The title is one of the essential documents linking a motor vehicle to its owner. Each state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or equivalent agency issues titles for vehicles intended for use on public roads.
Each title is uniquely identifiable in two ways: the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and the title number. The VIN identifies the specific vehicle, while the title number tracks which title is the most recent and legally valid for that VIN.
Drivers and vehicle owners may need to access their car title number in specific situations. For example, when requesting a title replacement, transferring the vehicle to another person, or offering a buyer a way to verify the vehicle history before a sale, knowing how to find a car’s title number can help make these procedures smoother and easier.
If the vehicle’s title is available, the car title number is usually displayed at the top of the front page. Title details are formatted and organized differently in each state.
Depending on the vehicle’s state of registration, the title number may be called under a different name. Some states’ vehicle title formats, such as Georgia, may specify a current and a previous title number; make sure to use the one labeled Current. Look for one of the following designations to find the car title number:
| Issuing State or Authority | Field or Designation to Look For |
|---|---|
| Most states | Title No. Title Number Current Title Number |
| Alaska | CONTROL NO. |
| California | The California DMV does not use a dedicated title number. If a title number is needed, the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) recommends using the title issue date instead, using the YYYYMMDD format. For example, a vehicle titled June 23, 2021, would be formatted as 20210623. |
| Hawaii | Hawaii has no statewide DMV, leaving vehicle registration up to each county government. However, all car titles in the state are similar to the ones issued by the Honolulu County Division of Motor Vehicles and generally organize information the same way. None of them use specific title numbers; the NMVTIS recommends using the license number (up to six characters) and the last two digits of the title’s year of issuance. |
| Indiana | The Title Number field is at the bottom-right of the front page. |
| Nebraska | The Title Number field is at the bottom-right of the front page. |
| New Jersey | Title numbers are printed in the bottom right as a string of 11 characters preceded by a 2-letter prefix. NMVTIS and out-of-state DMVs may insert four zeroes before the last four numbers. For example, a New Jersey car title with the number GC BA123456789 may be rendered GC BA1234500006789 instead. |
| New York | The New York DMV does not maintain title numbers; the “Title and Identification No.” field is usually filled with the VIN. If a title number is needed, NMVTIS recommends using the issue date in the YYYYMMDD format as the title number. New York State does not issue titles for vehicle model years 1972 or older. NMVTIS recommends using the vehicle’s plate number as its title number. |
| Ohio | The title number is written next to the “No.” in “STATE OF OHIO No.” |
| Pennsylvania | The title number is an 11-character string followed by a 2-letter identification code. These last two letters are not considered part of the title number. |
| Rhode Island | Title Seq. No. |
| Texas | Title/Document Number |
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin title numbers are formatted with a hyphen; you may need to omit it on certain forms. |
| Wyoming | Title numbers in Wyoming are formatted with a hyphen and may be less than nine digits. If it is, add as many zeroes as needed before the hyphen to make it nine digits. Some forms may require you to omit the hyphen. For example, if a car’s title number in Wyoming is 1234-56, you may need to add three zeros to the end of the number before the hyphen to make nine digits. The result would be 1234000-56 or 123400056 if no hyphen is needed. |
Vehicle owners who don’t have access to the physical title can still find the title number using other methods:
A vehicle’s title number is as important as the VIN and insurance details. Knowing how to find it is essential in many scenarios, from looking up a used car or truck’s history before a sale to preparing to transfer a car to another person. For drivers who have finished paying off a loan, the title number may also be needed to release the lien and obtain a clean title.
Author: Corentin Bernard
Corentin’s passion for the automotive world started when he was just seven years old, during a life-changing visit to an auto museum. Now a seasoned writer, Corentin channels that early fascination into every piece he writes, whether he’s exploring the latest car trends or automotive history. But his expertise doesn't end there—he also brings his insights to topics like home improvement, the boating and yachting industry, personal finance tips, and cutting-edge tech.
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