How to Fix Errors on a Vehicle Title

The certificate of vehicle title is a document that proves ownership of a vehicle. You can’t just buy a vehicle title or even print yourself a new one, it’s a legal document that holds significant value and must be printed by your state’s governing title agency. Being such an important document, your vehicle title cannot contain any marks, changes, or otherwise be tampered with. So what happens if there is an error on your vehicle title?

If you find that there is an error on your vehicle title, the best practice is to address it immediately. Do not attempt to make any changes yourself or it may invalidate your title and put your legal ownership status at risk. If your vehicle title was printed in error or contains faulty information such as inaccurate odometer statement, incorrect sale date, inaccurate sale price, purchaser name, or other miscellaneous errors, there may be a simple process to get it fixed in your state.

Most states actually have a process to fix errors on vehicle titles. In Indiana, it’s called an Affidavit for Certificate of Title Correction. To fix errors on your vehicle title in Indiana, simply complete the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) form 55582 and submit the completed form to the BMV office. This process is for titles completed in error only and will not work for title transfers.

When buying a vehicle, make sure to check the title and the ID of the seller prior to purchasing and transferring the title. Once you receive your accurate title, keep it in a safe space. If you know there are issues on your title, it’s much easier to get them fixed immediately than it would be further down the line.