The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles issues a certified copy of a vehicle title only to parties the system recognizes as having legal standing with respect to the existing title record. Possession of the vehicle or a personal interest in obtaining the document does not, by itself, establish eligibility. Form VTR-34 is evaluated based on the requester’s relationship to the title record as maintained by the DMV.
Recorded owner as an authorized requester
The individual listed as the recorded owner in the title record is generally recognized as eligible to request a certified copy. Loss or unavailability of the physical title document does not affect the owner’s standing, provided the title record remains active and unencumbered by unresolved conflicts.
Entities and lienholders with recorded interests
When the title record reflects a lien or other recorded interest, the DMV may recognize the lienholder or recorded entity as eligible to request a certified copy. Eligibility is determined by the presence of a legally recorded interest rather than by possession or contractual claims outside the title system.
Requesters acting through legal authority
The DMV may recognize a requester acting under legally established authority, such as a court-appointed representative or another party whose authority is reflected in or supported by the title record. Form VTR-34 does not independently establish authority and is not used to validate claims that are not already supported by the system.
Limits on third-party requests
Third parties who are not recorded in the title system and who lack legally recognized authority are not treated as eligible requesters. The DMV does not issue certified copies based on informal permission, possession of the vehicle, or anticipated future ownership.
Interaction with death of a titled owner
When the recorded owner is deceased, eligibility to request a certified copy depends on whether the system recognizes authority in relation to the estate. Form VTR-34 does not establish heir authority on its own. How eligibility is evaluated after an owner’s death is explained in how Texas DMV handles certified title copy requests after an owner’s death.
The conditions under which a certified copy may be issued at all are explained in when Texas DMV allows issuance of a certified copy of a vehicle title. Situations in which requests are denied despite an existing title record are described in circumstances in which the Texas DMV denies a certified copy request. The broader process governing certified copies is outlined in how Texas DMV restores or confirms a vehicle title record, with the official form definition available in Form VTR-34 — Application for a Certified Copy of Title.