Affidavit of Loss

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No matter how careful you are of keeping valuable items, there are just days when we lose them. You may have misplaced it somewhere or accidentally tossed it in the trash. But it doesn’t matter how it got lost, you just need to go through the hassle and inconvenience of getting another one. And you know that when requesting for a replacement of a lost object, especially if it’s in the workplace or it’s a government issued item, an Affidavit of Loss is  usually required. A blank Affidavit of Loss is widely available online, but read on below to learn more about it and its purpose. Read More

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No matter how careful you are of keeping valuable items, there are just days when we lose them. You may have misplaced it somewhere or accidentally tossed it in the trash. But it doesn’t matter how it got lost, you just need to go through the hassle and inconvenience of getting another one. And you know that when requesting for a replacement of a lost object, especially if it’s in the workplace or it’s a government issued item, an Affidavit of Loss is  usually required. A blank Affidavit of Loss is widely available online, but read on below to learn more about it and its purpose.

What is an Affidavit of Loss?

An Affidavit of Loss is a legal document that contains statements of facts about the loss of an object or a personal belonging. It’s usually created to swear and affirm the loss of certain documents such as government issued IDs. An Affidavit of Loss is also used to recover documents or items that have been damaged as a result of fires and floods as well as theft and fraud. 

It is most commonly used to get a replacement of the following documents:

  1. Driver’s license, 
  2. Passport, 
  3. Documents relating to registration of vehicles 
  4. Certificates of title of real estates
  5. Certificates of ownership of securities

How To write An Affidavit of Loss In Five Steps

If you haven’t lost any valuable document, then you must have not heard about the Affidavit of Loss. It is stressful to lose an important document, but the recovery process can be really easy. All you need to do is make an oath and state all relevant facts about the lost item and sign it in front of a witness, oftentimes, a notary public. It is that simple and here’s how you can do it in just five steps.

Name Your Document

The title of your document can be as simple as “Affidavit.” But in order to name your document, you must know its purpose. This will allow you to set the tone of your affidavit and better prepare a detailed record of what has happened that fits your needs.

Identify the Affiant and specify biographical information

If you are the one making your own Affidavit of Loss, you must start by introducing yourself. That is to say, write in the first person to demonstrate ownership. You also need to indicate some of your personal information such as full legal name, age, civil status, and the address where you currently live.

Attest and affirm the truthfulness of the affidavit

After identifying yourself as the affiant, you have to swear under oath and in accordance with the law that everything you say in your affidavit is true and correct to the best of your ability. This statement of truth will attest to the veracity of your statements and will hold you accountable to your words.

Write down statement of facts

Affidavit of Loss is a legal document that must contain sworn statements of facts. These should be verifiable and declaring:

  1. The physical loss of an item or object is through loss, theft, or destruction
  2. Details about the loss, relevant events and description that leads up to the situation
  3. A request for a replacement of the lost item or object
  4. Provision or non-provision of  supporting documents like a copy of a police report for further documentation

Sign in front of a notary public

Once done writing your affidavit, review your document before having it notarized. Check with your local court if remote notarization is allowed. Otherwise, you would have to take your document to an officer of the law who is authorized to administer oaths. Remember, do not sign your document yet as the notary public has to witness you sign every page of your affidavit before they can acknowledge and sign it. After this step, you may use this document as needed or for its specified purpose, including application of replacement of the lost items.

FAQs

Is there a certain format that I need to follow when writing an Affidavit of Loss?

There are no specific set of laws that outline the contents of an Affidavit of Loss. However, it must be noted that this type of affidavit is covered by the rules of notarial practice to ensure ethical conduct among notaries public.

Is it always required to make an Affidavit of Loss every time something is misplaced, lost, stolen, or damaged?

Anything misplaced, lost, stolen, or damaged may require an affidavit of loss. There are certain organizations and agencies that require this document for anything lost and requested to be replaced. But there are also some institutions that forego this requirement but follow certain standard operating procedures when it comes to this situation. So it is best that you talk to them about it.

Can an affidavit of loss ensure that I would get a replacement for the item that was lost, stolen, or damaged?

It depends on what the item is and the requirements for replacements of the lost, stolen, or damaged objects. Government issued identifications usually need you to comply with several requirements including an affidavit of loss before they can process your request for a replacement. Some organizations only need this affidavit, and some have a completely different process.

Are all Affidavits of Loss the same?

Yes and no. As mentioned, you have to know what the affidavit of loss is all about. You need to indicate what you will use it for, the events that led up to the loss of the item, and the items that were lost. Aside from that, the direction of your affidavit will depend on what items were lost, stolen, or damaged. Lost certificates of securities, stocks, and promissory notes may have different affidavits of loss format and content compared to a lost company ID.

In general, Affidavit of Loss is used to replace important records or documents that are misplaced, damaged, or stolen. It can be anything from stock or securities certificates, property titles, government IDs and records, and even workplace documents. It’s a common affidavit that is widely available online. Don’t inconvenience yourself by creating an affidavit from scratch. Take a look at our form online if you need to write your own affidavit.