Total Loss Salvage & Non-Repairable Vehicles

If your vehicle has been wrecked or damaged and insurance declares your vehicle a total loss salvage, DMV can issue a Salvage Certificate. 

What is a Non-Repairable Vehicle?

A Total Loss/Non-Repairable Vehicle meets one of the following criteria:

  • The vehicle has been declared by the owner solely as a source of parts or scrap metal.
  • The vehicle has been completely stripped (surgical strip).
  • The vehicle is a completely burned shell with no usable or repairable parts.

Once this certificate is issued, the vehicle cannot be titled or re-registered for use as a Junk/Revived Salvage.

California Vehicle Code (CVC) §431

To get a Non-Repairable Vehicle Certificate, you will need:

Frequently Asked Questions

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