# Salvage and Rebuilt Title Disclosure by State: What Dealers Must Tell the Buyer
> Salvage title disclosure requirements by state for car dealers: which states require written, signed disclosure of a rebuilt or salvage brand, the forms, and sources.
- Source: https://www.dealervlo.com/blog/salvage-title-disclosure-by-state
- Published: 2026-10-04
- Updated: 2026-10-04
- Author: Chris Abouraad
- Tags: salvage title, rebuilt title, state requirements, compliance, deal jacket
---
Every state brands a salvage car's title, but the rules for telling the buyer about the brand vary a lot. Some states hand you a numbered form, some want a notice taped to the window, some want a line on the contract, and some say nothing specific at all. If you sell rebuilt cars, or take trades that turn out to carry a brand, salvage title disclosure requirements by state is a list you need in one place.
This is that list: what each state requires a dealer to disclose about a salvage, rebuilt or other branded title, how, and on what form, with a link to the statute or agency source for each. It's an operator's summary of what we found in each state's own code and DMV materials as of October 2026, not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm with your state before you rely on a row.
Keep every signed disclosure with the deal it belongs to in DealerVLO: start your 14-day free trial
## The part that's the same in every state
**No federal rule requires the disclosure.** Federal law built the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS), and NMVTIS "keeps a history of brands that have been applied to the vehicle by any state." But the federal law is a reporting system, not a disclosure rule. When the FTC updated the Used Car Rule in 2016, it considered a branded-title checkbox for the Buyers Guide and didn't adopt it. Instead it added a line on the front of the guide telling buyers to obtain a vehicle history report. The [Buyers Guide walkthrough](/blog/how-to-fill-out-ftc-buyers-guide) covers that form.
**Brands follow the car.** A brand applied in one state shows up in NMVTIS when you run the VIN anywhere, and most states carry an out-of-state brand onto their own title. Run an NMVTIS report before you buy any car. A brand you didn't know about is still a brand you're selling.
**A salvage title isn't a road title.** In the states we checked, a car on a salvage title or certificate can't be registered for the road until it's repaired, inspected and retitled with a rebuilt-type brand. The [guide to selling salvage and rebuilt title cars](/blog/selling-salvage-rebuilt-title-cars-dealer) covers buying, rebuilding and pricing them.
**Disclose in writing even where the statute is quiet.** Where we found no dealer-specific rule, state deceptive-practices law still applies. Hiding a brand you knew about is the kind of thing state attorneys general sue over. Indiana's attorney general, for one, announced $100,000 in restitution in 2020 from four dealers it said sold more than 200 salvage-auction cars without a salvage or rebuilt brand.
## How states require the disclosure
The states that spell out a dealer duty use some mix of these:
- **A state form the buyer signs.** Virginia's VSA 59, Wyoming's MV-602, Delaware's MV724, Illinois's DOP-115, Indiana's State Form 55974, Idaho's ITD 5580, North Carolina's MVR-181, Iowa's Form 411108 and Colorado's DR 2710 are all forms the buyer signs.
- **A statement on the contract or bill of sale.** Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Connecticut put the disclosure in the sales paperwork itself.
- **A notice on the car.** Arkansas, Kentucky, South Dakota and Texas require a notice displayed on the vehicle while it's for sale. California requires a red warning sticker near the Buyers Guide when the dealer's NMVTIS report shows a brand.
- **Set wording.** Alabama's and Kentucky's statutes print the exact words and a minimum type size.
- **Out loud as well as in writing.** Minnesota (except online sales) and Vermont.
Where a state publishes a fillable form, you can upload it to DealerVLO once under Settings → Forms. DealerVLO maps its fields and fills the vehicle, buyer and dealership details from every deal after that. The buyer can e-sign it in person or from an emailed link, and the signed PDF stays in that deal's jacket. If your state has no form, upload the disclosure your attorney drafted and it works the same way.
## Salvage title disclosure requirements by state, at a glance
"Not found" means we searched the state's title, dealer and consumer-protection statutes and regulations twice and found no dealer-specific written disclosure rule for branded titles. It doesn't mean no rule exists. In several of those states, a general damage-disclosure rule still covers most rebuilt cars, as each state's section explains, and each section links its sources.
| State | Dealer must disclose the brand? | How | State form |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Yes | In writing, statutory wording, at or before sale | None; statute sets the wording |
| Alaska | Not found | Must pass on a consumer seller's signed accident and repair history | None for brands |
| Arizona | Yes | In writing or electronically, before the sale is complete | None |
| Arkansas | Yes | Window notice; buyer signs before the sale | Buyer's Notification – Salvage Vehicle |
| California | Yes | NMVTIS report before display; red WARNING sticker if branded | None; statute sets the sticker |
| Colorado | Yes | Copy to each prospective buyer; signed acknowledgment | DR 2710 |
| Connecticut | Yes | In the sales contract | None |
| Delaware | Yes | Buyer signs a DMV-approved statement, filed with the title | MV724 |
| District of Columbia | Not found (flood: yes) | Written notice of flood status; damage over $1,000 on the car order and bill of sale | None |
| Florida | Yes | In writing before the sale; ads must state the brand | None |
| Georgia | Not found | Brand appears on the title; rebuilder gives the buyer the rebuild documents | None |
| Hawaii | No brand rule (damage notice: yes) | Written notice of known damage over $1,000 before offering the car; recertification notice on salvage resale | None |
| Idaho | Yes | Conspicuous disclosure; buyer signs; proof sent to ITD | ITD 5580 Vehicle Brand Disclosure Form |
| Illinois | Yes | Signed form delivered to the buyer before the sale | DOP-115 Disclosure of Rebuilt Vehicle Status |
| Indiana | Yes | In writing before the sale; buyer signs an acknowledgment | State Form 55974 |
| Iowa | Yes | Damage disclosure statement signed by both, at or before sale (7 model years or newer) | Form 411108 |
| Kansas | Not found | Brand on the title; rebuilt salvage notice on the door frame | None |
| Kentucky | Yes | "THIS IS A REBUILT VEHICLE" sticker plus a buyer's notification the buyer signs | None found for the notification |
| Louisiana | Yes | Conspicuous written document before the sale | None found for dealers |
| Maine | Yes | Rebuilder or dealer discloses in writing, with the repairs | None (MVT-103 is the rebuilder's affidavit) |
| Maryland | Not found | Brand appears on the title | None |
| Massachusetts | Yes | "Fully and fairly disclose"; stated in the purchase contract | None |
| Michigan | Yes | Written certification signed by buyer and dealer before the sale agreement | Salvage Vehicle Disclosure Certification (Dealer Manual) |
| Minnesota | Yes | Written (buyer signs) and oral, except online sales | Damage disclosure on PS2000A |
| Mississippi | Not found | Can't be sold by a dealer until retitled rebuilt | None |
| Missouri | Not found (junking certificate: yes) | Written disclosure only for junking certificates | None |
| Montana | Not found | Misstating a car's prior status is deceptive | None |
| Nebraska | Not found | Brand must be on the title before resale | None |
| Nevada | Yes | In writing before the contract; copy to the buyer | None |
| New Hampshire | Yes | In writing before the sale, with the reason | None |
| New Jersey | Not found | Written total-loss notice keeps the car out of the used-car warranty | None |
| New Mexico | No brand rule (damage affidavit: yes) | Affidavit at sale on chassis repair from wreck damage (6% of price or more) | Model form in 12.2.14 NMAC |
| New York | Yes | Inform before sale; affirm in writing on the bill of sale | MV-103 (when the title lacks the disclosure) |
| North Carolina | Yes | In writing before transfer | MVR-181 |
| North Dakota | Yes | Signed statement, filed with the title application | SFN 18609 |
| Ohio | Yes | Before the buyer signs any purchase document | None |
| Oklahoma | Yes | On the contract or bill of sale, with written acknowledgment | None; Commission-approved sales form |
| Oregon | Yes | Before the sale, or an unbranded title is implied | None |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | In the written sales contract, and in ads and sales presentations | None |
| Rhode Island | Yes | In writing on the bill of sale | None |
| South Carolina | Not found | Brand is permanent on the title | None |
| South Dakota | Yes | 4x6 window notice; buyer signs it at the sale | None; rule sets the notice |
| Tennessee | Yes | Buyer acknowledges in writing before the sale | Notice – Disclosure of Rebuilt or Salvage Vehicle |
| Texas | Yes | Window disclosure; separate buyer signature at sale | TxDMV window sign |
| Utah | Yes | Written notice before the sale; ads must say so | TC-814 (per Utah MVED) |
| Vermont | Yes | Orally and in writing, on the bill of sale or agreement | None |
| Virginia | Yes | In writing on the Commissioner's form before the sale | VSA 59 |
| Washington | Yes | Clearly, in writing (license-discipline rule) | None |
| West Virginia | General rule only | Clear notice before sale of fire, water or other natural-event damage | None |
| Wisconsin | Yes | On the Wisconsin Buyers Guide; buyer signs before delivery | Wisconsin Buyers Guide (MV2872) |
| Wyoming | Yes | On the state form; buyer signs before the sale | MV-602 |
## State by state
### Alabama
- **What makes it salvage:** an insurer or other person pays a total loss and the damage is at least 75% of the vehicle's fair retail value, among other triggers.
- **Before it's driven:** a car on a salvage or junk certificate can't be driven on the highways. The Department of Revenue inspects it ($75 inspection plus $15 title), then issues a title marked "Rebuilt" and a decal.
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [Ala. Code § 32-8-87(p)](https://law.justia.com/codes/alabama/title-32/chapter-8/article-4/section-32-8-87/), any seller of a vehicle titled salvage or rebuilt must disclose it in writing at or before the sale, using the statute's wording in at least 10-point type: "This vehicle's title contains the designation salvage or rebuilt." Flood vehicles get their own wording under § 32-8-87(q).
- **Form:** none. The statute sets the wording.
### Alaska
- **What makes it salvage:** an insurer brands an unrepairable vehicle "junk," and the DMV may brand a junk or wrecked vehicle's title salvage.
- **Before it's driven:** the DMV won't register a salvage-titled vehicle until reconstruction is complete ([2 AAC 92.190](https://www.akleg.gov/basis/aac.asp?media=print&secStart=2.92.170&secEnd=2.92.199)). The paperwork is Form 829, the Reconstructed Vehicle Affidavit, with Form 811.
- **Dealer disclosure:** we found no brand-specific dealer disclosure rule. Separately, [AS 45.25.465](https://www.akleg.gov/basis/statutes.asp?media=print&secStart=45.25.465&secEnd=45.25.465) requires a dealer buying a car from a consumer to get a written, seller-signed accident and repair history and give that information to prospective buyers. If you bought the car at auction or from another dealer or wholesaler, the same section requires telling the buyer that before the sale.
- **Form:** none for brands. The Attorney General publishes a Used Automobile Intake and Disclosure Form for the accident and repair history.
### Arizona
- **What makes it salvage:** damage to the extent the owner or insurer considers it uneconomical to repair. There's no percentage.
- **Before it's driven:** a salvage title isn't eligible for regular registration. A Level III inspection by ADOT ($50) leads to a restored salvage title.
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [A.R.S. § 28-2091(O)](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/02091.htm) and [§ 28-2095(H)](https://www.azleg.gov/ars/28/02095.htm), a seller who knows of a salvage or restored salvage title must "clearly and conspicuously disclose in writing or by electronic means" before the sale is complete.
- **Form:** none.
### Arkansas
- **What makes it salvage:** water damage, or other damage equal to or more than 70% of average retail value. The salvage rules apply to vehicles no more than seven model years old at the time of the damage.
- **Before it's driven:** the repairer completes an Affidavit of Reconstruction, and the title is reissued "REBUILT."
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [Ark. Code § 27-14-2303](https://law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/title-27/subtitle-2/chapter-14/subchapter-23/section-27-14-2303/), the dealer posts a Buyer's Notification on a side window, facing out, while the car is for sale. It has to describe the brand and the damage, the buyer signs it before the sale, and the seller keeps a copy. Without the signature, the buyer can void the sale within 60 days.
- **Form:** [Buyer's Notification – Salvage Vehicle](https://www.dfa.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/SalvageTitleBuyersNotification.pdf).
### California
- **What makes it salvage:** the owner or insurer considers the car uneconomical to repair, or a total-loss payment was made ([Veh. Code § 544](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH§ionNum=544)).
- **Before it's driven:** a total loss salvage vehicle can't be registered again until the paperwork, a vehicle safety systems certificate and any required smog certificate are submitted. A CHP inspection may also be required ([§ 11519](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH§ionNum=11519)).
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [§ 11713.26](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH§ionNum=11713.26), a dealer must get an NMVTIS report before displaying or offering a used car at retail. If it shows a brand, or a junk, salvage or insurer total-loss record, the dealer posts the statutory "WARNING" disclosure in red near the FTC Buyers Guide and gives the buyer a copy of the report on request. Separately, § 11515(h) requires anyone selling on a salvage certificate to disclose the total-loss status at or before the sale.
- **Form:** none. The statute sets the sticker's text and format.
### Colorado
- **What makes it salvage:** an insurer total loss, repair cost above the retail value immediately before the damage, flood damage, or another state's salvage brand. Hail and theft damage are excluded from the repair-cost test.
- **Before it's driven:** the DMV says a salvage-titled car can't be driven until it's repaired and retitled "rebuilt from salvage." That takes a certified VIN inspection and "REBUILT FROM SALVAGE" stamped on the driver's door pillar.
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [C.R.S. § 42-6-206](https://law.justia.com/codes/colorado/title-42/certificates-of-title/article-6/part-2/section-42-6-206/), before selling a car rebuilt from salvage the seller gives every prospective buyer a disclosure and gets a signed acknowledgment. Without it the buyer is entitled to a full refund. The DMV says every title brand must be disclosed on the DR 2710.
- **Dealers also:** the Motor Vehicle Dealer Board's regulation 44-20-121(3)(h) requires a signed disclosure of all known material particulars before the contract, including salvage status and repaired or unrepaired frame, flood, fire, hail, or collision damage, and selling as-is doesn't remove it. From July 1, 2027, rebuilt-from-salvage titles will carry the disclosure on the title itself (HB 25-1189).
- **Form:** [DR 2710 Branded Title Disclosure Statement](https://dmv.colorado.gov/sites/dmv/files/documents/DR2710_2024.pdf). The DR 2424 is the owner's statement for the rebuilt title, not the buyer disclosure. See the [DR 2710 guide](/guide/how-to-fill-out-form-dr-2710-colorado).
### Connecticut
- **What makes it salvage:** an insurer stamps "SALVAGE" on the title of a vehicle declared a total loss.
- **Before it's driven:** a salvage-stamped vehicle can't be operated on the highway except to get to inspection. It must pass a § 14-103a inspection ($88) before it can be registered or retitled.
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [Conn. Gen. Stat. § 42-225(b)](https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_743f.htm), the dealer must disclose in the sales contract that the car was declared a constructive total loss. That applies when the title is stamped "totalled" or "salvaged," the bill of sale says so, or the seller or lienholder told the dealer.
- **Form:** none.
### Delaware
- **What makes it salvage:** a salvage certificate is issued when a vehicle is transferred as salvage after a total loss insurance settlement.
- **Before it's driven:** the DMV says it can't be driven until it's reconstructed, inspected by the Delaware State Police Auto Theft Unit, passes safety inspection and is retitled.
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [21 Del. C. § 6309(d)](https://delcode.delaware.gov/title21/c063/index.html), a dealer must disclose a "reconstructed," "flood damaged," "salvage" or "taxi" brand. The buyer signs a DMV-approved statement, and a copy is filed with the title application. Without it, the buyer can rescind at any time for a full refund.
- **Form:** [MV724 Dealer Disclosure Statement of Title Brand](https://dmv.de.gov/VehicleServices/dealers/pdfs/MV724%20Dealer%20Disclosure%20Statement%20of%20Title%20Brand.pdf). See the [MV724 guide](/guide/how-to-fill-out-form-mv724-delaware).
### District of Columbia
- **What makes it salvage:** the cost to rebuild exceeds 75% of the vehicle's retail value before the damage.
- **Before it's driven:** no salvage vehicle may be registered. A rebuilt salvage title follows inspection.
- **Dealer disclosure:** we found no salvage-brand disclosure rule for dealers in the D.C. Code or Municipal Regulations, though representing a salvage vehicle as a rebuilt salvage vehicle is a crime (§ 50-1331.08). Flood vehicles require written notice before transfer ([§ 50-1331.03](https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/50-1331.03)). Separately, [§ 50-505](https://code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/50-505) requires a dealer to give written notice, before offering any used car, of known material defects and of fire, water or collision damage that cost more than $1,000 to repair. Under [16 DCMR 1421](https://www.dcregs.dc.gov/Common/DCMR/SectionList.aspx?SectionNumber=16-1421), that notice goes on the car order and bill of sale, in type as large as the largest on those documents, and a windshield sign in three-inch letters says whether the car has been inspected for defects.
- **Form:** none.
### Florida
- **What makes it salvage:** a total loss. That means an insurer pays to replace the vehicle, or for an uninsured vehicle, repair cost is 80% or more of the cost to replace it.
- **Before it's driven:** the state inspects the vehicle before stamping a rebuilt title. FLHSMV's procedure TL-37 sets a $40 inspection and says a dealer that rebuilds a salvage car must get the rebuilt title in its own name before selling it. The builder's statement is [HSMV 84490](/guide/how-to-fill-out-form-hsmv-84490-florida).
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [Fla. Stat. § 319.14](http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0300-0399/0319/Sections/0319.14.html), the seller must disclose in writing, before the sale is completed, that the vehicle is rebuilt (or flood, or another listed brand). Every ad must state it too.
- **Form:** none.
### Georgia
- **What makes it salvage:** restoring it would take two or more major component parts, or an insurer paid a total loss claim and it hasn't been repaired. Cosmetic damage doesn't count unless it's from fire or flood.
- **Before it's driven:** the owner can't drive it on Georgia roads. A licensed rebuilder repairs it, photos are taken before repair, and the state inspects it before painting. The [Department of Revenue](https://dor.georgia.gov/titles-rebuilt-or-restored-vehicles) says it must be towed, not driven, to the inspection.
- **Dealer disclosure:** we found no statute requiring a dealer to give a separate written brand disclosure. The rebuilt brand is on the title ([O.C.G.A. 40-3-36](https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/title-40/chapter-3/article-2/section-40-3-36/)). A Department of Revenue rule requires the rebuilder to give the buyer copies of the rebuild documents at the sale.
- **Form:** none.
### Hawaii
- **What makes it salvage:** an insurer declares a total loss with material damage to the electronics, frame, unibody or suspension, and repair cost exceeds market value.
- **Before it's driven:** a salvage certificate lets the holder possess and transport the vehicle but not drive it. A rebuilt vehicle needs an inspection certificate from the bonded repair dealer that rebuilt it before it can be licensed, and the title reads "Rebuilt Vehicle."
- **Dealer disclosure:** we found no rule aimed at the brand itself. But under [HRS 481J-4](https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol11_Ch0476-0490/HRS0481J/HRS_0481J-0004.htm), a dealer may not offer a used car without first giving written notice of known fire, water or collision damage that cost more than $1,000 in parts and labor to repair, and whether the dealer inspected the car. The notice is delivered at or before the contract. That chapter has exemptions, including cars sold for less than $1,500, cars five or more years old, and cars over 75,000 miles when the mileage is stated in writing ([HRS 481J-3](https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol11_Ch0476-0490/HRS0481J/HRS_0481J-0003.htm)). A seller reselling a salvage vehicle must also tell the buyer in writing about the recertification requirements ([HRS 286-48](https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol05_Ch0261-0319/HRS0286/HRS_0286-0048.htm)).
- **Form:** none.
### Idaho
- **What makes it salvage:** repair cost minus salvage value makes it uneconomical to fix, or an insurer paid a total loss settlement.
- **Before it's driven:** a salvage certificate shows ownership only and isn't valid for registration. The owner files a Salvage Vehicle Statement (ITD 3311) for a "rebuilt salvage vehicle" brand.
- **Dealer disclosure:** under the Transportation Department rule [IDAPA 39.02.05.300](https://files.dfm.idaho.gov/dfm-admin-website/rules/current/39/390205.pdf), a dealer must disclose a salvage or branded status conspicuously. The buyer signs that they received it, the dealer keeps a record, and proof goes to the department.
- **Form:** [ITD 5580 Vehicle Brand Disclosure Form](https://adacounty.id.gov/assessor/wp-content/uploads/sites/34/Vehicle-Brand-Disclosure-Form-ITD-5580a.pdf) (posted by the Ada County Assessor).
### Illinois
- **What makes it salvage:** an insurer total loss payment, among other triggers. A flood vehicle is salvage only if repairs exceed 50% of fair market value.
- **Before it's driven:** a salvage vehicle can't be driven except to or from inspection. Only licensed rebuilders can bring a vehicle out of salvage, and the Secretary of State's fact sheet says Illinois dealers can't sell salvage vehicles to the public.
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [625 ILCS 5/5-104.3](https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/062500050K5-104.3.htm), the sale of a vehicle with a rebuilt title must come with a signed Disclosure of Rebuilt Vehicle Status delivered to the buyer. The form says it must be completed before the sale. A dealer can't sell a car on an out-of-state rebuilt title without first getting an Illinois "REBUILT" title.
- **Form:** [DOP-115 Disclosure of Rebuilt Vehicle Status](https://www.ilsos.gov/content/dam/publications/pdf_publications/sos_dop115.pdf).
### Indiana
- **What makes it salvage:** for vehicles from the last seven model years, any of three triggers: an insurer settles because repair is economically impractical, repair cost exceeds 70% of fair market value, or the car is flood-damaged.
- **Before it's driven:** a state police inspection of the major component parts and a restorer's affidavit lead to a "REBUILT VEHICLE" title. The state's disclosure form notes that a salvage-branded vehicle can't get an interim plate.
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [IC 9-32-13-6](https://law.justia.com/codes/indiana/title-9/article-32/chapter-13/section-9-32-13-6/), it's an unfair practice for a dealer to sell a rebuilt or salvage vehicle without disclosing it in writing before the sale. The buyer must sign an acknowledgment.
- **Form:** [State Form 55974 Salvage or Rebuilt Vehicle Disclosure](https://forms.in.gov/Download.aspx?id=12642).
### Iowa
- **What makes it salvage:** repair cost over 70% of fair market value, or an insurer acquires it in a settlement.
- **Before it's driven:** a peace officer's salvage theft examination ($50) is required for a regular title. It isn't a safety inspection, and a permit lets you drive to and from it.
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [Iowa Code 321.69](https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/321.69.pdf), every seller gives a damage disclosure statement at or before the sale, signed by both parties. It states whether the vehicle was titled salvage, rebuilt or flood, or was damaged past 70% of its value. It covers vehicles seven model years old or newer, and dealers keep copies for five years. A missing or non-working airbag must be disclosed in writing on a vehicle of any age.
- **Form:** Form 411108 Motor Vehicle Damage Disclosure Statement, or the back of the title.
### Kansas
- **What makes it salvage:** for a vehicle from the current or six preceding model years, repair of 75% or more of fair market value, or an insurer total loss ([K.S.A. 8-197](https://ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch08/008_001_0097.html)).
- **Before it's driven:** a salvage vehicle isn't registered. After inspection, the Highway Patrol fixes a rebuilt salvage notice to the left door frame.
- **Dealer disclosure:** we found no dealer-specific disclosure rule. Some websites cite "K.S.A. 8-199(f)" or "K.A.R. 40-1-28" for one, but the current statute has no such subsection and that regulation is an insurance rule. Removing or altering the Highway Patrol's rebuilt salvage door-frame notice is a misdemeanor (K.S.A. 8-199a).
- **Form:** none.
### Kentucky
- **What makes it salvage:** parts and labor to rebuild exceed 75% of retail value.
- **Before it's driven:** a vehicle can't be registered for the highway while a salvage title is in force, except to drive to the inspection.
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [KRS 186A.530](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=57823), the dealer does two things before the sale:
- puts a sticker on the vehicle reading "THIS IS A REBUILT VEHICLE" in at least 10-point bold type;
- discloses the brand on a buyer's notification form the buyer signs. Without the signature, the buyer can void the sale within 45 days after the title issues.
Vehicles more than ten model years old are exempt. Separately, [KRS 186A.540](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=46719) requires a signed written disclosure of damage over $2,000 that happened while the dealer had the car.
- **Form:** we didn't find a Transportation Cabinet buyer's notification form, so use your own.
### Louisiana
- **What makes it salvage:** damage of 75% or more of market value under the NADA guide.
- **Before it's driven:** a rebuilt vehicle can't be driven on public roads until it's inspected and registered on a "RECONSTRUCTED" title.
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [La. R.S. 32:706.1](https://legis.la.gov/legis/LawPrint.aspx?d=88519), every seller of a vehicle with a salvage, reconstructed or assembled title, or a certificate of destruction, must disclose it in a conspicuous written document before the sale. A buyer who didn't get it can rescind and recover the price, fees and taxes. Flood water damage must also be disclosed in writing ([R.S. 32:1265](https://legis.la.gov/Legis/LawPrint.aspx?d=321506)).
- **Form:** we found no numbered dealer form for the brand disclosure.
### Maine
- **What makes it salvage:** an insurer or owner declares a total loss, or the vehicle goes to a recycler or salvage dealer.
- **Before it's driven:** a repaired or rebuilt salvage vehicle can be titled, registered or offered for sale only after its VIN and component parts are inspected and verified.
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [29-A M.R.S. § 667](https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/29-A/title29-Asec667.html), the repairer or rebuilder must disclose in writing that the vehicle was salvage and what repairs were made. The state's guidance says dealers selling these vehicles must do the same and mark the Buyers Guide "SALVAGE VEHICLE." Every used car on a Maine lot also carries a window statement that must name known fire, water or substantial collision damage.
- **Form:** none for the buyer. The MVT-103 is the rebuilder's affidavit to the state.
### Maryland
- **What makes it salvage:** the cost to repair the vehicle for legal operation exceeds 75% of fair market value, or an insurer acquired it in a claim settlement.
- **Before it's driven:** the MVA says a salvage vehicle "cannot be registered or driven until it has been rebuilt, inspected, and approved." A rebuilt title needs a police inspection certificate and a safety inspection, and is branded "rebuilt salvage."
- **Dealer disclosure:** we found no dealer-specific written disclosure rule for used cars. The brand appears on the title ([Transp. § 13-507](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=gtr§ion=13-507&enactments=false)). An older MVA rule requiring dealers to identify formerly wrecked or water-damaged cars, still quoted online, was repealed when COMAR 11.12.01 was replaced in March 2017.
- **Form:** none.
### Massachusetts
- **What makes it salvage:** the owner or insurer considers it uneconomical to repair. Passenger vehicles ten or more years old don't need a salvage title.
- **Before it's driven:** a total loss salvage vehicle can't be titled or registered until it passes a State Police salvage inspection. The new title carries the notation "reconstructed."
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [M.G.L. c. 90D § 20C(d)](https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter90D/Section20C), anyone transferring a salvage-titled vehicle must "fully and fairly disclose that fact." The Attorney General's regulation [940 CMR 5.04](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/massachusetts/940-CMR-5-04) requires the dealer's purchase contract to state that the car is "a rebuilt vehicle which was previously declared a total loss by an insurance company" when the dealer knows or should know.
- **Form:** none. The [MA damage disclosure guide](/guide/how-to-fill-out-ma-damage-disclosure) covers what a written disclosure should include.
### Michigan
- **What makes it salvage:** for a late-model vehicle acquired by an insurer, repair cost from 75% to under 91% of pre-damage value. At 91% or more it's scrap and can't be rebuilt ([MCL 257.217c](https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-257-217c)).
- **Before it's driven:** a salvage title lets the holder possess and transport the vehicle but not drive it on a highway. A specially trained officer inspects it before it's titled "rebuilt salvage."
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [Mich. Admin. Code R 257.253](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/michigan/Mich-Admin-Code-R-257-253), before the sale agreement on a repaired late-model salvage vehicle, the dealer certifies it to the buyer in writing, and both sign. The Secretary of State's Dealer Manual says to keep the signed copy in the deal jacket for five years and to check the brand box on the RD-108.
- **Form:** the Salvage Vehicle Disclosure Certification template in [chapter 5 of the Dealer Manual](https://www.michigan.gov/sos/-/media/Project/Websites/sos/01preston/Dealer_Manual_Chapter_5.pdf).
### Minnesota
- **What makes it salvage:** an insurer total loss, or repairs over 80% of the vehicle's value immediately before the damage.
- **Before it's driven:** a "salvage" title doesn't allow registration. A DVS inspection ($35) leads to a "prior salvage" title.
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [Minn. Stat. § 325F.6641](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/325F.6641), a dealer must disclose, in writing and (except for online sales) orally, any title brand it knows of, damage over 80% of actual cash value, and flooding on the lot. The buyer signs the written disclosure and the dealer keeps it in the sales file.
- **Form:** the damage disclosure statement on the PS2000A title application. There's no separate state form for the brand disclosure.
### Mississippi
- **What makes it salvage:** an insurer obtains the vehicle by paying a total loss claim, with some exclusions for older, low-value vehicles.
- **Before it's driven:** it's unlawful to drive a car on a salvage title except to and from inspection. The Department of Public Safety inspects it for a rebuilt title ($125 since July 1, 2026, under [HB 1612](https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2026/html/HB/1600-1699/HB1612SG.htm)), and the [Department of Revenue](https://www.dor.ms.gov/motor-vehicle/salvage-vehicles) says a salvage vehicle can't be sold by a licensed dealer until it's retitled as rebuilt.
- **Dealer disclosure:** we found no dealer-specific written disclosure statute. The Motor Vehicle Commission's rule requiring written disclosure of damage over 6% of MSRP applies to the franchised new-car dealers it licenses, not independent used-car dealers.
- **Form:** none.
### Missouri
- **What makes it salvage:** among other triggers, a vehicle within six years of its model year with repair cost over 80% of fair market value, or one an insurer declares salvage ([RSMo § 301.010](https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=301.010)).
- **Before it's driven:** a reconstructed vehicle needs a Highway Patrol examination before an original title.
- **Dealer disclosure:** we found no written disclosure rule for salvage or prior-salvage titles. A vehicle for which a junking certificate has been applied for or issued must be disclosed in writing before the sale under [§ 301.227.3](https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=301.227), or the sale is voidable by the buyer.
- **Form:** none.
### Montana
- **What makes it salvage:** damage such that the owner or insurer finds it uneconomical to repair.
- **Before it's driven:** the vehicle, salvage certificate and parts receipts go to a department employee or designated peace officer for inspection, and the title is branded "rebuilt salvage" ([MCA 61-3-212](https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0610/chapter_0030/part_0020/section_0120/0610-0030-0020-0120.html)).
- **Dealer disclosure:** we found no written disclosure rule in the title or dealer statutes. A state consumer-protection rule ([ARM 23.19.204](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/montana/Mont-Admin-R-23-19-204)) makes it deceptive for a dealer to misstate a car's previous usage or status, or to say it has no substantial structural or skin damage unless the car was inspected.
- **Form:** none.
### Nebraska
- **What makes it salvage:** for a late-model vehicle, repair cost that meets or exceeds 75% of retail value ([Neb. Rev. Stat. § 60-171](https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=60-171)).
- **Before it's driven:** a salvage-branded title isn't valid for registration. An inspection leads to a "previously salvaged" title.
- **Dealer disclosure:** we found no dealer-specific rule. The title itself carries the brand, including out-of-state brand history. If you buy a salvage or flood-damaged car on a title without the brand, [§ 60-175](https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=60-175) requires applying for the branded title within 30 days or before you resell it, whichever comes first. Knowingly transferring a wrecked vehicle in violation of those sections is a Class IV felony ([§ 60-176](https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=60-176)).
- **Form:** none.
### Nevada
- **What makes it salvage:** a total loss, meaning repair cost of 65% or more of fair market value, plus flood-damaged and nonrepairable vehicles.
- **Before it's driven:** the DMV says you can't drive or register a vehicle on a salvage title. Late-model vehicles need a VP 209 authorization before repair, then a certificate of inspection and a DMV inspection.
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [NRS 487.830](https://www.leg.state.nv.us/nrs/NRS-487.html), any seller must disclose salvage, rebuilt or reconstructed status in writing before the transfer. A dealer must do it before signing the contract, give the buyer a copy, and keep one. An intentional violation can cost the greater of treble damages or $5,000.
- **Form:** none.
### New Hampshire
- **What makes it salvage:** a total loss in an insurance settlement, or repair cost of 75% or more of fair market value for damage in the model year or the four years after it.
- **Before it's driven:** the owner can't title or register it again until the state inspects it.
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [RSA 261:22, IV-a](https://gc.nh.gov/rsa/html/XXI/261/261-22.htm), the seller must disclose in writing, before the sale, that the vehicle is a salvage vehicle and why. A buyer who didn't get the disclosure can rescind within three business days of receiving the branded title or registration.
- **Form:** none.
### New Jersey
- **What makes it salvage:** damage that makes it economically impractical to repair (for vehicles eight or fewer model years old, repair cost equal to or more than fair market value before the damage).
- **Before it's driven:** a salvage vehicle can't be registered except on a five-day temporary registration to reach the MVC inspection ($200).
- **Dealer disclosure:** we found no standalone dealer disclosure statute. New Jersey's used car warranty doesn't apply to a total-loss vehicle only if the buyer was told in writing, at or before the sale, that it was declared a total loss ([N.J.S.A. 56:8-76](https://law.justia.com/codes/new-jersey/title-56/section-56-8-76/)). Dealer ads must disclose known prior damage when the repair or body work had a retail value of $1,000 or more. Until it's rebuilt and retitled, a salvage car can change hands only on its salvage certificate of title, and a dealer that transfers one any other way risks its license (N.J.A.C. 13:21-22.16).
- **Form:** none.
### New Mexico
- **What makes it salvage:** the owner or insurer considers it uneconomical to repair, or an insurer pays a total loss.
- **Before it's driven:** it's unlawful to sell a salvage or nonrepairable vehicle unless the title is branded ([NMSA 66-3-10.1](https://law.justia.com/codes/new-mexico/chapter-66/article-3/part-1/section-66-3-10-1/)), and the brand is permanent.
- **Dealer disclosure:** we found no rule aimed at the brand itself, but [NMSA 57-12-6](https://codes.findlaw.com/nm/chapter-57-trade-practices-and-regulations/nm-st-sect-57-12-6/) requires the seller to give the buyer an affidavit at the time of sale stating whether the car has had alteration or chassis repair due to wreck damage. It isn't required when that repair cost less than 6% of the sale price, and leaving it out is treated as evidence of willful misrepresentation. The Attorney General's rule [12.2.14 NMAC](https://www.srca.nm.gov/parts/title12/12.002.0014.html) adds an inspection safe harbor and records retention. It also bars telling a buyer that a clean Carfax or AutoCheck report proves the car was never repaired.
- **Form:** the Used Motor Vehicle Alteration or Damage Inspection Form, a model printed in 12.2.14 NMAC.
### New York
- **What makes it salvage:** for a vehicle eight model years old or newer at the time of loss, a salvage certificate or rebuild cost over 75% of retail value brings the brand "REBUILT SALVAGE: NY."
- **Before it's driven:** a vehicle on a salvage certificate needs a DMV salvage examination before it can be titled.
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [15 NYCRR 78.13(k)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/new-york/15-NYCRR-78.13), the dealer must tell the buyer before the sale, and on the first sale of a salvage vehicle affirm in writing on the bill of sale that the buyer was notified. The DMV suggests having the buyer initial the statement.
- **Form:** [MV-103 Odometer and Damage Disclosure Statement](https://dmv.ny.gov/forms/mv103.pdf), used when the title doesn't have the disclosure section.
### North Carolina
- **What makes it salvage:** repair cost that would exceed 75% of fair retail market value, whether or not an insurer declared it a total loss.
- **Before it's driven:** collision-damaged vehicles six model years old or newer need preliminary and final anti-theft inspections before they're retitled.
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [G.S. 20-71.4](https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-71.4.html), anyone transferring a vehicle they know is or was a flood, reconstructed or salvage vehicle must disclose it in writing before the transfer, for all model years. Damage over 25% of fair market retail value must also be disclosed for vehicles five model years old or newer. A violation is a Class 2 misdemeanor.
- **Form:** [MVR-181 Damage Disclosure Statement](https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/downloads/Documents/MVR-181.pdf). See the [MVR-181 guide](/guide/how-to-fill-out-form-mvr-181-north-carolina).
### North Dakota
- **What makes it salvage:** damage over 75% of NADA retail value. Damage that equals or exceeds the greater of $10,000 or 25% of pre-damage value brings a "previously damaged" brand.
- **Before it's driven:** a salvage title can't be registered or get a temporary permit until the car passes an SFN 2486 inspection by an independent repair business, not the one that rebuilt it.
- **Dealer disclosure:** under NDCC 39-05-17.2, the seller completes a damage disclosure for every vehicle under nine model years old, branded or not. The department can't transfer the title without it.
- **Form:** SFN 18609. See the [SFN 18609 guide](/guide/how-to-fill-out-form-sfn-18609-north-dakota).
### Ohio
- **What makes it salvage:** an insurer declares it economically impractical to repair and buys it.
- **Before it's driven:** it can't be driven on a salvage title except to an inspection appointment. A State Highway Patrol inspection ($50) leads to a "REBUILT SALVAGE" title ([ORC 4505.11](https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-4505.11)).
- **Dealer disclosure:** under the Attorney General's rule [OAC 109:4-3-16(B)(29)](https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-administrative-code/rule-109:4-3-16), a dealer that knows a car was titled salvage must disclose it before the buyer signs any purchase document. The rule doesn't specify writing, but writing is the way to prove it.
- **Form:** none.
### Oklahoma
- **What makes it salvage:** for vehicles from the last ten model years, repair cost over 60% of fair market value, or a total loss.
- **Before it's driven:** a repaired salvage vehicle needs a visual and VIN inspection ($25) for a rebuilt title.
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [OAC 765:10-3-1](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/oklahoma/OAC-765-10-3-1), the sales contract or bill of sale must state the type of title the buyer will get (rebuilt, salvage, junk, or a theft or flood notation), with the buyer's written acknowledgment. Without it, the buyer is presumed to be getting a clean original title.
- **Form:** none. The disclosure goes on your Commission-approved sales form.
### Oregon
- **What makes it salvage:** Oregon uses "totaled": an insurer total loss, or uninsured damage with repair cost of at least 80% of retail value.
- **Before it's driven:** a salvage title cancels the registration, and the vehicle can't be driven until it's retitled as reconstructed (with a VIN inspection) or on a trip permit.
- **Dealer disclosure:** under the Department of Justice rule [OAR 137-020-0020](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/oregon/Or-Admin-Code-SS-137-020-0020) and its official commentary, a vehicle offered for sale is represented as having an unbranded title unless the brand is "explicitly disclosed prior to a sale." Selling a totaled vehicle without giving the buyer a salvage title certificate is a misdemeanor.
- **Form:** none.
### Pennsylvania
- **What makes it salvage:** repair cost would exceed the value of the repaired vehicle, or an insurer paid the replacement value.
- **Before it's driven:** no title or registration until the vehicle is restored, passes an enhanced vehicle safety inspection, and is titled "reconstructed."
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [37 Pa. Code § 301.4](https://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?file=%2Fsecure%2Fpacode%2Fdata%2F037%2Fchapter301%2Fs301.4.html&d=reduce), the sales contract must describe any prior usage noted on the title, such as reconstructed or flood. [§ 301.2](https://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?file=%2Fsecure%2Fpacode%2Fdata%2F037%2Fchapter301%2Fs301.2.html&d=reduce) requires clear disclosure in ads and sales presentations, and written disclosure before the sale of known frame damage, a cracked block or head, a failing transmission or differential, flood damage, or a car that can't pass inspection.
- **Form:** none.
### Rhode Island
- **What makes it salvage:** an insurer total loss, or rebuild cost over 75% of fair market value for a vehicle less than seven years old.
- **Before it's driven:** a licensed salvage rebuilder must do the repair. A DMV inspection leads to a "re-constructed salvage" title.
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [280-RICR-30-20-1.7](https://rules.sos.ri.gov/regulations/Part/280-30-20-1), salvaged and restored vehicles must be identified in writing on the bill of sale, through the first retail buyer.
- **Form:** none.
### South Carolina
- **What makes it salvage:** an insurer total loss, or repairs of 75% or more of the vehicle's value before the damage. Vehicles worth $2,000 or less are exempt ([S.C. Code § 56-19-480](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t56c019.php)).
- **Before it's driven:** a rebuilt title needs an application listing the source and cost of the parts and the repairs. The SCDMV says a brand "can never be removed."
- **Dealer disclosure:** we found no dealer-specific statute. South Carolina's [dealer law](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t56c015.php) defines dealer fraud to include an intentional failure to disclose a material fact. Fraud is a ground to suspend or revoke a dealer license, and the dealer's bond covers buyer losses from it.
- **Form:** none.
### South Dakota
- **What makes it salvage:** an insurer determines a total loss. The rules don't apply to vehicles more than ten model years old.
- **Before it's driven:** a rebuilt title requires affidavits, receipts, the source of all parts, and an inspection.
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [SDCL 32-3-51.18](https://sdlegislature.gov/api/Statutes/32-3-51.18.html) and [ARSD 64:28:03:04.04](https://sdlegislature.gov/api/Rules/Rule/64:28:03:04.04.html?all=true), the dealer posts a 4x6-inch "DISCLOSURE NOTICE" inside a side window. At the sale the dealer removes it and has the buyer sign and date it, and keeps it for five years. The buyer can return the car within ten days of receiving the title for a full refund if the notice wasn't displayed.
- **Form:** none. The rule sets the notice's exact content and format.
### Tennessee
- **What makes it salvage:** repair cost over 75% of retail value.
- **Before it's driven:** a salvage vehicle can't be registered for the road until it gets a rebuilt title, which requires passing the state anti-theft inspection.
- **Dealer disclosure:** under the Motor Vehicle Commission's [rule 0960-01-.29](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/tennessee/Tenn-Comp-R-Regs-0960-01-.29), a dealer who knows of salvage history or a rebuilt or salvage brand must disclose it, acknowledged in writing by the buyer before the sale, on the Commission's form. The buyer can't waive it, and for online sales the dealer sends the notice electronically before the sale.
- **Form:** [Notice – Disclosure of Rebuilt or Salvage Vehicle](https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/commerce/documents/regboards/mvc/posts/MVC-Notice_of_Salvaged-Rebuilt_Title.pdf).
### Texas
- **What makes it salvage:** repair cost that exceeds the vehicle's actual cash value immediately before the damage.
- **Before it's driven:** a salvage vehicle can't be driven until it's rebuilt, retitled and registered. Retitling takes [Form VTR-61](/guide/how-to-fill-out-form-vtr-61-texas) and a $65 rebuilt salvage fee, and an independent dealer must get the "Rebuilt Salvage" title in its own name before retailing the car.
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [43 Tex. Admin. Code § 215.160](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/texas/43-Tex-Admin-Code-SS-215-160), a car displayed for retail sale must carry a disclosure visible from outside saying it "has been repaired, rebuilt or, reconstructed after formerly being titled as a salvage motor vehicle." At the sale, the buyer signs an acknowledgment in 14-point or larger type. It can be on the buyer's order but needs its own signature.
- **Form:** the TxDMV [window notice](https://www.txdmv.gov/sites/default/files/body-files/Rebuilt_Motor_Vehicle_Notice.pdf). The ENF-SAL-221 is for salvage vehicle dealers selling unrebuilt salvage, not retail dealers.
### Utah
- **What makes it salvage:** the cost to repair it for safe operation exceeds its fair market value, or an insurer or another state declared it salvage.
- **Before it's driven:** a salvage certificate isn't valid for registration. A safety inspection leads to a rebuilt and restored brand.
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [Utah Code § 41-1a-1004](https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title41/Chapter1A/C41-1a-S1004_2020051220200512.html), before the sale of a car with a salvage certificate or branded title, the seller gives the buyer written notification, and ads must say "salvage certificate" or "branded title." Utah's [Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division](https://dmv.utah.gov/mved/dealers-overview/salvage/) says dealers give the notice on form TC-814 and display it in the lower passenger-side corner of the windshield.
- **Form:** TC-814, Notice of Salvage Certificate or Branded Title, per MVED.
### Vermont
- **What makes it salvage:** a salvaged vehicle, or one declared a total loss by an insurer ("totaled").
- **Before it's driven:** no title or registration until the Commissioner inspects it. The new title carries the legend "rebuilt."
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [23 V.S.A. § 2093(b)](https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/23/021/02093), the seller must disclose that the vehicle was salvaged, salvaged and rebuilt, or totaled, both orally and in writing before the sale, and conspicuously on the bill of sale or agreement. If not, the seller must refund the purchase price at the buyer's option.
- **Form:** none.
### Virginia
- **What makes it salvage:** a late-model vehicle an insurer acquires in a claim, or one whose repair would cost more than its value less salvage. A late-model vehicle repaired after damage over 75% of its value counts as "rebuilt" even without a salvage certificate.
- **Before it's driven:** a rebuilt vehicle needs a safety inspection and a DMV examination ($125) before it's titled.
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [Va. Code § 46.2-1602](https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacodefull/title46.2/chapter16/), it's unlawful to sell a rebuilt vehicle without first disclosing it to the buyer in writing on the Commissioner's form.
- **Form:** [VSA 59 Rebuilt Vehicle Disclosure Statement](https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/sites/default/files/forms/vsa59.pdf). The seller and buyer both sign and each keeps a copy. See the [VSA 59 guide](/guide/how-to-fill-out-form-vsa-59-virginia).
### Washington
- **What makes it salvage:** a total loss or uneconomical repair, with age and value limits ([RCW 46.04.514](https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=46.04.514)).
- **Before it's driven:** a title application for a salvage vehicle needs a Washington State Patrol inspection certificate.
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [RCW 46.70.101](https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=46.70&full=true), a dealer's license can be suspended or revoked for selling a vehicle branded "SALVAGE/REBUILT," "JUNK" or "DESTROYED," or one totaled and rebuilt, "without clearly disclosing that brand or comment in writing."
- **Form:** none.
### West Virginia
- **What makes it salvage:** damage of 75% or more of market value, or flood damage ([W. Va. Code § 17A-4-10](https://code.wvlegislature.gov/17A-4-10/)).
- **Before it's driven:** a salvage vehicle can't be titled or registered until it's inspected by an official state inspection station and the DMV ($35).
- **Dealer disclosure:** we found no vehicle-specific rule. A general Attorney General rule, [W. Va. C.S.R. § 142-6-3](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/west-virginia/W-Va-C-S-R-SS-142-6-3), makes it deceptive to sell goods damaged by fire, smoke, water or another natural event, or rebuilt after such damage, without clear and conspicuous notice to the buyer beforehand. That covers flood- and fire-damaged cars. Separately, [§ 46A-6-107a](https://code.wvlegislature.gov/46A-6-107A/) allows an "as is" used-car sale only in limited cases, and requires a boxed disclaimer the buyer signs, a written list of known defects, and a copy of a vehicle history report.
- **Form:** none.
### Wisconsin
- **What makes it salvage:** a vehicle less than seven years old with repair cost over 70% of fair market value ([Wis. Stat. § 340.01(55g)](https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/340/01/55g)).
- **Before it's driven:** a repaired salvage vehicle needs an inspection ($80) before registration.
- **Dealer disclosure:** under [Wis. Admin. Code Trans 139.04](https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/code/admin_code/trans/139/04), the Wisconsin Buyers Guide displayed on each used car must list every title brand. The buyer signs the original before delivery, and the dealer keeps it for five years. The same rule requires written disclosure, before the contract, of significant defects, damage and evidence of structural repair.
- **Form:** the Wisconsin Buyers Guide (MV2872), ordered from WisDOT.
### Wyoming
- **What makes it salvage:** an insurer total loss, or repair cost over 75% of actual retail cash value. Branding doesn't apply to vehicles with more than eight years of service unless previously branded.
- **Before it's driven:** the state issues a rebuilt salvage decal, a law-enforcement VIN inspection follows, and the county issues a title branded "rebuilt."
- **Dealer disclosure:** under Wyo. Stat. § 31-2-109, the dealer discloses the brand on the state form before the sale, and the buyer signs it. Without the signature, the buyer can void the sale. Knowingly failing to disclose is a misdemeanor.
- **Form:** [MV-602 Branded Title Disclosure Statement](https://www.dot.state.wy.us/files/live/sites/wydot/files/shared/Motor%20Vehicle%20Services/Branded%20Title%20Disclosure%20Statement.pdf). WYDOT says forms may be purchased from Motor Vehicle Services, and the posted PDF is a sample. See the [MV-602 guide](/guide/how-to-fill-out-form-mv-602-wyoming).
Fill your state's disclosure form from the deal and get it e-signed in DealerVLO: start your 14-day free trial
## What a good disclosure looks like in any state
Even in a state with no form, write it the same way every time:
- Put it on its own page, not buried in the contract's fine print.
- Name the exact brand on the title, and why the car was branded when you know.
- Use your state's required wording where it has one (Alabama, Kentucky, Texas and South Dakota do).
- Get the buyer's signature and date before they sign the contract.
- Keep a signed copy with the deal.
In Delaware and Colorado, a missing signed statement lets the buyer unwind the sale for a full refund. Louisiana lets the buyer rescind and recover the price, fees and taxes. That's the deal you lose by skipping a page.
## Where DealerVLO fits
DealerVLO is the DMS I built for my own lot in Tewksbury. On branded cars:
- **It does:** fill your state's disclosure form, or your attorney's, from the deal once you upload it, and collect the buyer's e-signature in person or by emailed link. It keeps the signed PDF in the deal jacket next to the bill of sale, the FTC Buyers Guide and your state's title paperwork, which it also fills from the deal. It tracks each rebuild's costs line by line on the car.
- **It doesn't:** pull NMVTIS, Carfax or AutoCheck reports, keep a separate title-brand field on the car, or tell you which rule applies to a deal. You run the history report and decide what to disclose. DealerVLO makes sure the signed page is filled correctly and filed with the deal.
It's $29 a month, flat, with unlimited users.
## Frequently asked questions
### Do dealers have to disclose a salvage or rebuilt title?
In most states, yes, by statute or regulation, though the rules differ. Some states require a signed state form (Virginia VSA 59, Wyoming MV-602, Delaware MV724, Illinois DOP-115, Indiana State Form 55974, North Carolina MVR-181, Colorado DR 2710). Others require the disclosure on the contract or bill of sale (Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Connecticut), a notice on the car (Arkansas, Kentucky, South Dakota, Texas), or a written notice in set wording (Alabama). No federal rule requires it. In the states where we found no dealer-specific rule, misrepresentation and deceptive-practices law still apply. Disclose in writing everywhere.
### Is there a federal salvage title disclosure law?
No. Federal law created the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS), which keeps the brand history that any state applied to a VIN, but it doesn't make dealers disclose brands to buyers. The FTC considered a branded-title checkbox for the Buyers Guide in 2016 and didn't adopt it. Disclosure duties come from state law.
### Which states have a salvage disclosure form?
Among the states we verified: Arkansas (Buyer's Notification – Salvage Vehicle), Colorado (DR 2710 Branded Title Disclosure Statement), Delaware (MV724 Dealer Disclosure Statement of Title Brand), Idaho (ITD 5580 Vehicle Brand Disclosure Form), Illinois (DOP-115 Disclosure of Rebuilt Vehicle Status), Indiana (State Form 55974 Salvage or Rebuilt Vehicle Disclosure), Iowa (Form 411108 Motor Vehicle Damage Disclosure Statement), North Carolina (MVR-181 Damage Disclosure Statement), North Dakota (SFN 18609 Damage/Salvage Disclosure Statement), Tennessee (Notice – Disclosure of Rebuilt or Salvage Vehicle), Virginia (VSA 59 Rebuilt Vehicle Disclosure Statement) and Wyoming (MV-602 Branded Title Disclosure Statement). Texas publishes a window sign, and New York's MV-103 carries the damage disclosure when the title doesn't.
### What happens if a dealer doesn't disclose a salvage title?
It depends on the state, and it can be expensive. Delaware lets the buyer rescind at any time for a full refund. Colorado entitles the buyer to a full refund. Vermont requires a refund at the buyer's option. Arkansas makes the sale voidable within 60 days, and New Hampshire lets the buyer cancel within three business days of getting the branded title. Nevada allows the greater of treble damages or $5,000 for an intentional violation, and several states make it a misdemeanor.
### Can a salvage title car be driven before it's rebuilt?
Generally no. In the states we checked, a salvage title or certificate doesn't allow registration for road use until the car is repaired, inspected and retitled. Many states allow a trip permit or temporary registration only to drive it to the inspection.
## Bottom line
No federal rule makes you disclose a branded title, but most states do, and they don't agree on how: a signed state form, a line in the contract, a notice on the window, or statutory wording. Find your state above, use its form where it has one, and in every state put the brand in writing, get the buyer's signature before the contract, and keep a copy. For the rest of the rebuilt-car business (buying, inspection and pricing), see the [guide to selling salvage and rebuilt title cars](/blog/selling-salvage-rebuilt-title-cars-dealer).
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## FAQ
### Do dealers have to disclose a salvage or rebuilt title?
In most states, yes, by statute or regulation, though the rules differ. Some states require a signed state form (Virginia VSA 59, Wyoming MV-602, Delaware MV724, Illinois DOP-115, Indiana State Form 55974, North Carolina MVR-181, Colorado DR 2710). Others require the disclosure on the contract or bill of sale (Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Connecticut), a notice on the car (Arkansas, Kentucky, South Dakota, Texas), or a written notice in set wording (Alabama). No federal rule requires it. In the states where we found no dealer-specific rule, misrepresentation and deceptive-practices law still apply. Disclose in writing everywhere.
### Is there a federal salvage title disclosure law?
No. Federal law created the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS), which keeps the brand history that any state applied to a VIN, but it doesn't make dealers disclose brands to buyers. The FTC considered a branded-title checkbox for the Buyers Guide in 2016 and didn't adopt it. Disclosure duties come from state law.
### Which states have a salvage disclosure form?
Among the states we verified: Arkansas (Buyer's Notification – Salvage Vehicle), Colorado (DR 2710 Branded Title Disclosure Statement), Delaware (MV724 Dealer Disclosure Statement of Title Brand), Idaho (ITD 5580 Vehicle Brand Disclosure Form), Illinois (DOP-115 Disclosure of Rebuilt Vehicle Status), Indiana (State Form 55974 Salvage or Rebuilt Vehicle Disclosure), Iowa (Form 411108 Motor Vehicle Damage Disclosure Statement), North Carolina (MVR-181 Damage Disclosure Statement), North Dakota (SFN 18609 Damage/Salvage Disclosure Statement), Tennessee (Notice – Disclosure of Rebuilt or Salvage Vehicle), Virginia (VSA 59 Rebuilt Vehicle Disclosure Statement) and Wyoming (MV-602 Branded Title Disclosure Statement). Texas publishes a window sign, and New York's MV-103 carries the damage disclosure when the title doesn't.
### What happens if a dealer doesn't disclose a salvage title?
It depends on the state, and it can be expensive. Delaware lets the buyer rescind at any time for a full refund. Colorado entitles the buyer to a full refund. Vermont requires a refund at the buyer's option. Arkansas makes the sale voidable within 60 days, and New Hampshire lets the buyer cancel within three business days of getting the branded title. Nevada allows the greater of treble damages or $5,000 for an intentional violation, and several states make it a misdemeanor.
### Can a salvage title car be driven before it's rebuilt?
Generally no. In the states we checked, a salvage title or certificate doesn't allow registration for road use until the car is repaired, inspected and retitled. Many states allow a trip permit or temporary registration only to drive it to the inspection.