19.080 Salvage Certificate Application With Prior Fees Paid

Do not use a prior RDF credit to cover the salvage certificate fee unless the fee was deposited specifically for that purpose.

19.075 Salvage Certificate (VC §11515)

The insurance company or its designee (salvage pool or registration service) or the owner must apply for the salvage certificate within 10 days from the date the insurance company makes a total loss settlement with the owner.

A salvage certificate cannot be issued for an unrecovered stolen vehicle.

Insurance Company Applications—A salvage certificate can be issued to an insurance company for a total loss salvage vehicle when evidence of ownership cannot be obtained within 30 days following a total loss settlement.The insurance
company must make two written attempts to obtain the evidence of ownership and wait at least 30 days after the date of settlement before applying for the salvage certificate. An Unobtainable Title Certification for Issuance of Salvage Certificate (REG 492 (PDF)) form is required. The insurance company may authorize an occupational licensee of the DMV or a salvage pool to complete this process.

Motor Vehicle Bond—A bond is required when regular certificates of title are not available for a vehicle reported as salvage under CVC §11515. The bond amount must be for the amount of the payoff to the insured plus the amount paid by the salvage buyer. Refer to Chapter 23.

The following must be submitted:

Verification of the following:

The cost/value may be the insurance payoff to the insured and/or lienholder the purchase price from the previous owner.

Salvage Certificate Issuance—The salvage certificate must be issued in the name of the insurance company or owner shown on DMV’s records at the time the vehicle was wrecked, not to a subsequent buyer. Transfer of the vehicle to the subsequent buyer may be accomplished by the owner or insurance company using the assignment space on the salvage certificate. Issuance of a salvage certificate does not change the expiration date of the vehicle.

19.070 Revived Salvage—New or Nonresident (VC §11519)

A vehicle never registered in California (such as a new or nonresident) and reported as salvaged can be registered in California.

The inspection fee for a revived junk or salvage vehicle application must be paid prior to the vehicle inspection/verification.

The Verification of Vehicle (REG 31) form or an additional verification of vehicle is not required when a California Highway Patrol (CHP) Certificate Inspection (CHP 97C) form is submitted on a revived junk or salvage vehicle application.

The following must be submitted:

Note: Evidence of nonresident registration is not required when fees are collected from the date of sale as shown on the Salvage Certificate.

Note: If a New York Salvage Certificate is accepted as proof of ownership, the vehicle must be referred to the CHP for verification of the confidential number.

The procedures below must be followed:


19.065 Revived Salvage—California Record

A revived salvage vehicle is a vehicle that was reported to DMV by the insurance company or owner as a total loss and has been restored to operational condition.

Note A salvage vehicle reported dismantled under VC§11520 is a revived junk and the application must be processed as shown in the Revived Junk section in this chapter.

The inspection fee for a revived junk or salvage vehicle application must be paid prior to the vehicle inspection/verification.

The Verification of Vehicle (REG 31) form or an additional verification of vehicle is not required when a California Highway Patrol (CHP) Certificate Inspection (CHP 97C) form is submitted on a revived junk or salvage vehicle application.

The following must be submitted:

The evidence of ownership for the vehicle, such as:

Note: If an owner revives a vehicle prior to obtaining a salvage certificate, a completed REG 488C and the salvage certificate fee are still required, but it is not necessary to actually issue the salvage certificate.

Note A report of sale is required for a vehicle sold by a California dealer.

Important Previously salvaged California vehicles being reregistered for on-highway use must be inspected by an authorized DMV employee or referred to the California Highway Patrol (CHP) for inspection, as appropriate. Previously salvaged nonresident vehicles being reregistered for on-highway use must be referred to the CHP for inspection.

The vehicle must be referred to the CHP for inspection if a New York Salvage Certificate is submitted as proof of ownership.

Vehicles originally manufactured with air bags must be equipped with air bags in good working order to be reregistered. If it is observed during the verification process that the air bags are missing (hole in steering column, passenger side glove compartment area, or side door panels), indicating that the airbags have been deployed and/or removed, the vehicle must be inspected at a CHP Salvage Inspection Station.

Note Brake and lamp certificates REV. 11/08 presented with an issue date after November 29, 2015 will not be accepted. The technician must advise the customer the certificate is not valid and a new certificate is required.

Note Brake and light adjustment certificates or electronic Vehicle Safety Systems Inspection (VSSI) certificates  over 90-days are acceptable if the initial DMV transaction date was within 90-days from the certificate date issued by the Bureau of Automotive Repair.

The procedures below must be followed:


19.060 Revived Junk (VC §11519)

Vehicles which have been dismantled (as evidenced by a junk receipt or bill of sale from a dismantler) and, when rebuilt, resemble the make of the vehicle originally dismantled are called “revived junk.” Revived junk vehicles are registered by the
original make name and year model.

The inspection fee for a revived junk or salvage vehicle application must be paid prior to the vehicle inspection/verification.

The Verification of Vehicle (REG 31) form or an additional verification of vehicle is not required when a California Highway Patrol (CHP) Certificate Inspection (CHP 97C) form is submitted on a revived junk or salvage vehicle application.

The following must be submitted:

Important Vehicles originally manufactured with air bags must be equipped with air bags in good working order to be reregistered. If it is observed during the verification process that the air bags are missing (hole in steering column, passenger side glove compartment area, or side door panels), indicating that the airbags have been deployed and/or removed, the vehicle must be inspected at a CHP Salvage Inspection Station.

Official brake and light adjustment certificates. Refer to Chapter 19.090 Vehicle Safety System Inspection Program

Note Brake and light adjustment certificates over 90-days old are acceptable.

The procedures below must be followed:

19.055 Reregistration of Vehicles Withdrawn From Service (VC §9408)

The owner of a California-registered commercial vehicle withdrawn from service in California before the vehicle’s registration expiration date may receive credit for any unused weight fee amount on another vehicle. The sale of a vehicle does not constitute withdrawal from service.

Note The Commercial Vehicle Registration Act (CVRA) Motor Vehicle Fund fee cannot be prorated or used for weight fee credit calculation.

“Withdrawn from service” means:

The following must be submitted:

If the Vehicle Is Reregistered in
 Then
If the Vehicle Is Reregistered in The same registration year as withdrawn
 Then Do not collect the registration fee and vehicle license fee (VLF).
If the Vehicle Is Reregistered in A subsequent registration year
 Then Collect the registration fee and VLF.


Note A Verification of Vehicle (REG 31) form is not required.

Note Regular nonresident clearance and fees are required for a vehicle registered out of state in the interim.

19.050 Removing Salvage Retention Status

Insurance companies are required to report a vehicle as a total loss salvage when the vehicle has been wrecked, destroyed, or damaged to such an extent that the insurer considers it uneconomical to repair.

When DMV is notified by an insurance company that the vehicle has been damaged to such an extent that it is considered uneconomical to repair it, and possession of the vehicle is being retained by the registered owner; DMV marks the vehicle record with a “Salvage Retention” status.

Sometimes, the registered owner believes that the salvage status of the vehicle was reported in error, and they want the record corrected. However, there is no statutory authority that allows DMV to modify the total loss salvage status, except when
reported by the insurer in error.

Therefore, before DMV will remove the salvage status, the registered owner must provide appropriate documentation showing that the vehicle was erroneously reported as a salvage retention.

One of the following must be submitted:

Note If the applicant is unable to secure the appropriate documentation or the request for reversal is denied, they must apply for a salvage certificate or comply with the procedures for a revived salvage in this chapter.


19.045 Notice of Retention by Owner—Salvage Vehicle (VC §11515)

When the owner of a salvage vehicle retains ownership of the vehicle, the insurance company must notify the:


19.040 Nonrepairable Vehicle Certificate (VC §§432 and 11515.2)

The insurance company or designee (salvage pool or registration service) or the owner must apply for the nonrepairable vehicle certificate within 10 days from the date the insurance company makes a total loss settlement with the owner.

A nonrepairable vehicle certificate cannot be issued for an unrecovered stolen vehicle.

Reregistration—A nonrepairable vehicle cannot be titled or reregistered subsequent to issuance of the nonrepairable vehicle certificate.

Transfer of Ownership—Ownership of a vehicle declared to be nonrepairable may be transferred only twice on the nonrepairable vehicle certificate. No subsequent certificate is issued. Odometer information is not collected.

The following must be submitted:

Exception: When an acceptable Application for Unobtainable Title Certification for Issuance of Nonrepairable Certificate (REG 492) form is submitted in place of evidence of ownership documents, do not return the application on a report of deposit of fees (RDF) to request a motor vehicle bond, a lien satisfied (when there is a lienholder on record), or an out of state title (if the vehicle was titled in another state).

a. The applicant is an insurance company.

b. 30 days have passed from the date shown in the “Acceptance Date of Settlement” area of Section 2.

c. The insurance company made two written attempts to obtain a certificate of title or other evidence of ownership. The date of the second written attempt must be at least 15 days from the date of the first written attempt shown in Section 4.

Note Insurance companies may authorize an occupational licensee of DMV or a salvage pool to complete this process.

The procedures below must be followed:

19.035 Nonreceipt of Salvage or Nonrepairable Vehicle Certificate

Issue a no-fee duplicate salvage certificate when DMV’s records show a salvage certificate was issued, and the applicant states it was not received. Allow 30 days from issuance of the salvage certificate before processing a nonreceipt application.

The following must be submitted: