Fillable Printable Salvageand Branding Just The Facts

Salvageand Branding Just The Facts

Minnesota Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services Division – 445 Minnesota Street – St. Paul, MN 55101

SALVAGE & BRANDING

AUGUST 2017

What is a Salvage Vehicle?

Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) issues Minnesota

salvage titles to the following types of vehicles:

 A late-model vehicle

o Six model years old or newer

 A high-value vehicle

o Valued at $9,000 or more prior to

the damage; or

o A vehicle with a manufacturer’s

gross weight rating over 26,000

pounds

A Minnesota salvage title is required when:

 An insurance company acquires a damaged

vehicle after paying a total loss claim

 A vehicle’s owner is self-insured and that

vehicle’s damage is more than 80 percent of

its value

 A vehicle has an out-of-state salvage title

Minnesota salvage titles are clearly marked: SALVAGE-

MUST BE INSPECTED.

Vehicle Registration

Registration may be renewed only once on a salvage

title. It is to your advantage to clear the salvage status

of the vehicle in a timely manner.

How to clear the salvage status of a

vehicle:

In order to remove “salvage” from the title of a

vehicle, the vehicle is required to pass a DVS salvage

inspection. The inspection is not for safety purposes,

but to deter fraud and theft.

Visit dvs.dps.mn.gov to find an office location and

contact information to make an appointment or by

calling (651) 284-1234.

QUESTIONS? CONTACT DVS!

Email: dvs.motor.vehicles@state.mn.us

Motor Vehicle Questions: (651) 297-2126

Office Locations: (651) 297-2005

dvs.dps.mn.gov

TTY/TDD: (651) 282-6555

What you need to bring to the salvage inspection:

 The salvage title

o If you applied for title before the

inspection, you will receive a

photocopy of the title and documents

you surrendered with instructions on

how to arrange the inspection.

 Declaration of Reconstruction (PS2015) form

completed by the owner at the time of repair.

 Receipts on original company letterhead for any

major parts that were replaced

Once the inspection is complete and successful,

submit the documents listed above, along with the

passed vehicle inspection report, to a Deputy Registrar

office, along with a $35 salvage inspection fee and $10

filing fee. The salvage status will be removed from the

vehicle’s title and replaced with a “prior salvage”

brand.

Minnesota Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services Division – 445 Minnesota Street – St. Paul, MN 55101

Permanent Brands on Titles

If a vehicle is subject to branding, the Minnesota title brand is permanent and will appear on all subsequent titles

issued. A brand is a label included on a title describing the current status of a vehicle. A vehicle not subject to

branding is issued a clear title.

Reference: Minnesota Statutes, sections 168A. 01, subd. 6a; 325F.6641; 325F.6642; 325F.6644

Motorcycles

 A motorcycle that has been altered from its original construction is subject to the “RECONST” brand.

 Motorcycles are exempt from prior salvage branding.

 The title of a motorcycle that has been constructed using new aftermarket parts will be marked “Assembled.”

Gross Weight Vehicles

 A commercial vehicle with a vehicle gross weight rating of 16,000 pounds or more is exempt from branding

unless it has been reconstructed, in which case the title will be stamped “RECONST.”

Brands or notations on Minnesota Titles

Prior Salvage

This is stamped on a Minnesota title when:

 The salvage status of a vehicle is cleared.

 The foreign state title contains a brand such as “prior salvage,” “damaged,” “rebuilt,”

“reconditioned,” etc. The vehicle must have been repaired prior to entering Minnesota.

 Motorcycles are exempt from prior salvage branding.

Flood

This is stamped on a Minnesota title when:

 A title application indicates that the vehicle has been classified as a loss by flood or water damage.

 A foreign state title is surrendered that has the notation “FLOOD” or “WATER DAMAGE.”

Reconstructed

This is stamped on a Minnesota title when:

 A vehicle has been altered from its original construction by the removal, addition, or substitution of

essential parts.

Rebuilt

This is stamped on a Minnesota title when:

 The vehicle has sustained damage in excess of 80 percent and the “PRIOR SALVAGE” brand does not

apply.

Assembled

This is not a brand but a permanent notation that appears on a Minnesota title when a motorcycle has

been assembled using new aftermarket parts.

Lemon Law Vehicle

Effective August 1, 2008, the title for any vehicle subject to Minnesota’s lemon law (325F.665) and all

vehicles with out-of-state titles that bear the term “Lemon Law Vehicle,” or any similar term, will be

issued a Minnesota title stamped with “Lemon Law Vehicle.”