Unfortunately, none of us are immune from damage or loss of important documents. This situation is, of course, unpleasant, but not hopeless. You can easily obtain duplicate documents from the relevant authorities, i.e. reissued papers.
Having lost, say, a vehicle passport, the owner can easily issue another copy of the PTS, which will differ from the original document only by the “Duplicate” mark. In this material we will talk about what the “duplicate” mark on a PTS means, what a duplicate PTS looks like, and how to distinguish an original PTS from a duplicate.
When is a duplicate issued?
The absence of a vehicle on the wanted list, arrest or alienation presupposes the issuance of the mentioned document in the following cases:
- lack of free space in the unit’s passport due to the large number of records about former owners;
- damage or loss;
- change of owner;
- change of place of residence even within the same locality.
In the first case, the former owner of the car remains with a copy of the original - a doublet, which can be used to check the number of owners and the history of the vehicle.
When purchasing a used car and holding a duplicate of the transport license in your hands, you should ask about the reason for its replacement and carefully study the copy. The name of the institution that issued the PS is always indicated on the first page. If there is a mark from the traffic police department, the buyer should understand that this is a doublet.
The basis for issuance of this type is invariably indicated by special marks; their options can vary significantly. If a duplicate is issued due to the disposal of the original, it means that the original has deteriorated in appearance, has been lost or there are no free fields to be filled in about the owner. Of course, the latter should suggest that the car has had many owners. But the traffic police mark confirms this, and therefore it will be difficult to deceive the buyer by claiming that the car is new.
If there is a mark about the loss of the original, and it is also very recent, then the buyer needs to keep his ears open - it is possible that this is a fraud. Before this, the unit could have had a dozen owners, or it could have been operated by some enterprise where the driver was not endowed with conscience or frugality in relation to his workplace. After all, the document will only indicate the previous owner - the seller, who is verbally trying to update the product. But that's not all.
Having issued a car loan, the bank pays for the car, while retaining the passport of the technical unit. This serves as a guarantee to the financial institution that the borrower will not disappear without a trace with his car. But the bank client may run out of money that he paid for the car, and it is impossible to sell it to another person without a registration certificate.
Then the bankrupt goes to the next trick - he allegedly loses his passport and receives a doublet at the traffic police department. The traffic police have no time to figure out whether the document was really lost or is in the bank until the loan is repaid. It makes no difference to the financial institution who bought the car or makes contributions. The credit institution simply confiscates the car, regardless of the owner, even if it is new. A court decision to return the money may also yield nothing - the seller turned out to be completely bankrupt.
The next episode may be that the vehicle is sold by an intermediary, who, of course, does not register the unit in his name. The current remedy can be fined many times, and the buyer, by taking it for himself, assumes all his debts. The only way to avoid unnecessary costs is to convince the intermediary to register the car in your name. However, if the fines are not paid, the car will not be registered with the traffic police. This will be confirmed by the traffic police portal, where you can find out the registration history of this device.
Internet to help
Since November last year, new cars began to receive electronic vehicle passports (EPTS). The main advantage of an electronic document is its unlimited size, unlike the paper version. This allows you to enter significant amounts of information about the car into it - OTTS, changes made to the design, registration and insurance data. Later, the EPTS will contain marks about passing technical inspection, road accidents and repairs.
This amount of information will help protect market participants from various abuses in relation to cars. However, there are still less than 800 thousand cars with electronic passports. In addition, there is no mandatory replacement of already issued paper PTS with electronic ones, and the circulation period of the paper is not limited.
They wanted to lose their passport
Photo: Global Look Press/MIT Russia
Camera against potatoes: how to avoid becoming a victim of car scammers
They are armed with persuasiveness, potato tubers and expensive foreign cars.
Knowing the VIN number of the car, you can check its history on the Internet on one of the public services - gibdd.ru, avtokod.mos.ru. Find out whether it was involved in an accident, whether it was reported stolen, how many owners it changed, whether it worked in a taxi, or whether it was scrapped. The Avtotek website allows you to find out even more information - its database includes information from 800 dealership centers, independent service stations, as well as the history of advertisements for the sale of a specific car on Avito Auto. The information is paid, as on the Auto.ru website, but it uploads important information about the car directly onto the pages with advertisements - the number of owners, compliance with the specified characteristics and the absence of restrictions.
The VIN number indicated in the ad cannot be completely trusted, warns Mikhail Ertsev.
— As we know, the market is becoming more transparent, so dishonest sellers, to attract attention to the ad, select the VIN from a similar car, indicate them on websites selling used cars, in advertisements. Accordingly, those services that check a car by VIN number show a clean, beautiful history of the car, although in fact this car has a huge number of owners or accidents.
What does a duplicate look like?
Almost any document can be lost or become unusable, and a duplicate is issued in its place. A similar thing can happen with the technical equipment passport. The owner will also receive an official registered copy.
This document is a strict reporting form with continuous numbering. In appearance, the repeated PTS is no different from the original one, the same blue paper and the same manufacturer - Goznak. Only the first one has a specific entry in the “Special Notes” section. It is indicated by the inscription: “Duplicate. Issued to replace the old PTS”, below are the details of the original.
The official copy contains all 24 sections, which indicate:
- VIN number of the unit;
- car make, model;
- body type;
- information about the engine, unit weight;
- Manufacturer country;
- information about the owner of the unit.
Confirms the recorded seal and attributes of the institution issuing the doublet.
The duplicate is the same official document. A duplicate PTS is issued instead of the lost original if it is lost, damaged or there are no free fields to record information about the owner. Contains watermark protection and the inscription “DUPLICATE” in large font.
Duplicate PTS - what does it mean?
A vehicle passport is a document that contains the information necessary to register a car (chassis number, body number, engine number, year of manufacture, country of import, etc.). This data can be called primary; it is assigned to the vehicle during manufacture and is stored until disposal (with some exceptions).
Next comes information about the owners who owned the car. Not only buyers are indicated here, but also the car dealerships that sold the car, as well as the manufacturer. From the records you can trace the entire chain of ownership. Sometimes car sales transactions happen quite often and the space for records quickly runs out.
The PTS has 6 lines for records of car owners. Once the free space runs out, you need to replace the car's passport.
The appearance of a duplicate PTS means that the original has run out or has been lost (deteriorated, stolen, etc.). A new passport for the car is issued by the traffic police with the appropriate stamp and a note indicating the reason: issued to replace a disposed or lost one.
Duplicate or fake
Providing a copy instead of the original certificate is, if not common, then widespread. This method is used not only by bona fide sellers, but also by scammers. Only the former have their document officially registered, while the latter are prepared using computer technology at home. This often happens because the car is pledged as collateral for a car loan from the bank or the vehicle has had many owners in the past.
Perhaps not every driver will be able to identify an official copy from a fake, but it is worth paying attention to its main signs:
- The presence of watermarks indicates the authenticity of the document and its official registration. Signs are viewed against light in the form of light lines, patterns or letters.
- The numbering and series of the passport are also present on the fake, but, nevertheless, the place of issue is indicated on the paper. For vehicles of a foreign manufacturer, this will be a certain customs department, for domestic ones - the place where it is registered. If it is not a foreign car, it is necessary to check the passports of the unit and the owner, paying attention to its place of registration.
- A large number of previous owners should suggest that the car has technical faults or has an unscrupulous history. In the end, the car will completely break down or be alienated by court decision.
- A brand new certificate somehow does not harmonize with the appearance of an old car. Most likely, this means that the duplicate PTS in place of the submitted original hides the number of former owners of the vehicle.
Perhaps the main difference is the inscription in large font “DUPLICATE”. Her presence will accurately explain the reason for the exchange of evidence. Of course, if you have the slightest doubt about the history of the product or its legal purity, you should contact the traffic police department.
The procedure for obtaining a duplicate PTS in case of loss of the original PTS
Please note:
If the vehicle's title is lost, you will need to immediately contact the traffic police. There are known cases when duplicate cars appeared, the import of which was carried out under the guise of spare parts. It is impossible to legally register such vehicles. That's why scammers use lost documents.
When restoring a lost PTS, you must proceed according to the following scheme:
- The car owner prepares a package of documents. It is important to correctly fill out the receipt for payment of the state duty. You must not make mistakes in the details or payer data. In another situation, this may lead to refusal to accept documents.
- The citizen contacts the traffic police department. The visit is made in person. Then you need to queue at a special window.
- The car is placed on the site for inspection. Body and engine numbers are not always checked. However, if the need to perform an action arises, the presence of the machine on site will save time.
If all the above steps are completed correctly, and the traffic police officers did not decide to send the request to other authorities, a duplicate PTS and a new STS will be immediately provided.
Additional Information
The law does not indicate that only the owner has the right to receive a duplicate. The opportunity can be transferred to another person. For this purpose, a general power of attorney is issued. It is certified by a notary. A copy of the document is provided to the traffic police officer. Based on this, the legality of issuing the passport will be verified.
How to distinguish an original from a duplicate
The issued doublet, for whatever reason, is no different in appearance from the original.
Both of them indicate the presence of a vehicle officially registered with the traffic police. Any certificate has continuous numbering and series, an identical paper background, and filigree. In a word, they are equivalent. Their difference is observed only in the “Special Marks” section, where there is a rectangular stamp with the letters “Duplicate” entered into it. It must be said that with the receipt of an official copy, the original loses its meaning. Even if it comes to light, it will be considered invalid. The doublet has the same legal force as the original source, so its use will satisfy any situation with the intervention of the traffic police.
In addition to the mentioned rectangular print, the duplicate completely repeats all the data of the original, its details, and history. If it looks completely new, it will only be because the old one has fallen into disrepair or there are no free fields to add a new owner. Therefore, when you pick up a certificate sparkling with printing ink, you need to pay attention to the upper half of the document. Immediately below its name or holograms there is a rectangular stamp. Its perimeter limits large size letters “Duplicate”, while the “Special Notes” section explains the receipt of a doublet indicating repetition.
When purchasing a used unit, you should know what to be afraid of when there is a duplicate title. Such factors may be the car being seized, pledged, or the presence of penalties. It is not excluded that history may be erased due to a large number of former owners or improper operation of any enterprise.
Important information
Dear readers! The article talks about typical ways to resolve legal issues, but each case is individual. If you want to find out how to solve your particular problem , contact a consultant:
8 (800) 700 95 53
APPLICATIONS AND CALLS ARE ACCEPTED 24/7 and 7 days a week.
It's fast and FREE !
There are a number of documents that are required by the car owner. Among other things, these include the vehicle passport (abbreviated PTS).
The original of such a document, which was drawn up when the car was first put into operation, may, for a variety of reasons, be unusable or lost.
In such cases, the car owner acquires a duplicate PTS. This document has a dual characteristic.
On the one hand, it legally has exactly the same properties as the original PTS; they are completely indistinguishable in their capabilities.
On the other hand, if the seller has a duplicate, it means a significantly higher risk that crime is involved in this case.
Knowing in which cases there is an increased risk of fraud, you can avoid falling for the tricks of criminals.
Under what circumstances is it issued?
A duplicate vehicle passport (PTS) is issued in cases where the owner can no longer use the original document.
This situation can arise for a number of reasons:
| Loss of a document | Both as a result of non-criminal loss and as a result of theft |
| Damage to a document | As a result, it cannot be used |
| Completing lines in PTS | Which car owners fit into? |
There is a widespread belief that it is necessary to replace the PTS when changing your first or last name.
But there is an alternative interpretation of the legislation, according to which in this situation you can use the old PTS and a certificate of change of name or surname.
How to distinguish this document from the original
The duplicate PTS generally has the same appearance as the original document. When issuing it, blue paper is used.
The duplicate, like the original, is made by Goznak on an A4 sheet, and watermarks are applied to it. All duplicates have their own series and number that does not match the original number.
The number of columns in both types of paper is the same. The duplicate is made to look exactly like the original.
There is a noticeable difference for it, namely the inscription “DUPLICATE”, made in large letters on the document.
Photo: duplicate PTS
It is used to distinguish a copy, since a duplicate PTS without this inscription looks indistinguishable from the original document.
The special marks column indicates that this document is a duplicate.
Current regulatory framework
The current regulatory framework on this issue includes:
- Order of the IMF of the Russian Federation No. 605 “On approval of the Administrative Regulations of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for the provision of public services for the registration of motor vehicles and trailers for them” in the current version;
- Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation No. 1001 “On the procedure for registering vehicles,” adopted on November 24, 2008 in its current version.
How to get
This certificate is not required to be presented to road patrol officers. Basically, a document is required during the registration of a car that the latter belongs to a specific person. Long-term use of the unit, frequent changes of owners, loss or damage will render the form unreadable, which will require its replacement.
Obtaining an official copy is necessary for the further sale of the machine. When the owner of the unit applies for a duplicate PTS, it is issued on the same day, with the exception of additional checks. However, how to obtain a duplicate PTS, what documents need to be provided.
They are presented in the following package:
- certificate of ownership of the car;
- civil passport;
- certificate of compulsory motor third party liability insurance;
- bill of sale, purchase and sale agreement or other documents confirming the purchase of transport;
- an explanatory note indicating the reason for the replacement;
- a statement of the established form;
- receipt of payment of the state fee.
The text of the explanatory note is added with a written promise that if the former PTS is found, it will be returned to the traffic police. If the vehicle was stolen, a certificate from the police about the termination of the criminal case will be added. Not only the owner of the car, but also his representative with a notarized power of attorney has the right to receive an official copy.
The algorithm for obtaining a certificate doublet is as follows:
- Arrive at the registration and examination department on a unit that is about to be issued a new passport.
- Pay a state fee for issuing a document in the amount of 500 rubles, for issuing a repeated document - 300.
- Provide the car for inspection by an inspector, who will mark the loss or damage of the passport in the application.
You also need to hand over a set of documents to the traffic police officer and find out about the date of issue of the new passport.
If there is a robbery or theft of documents, including the one mentioned, you should not list it in the statement of theft to law enforcement agencies. Failure to comply with the recommendation will lead to the opening of a criminal case for theft, which is unknown when and how it will end.
A protracted investigation will not allow obtaining a new certificate, which will make the owner horseless for a long time. A statement of loss will allow you to receive a duplicate in the shortest possible time without any investigation. The new form will have a record of re-issuance, information from the old document.
No one to complain to
The non-owner seller must at least have a power of attorney confirming his authority. If there is no power of attorney, the situation may develop in unpredictable variations, warns leading lawyer of the European Legal Service Orest Matsala.
“The actual owner of the car will make a demand to declare the purchase and sale agreement invalid, since it was signed by an unauthorized person, and to reclaim the car. Or, on the contrary, the buyer finds out that he bought junk cars and wants to make quality claims, but there is no one to make them,” said Matsala.
Pirates on wheels: how to avoid becoming a victim of auto fraud
Fraudsters have returned to the roads again, demanding money from drivers for accidents.
State duty and duplicate
A visit to the registration and examination department precedes the receipt of a new certificate. Having arrived at the place, the driver writes a statement, pays a state fee of 800 rubles, and places the vehicle on the observation deck, where it is examined by an inspector.
An additional cost will be 500 rubles, which must be paid for a new certificate of registration of the unit. The package of papers is handed over to the appropriate window through which the delivery will take place.
Not everyone may be able to obtain a registered copy immediately. For example, the police may claim that the unit is stolen. But you can’t let your sleeves down here. It is necessary to require a written refusal, which can serve as evidence in court if the police acted incorrectly.
What to do if a replacement is refused?
Situations where an application to replace a PTS is left unfulfilled are not uncommon. Therefore, when faced with such actions by traffic police officers, it is necessary to obtain an official refusal, which can later be appealed in court or by contacting a higher official.
Reasons for refusal
Citizens' demands are not always met. The provision of a duplicate PTS may be refused in the following cases:
- there is a suspicion of car theft;
- the car cannot be registered due to violations of the requirements of current legislation;
- there is a suspicion that the car is wanted;
- an incomplete package of documents was provided;
- the state duty was not paid, or funds were transferred using incorrect details.
Actions in case of refusal to issue a duplicate PTS
If the traffic police officer did not provide the PTS, you must request a written refusal, which records the reasons for the decision. Based on the paper, the citizen has the right to re-collect the necessary documents and write a complaint. It is sent to the head of the MREO.
Attention
If the person is rejected again and does not agree with the verdict, the decision can be appealed in court. It is recommended to hire a lawyer - this will increase the chances of a positive decision.
How to protect yourself from scammers
Purchasing a used transport unit is the only way to own a car for most citizens. It's no secret that a new car costs much more than a used one. Of course, the most important advantage of a car dealership is that it issues legal documents, which cannot be said about buying a vehicle from a private owner.
After checking the technical condition, you should pay careful attention to the documents of the mobile unit, especially the passport. It may not take much time to study the original, but the doublet seems to be a special case.
The following will help protect yourself from scammers:
- a significant list of former owners, which may indicate a dark history of the product;
- a certificate of transport imported from abroad must have customs marks indicating payment of duties and other fees;
- the appearance of the car in the criminal case, if any, should also be reflected; perhaps the vehicle had incorrect numbers;
- a unit registered for disposal will not be re-registered, it is possible that the disposed documents will be replaced with current ones, the confirmation of legal purity will be the same symbols in the vehicle’s passport and the VIN code under the hood of the vehicle;
- selling a unit from remote regions and the same place of residence of the current seller also does not promise anything good;
- The presence of even a general power of attorney with the seller does not fully guarantee that the car is “dark”.
If you have any doubts about a copy, there are some steps you need to take.
For example, it is recommended:
- Contact the car dealership where the unit was originally purchased in order to find out the purchase history by VIN number;
- Make a transaction only with the direct owner, cutting off all intermediary transactions.
Having bought a car with unreliable documents, the buyer may want to sell it in the future. But he will be treated as an obvious fraudster who wants to push her out of existing debts, using a doublet instead of the original.
You should purchase a vehicle with a duplicate if there is a stamp indicating that the document was issued to replace the old one. A general power of attorney, a remote region of operation of the vehicle, a discrepancy between the certificate data and the actual characteristics of the unit should raise doubts in the buyer about the legal purity of the vehicle.
How to become a conscientious buyer
Knowing the last name, first name, patronymic, as well as the year of birth of the owner, you can find out information about his debts on the FSSP website. This is important: bailiffs can impose restrictions on the registration of the debtor’s car. It is equally important to make sure that the VIN number of the car is not in the register of pledges of the Federal Notary Chamber - in the future, if the case goes to court, this will allow the buyer to keep the car.
They wanted to lose their passport
Photo: Depositphotos
“The bank can reclaim the car from a bona fide buyer. The buyer himself can go to court with a demand for a refund of the money for the purchased car, but the seller may have nothing to pay. Contacting the police will also not lead to a refund. Returning money is not the responsibility of the police. To do this you need to go to court. If the buyer was careful and became convinced that at the time of purchasing the car the pledge was not in the register, and the seller did not warn about its presence, then the pledge is terminated under Art. 352 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation and the car will remain with the bona fide buyer, Orest Matsala told Izvestia.
In terms of COVID: after self-isolation, compulsory motor liability insurance may fall in price by 15%
At the same time, a number of insurance companies already offer discounts on comprehensive insurance.
How not to buy a credit car
A new technical or counterfeit document may indicate that a car is pledged to the bank. It is not yet possible to check the availability of a car loan using any resource.
The following signs will prompt you to report a quiet sale of a unit pledged by the bank:
- presence of transit state numbers;
- recent acquisition;
- urgent sale with full payment;
- Of course, the price of transport is very different from the market price.
Of course, it is impossible to predict everything in advance, but first of all you should do the following:
- Study the technical data sheet.
- Pay attention to the bill of sale, which indicates the grounds for purchasing the funds.
- There may be a collateral agreement.
- Take note of the VIN code under the hood.
The latter can be checked using the traffic police database or another resource.
In what cases is it issued?
When replacing the original car passport document, the car owner is given a duplicate paper. A transport passport can be issued if:
- there is no space left for recording vehicle owners in the original passport;
- the car's performance and information about the current owner have been changed (change of last name, first name or patronymic, owner's registered address);
- the original document is lost (stolen or damaged).
In case of replacement of the transport passport, based on the above cases, no doubts should arise on the part of the buyer.
The seller will be able to present the original passport at any time, which remains in the hands of the owner when the document is replaced with a duplicate. It is the original that will allow the buyer to be convinced of the seller’s honesty and the security of the transaction. In the event of fraudulent actions on the part of the trader, he will not be able to provide the original passport for transport, because it may be pledged to a credit institution.
How to find out how many owners a car has had
When buying a used unit, you want to be sure that it has had one or two decent owners.
Fraudsters know this too, so they try to “lose” the original certificate and show the buyer a fake or official document, but with its history erased.
Therefore, it’s good to know what a duplicate PTS looks like with a stamp of the same name and a mention that it is secondary. The traffic police resource will help you find out the number of former owners, where you need to enter the vin code. The buyer will be presented with the entire history of the purchased unit.
Is it worth going to dealers?
To minimize risks, experts advise purchasing a used car from a car dealership.
“Purchasing a used car from an official dealer eliminates the substitution of the VIN code, ensures legal purity and transparency of the technical condition, since the dealer is responsible under the contract,” said the sales director of Avilon. Used cars" Anton Demkin. The buyer will be able to submit all claims regarding the car to the car dealership within the framework of the Consumer Rights Protection Law.
However, there is a difference between car dealership and car dealership; unofficial dealers can skew mileage and hide technical shortcomings. “The buyer may also encounter fly-by-night salons. The cars were sold, the company was liquidated, and there is no one to file a claim with,” said Orest Matsala.
