reason. Then re-prepare the package of documents and file a complaint with the head of the MREO to resolve the problem.
If you are refused again and you disagree with the decision of the traffic police department, a good solution would be to appeal the decision in court. The services of a highly qualified lawyer with similar practice will increase the chances of a positive outcome.
Restoration price
In cases where the document was lost, the main question for drivers was: how much does it cost to restore the title? State duty rates change every year, which leads to serious confusion during the restoration procedure.
In 2021, the following requirements for payment for the procedure have been established:
- 500 rubles – state duty for restoring the title of a car;
- 300 rubles – state duty for issuing a new STS (when issuing a new PTS, you will need to enter new information into the STS, which entails a new issuance of the document).
Nuances
It is important to understand that no other government or commercial agency, except the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate, has the right to provide the owner with a duplicate title for a registered vehicle. Therefore, such proposals by other organizations will inevitably lead to the owner’s participation in illegal schemes. And the risk of receiving a false document increases many times over.
If the owner has lost the vehicle passport as a result of theft of property, then it will be very difficult to obtain the document. The traffic police inspector will refuse to issue you until the investigation of the criminal case is completed. The likelihood of catching the attacker is negligible. The time spent on conducting a criminal case is very long. This is precisely the reason why many owners refuse to write a statement to the police. And when registering with MREO, they indicate that the loss occurred under unclear circumstances. This approach allows you to save time and get what you want much faster. But it is difficult to recognize it as legal.
In what cases can the traffic police refuse to reinstate?
There are several situations when the traffic police may refuse to restore the PTS:
- there is a court injunction or other restrictions on the implementation of registration actions with the owner’s property;
- the car is on the wanted list (theft);
- the documents presented do not comply with the requirements of the traffic police MREO;
- the documents presented have signs of being forged/falsified.
The traffic police formalizes its refusal in writing, where it notifies the reasons. If the refusal is not justified, the car owner can appeal it in court.
