What a title brand is

NMVTIS, the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System overseen by the U.S. Department of Justice, describes a "brand" as a descriptive label that states assign to a vehicle to identify its current or prior condition, such as "junk," "salvage," "flood" or another designation. Vehicles that incur significant damage are often branded junk or salvage.

States do not all use the same rules. NMVTIS gives the example that one state may examine and brand a damaged vehicle as "salvage" while another may not, because the damage may not reach a dollar or value threshold, such as a damage estimate compared with fair market value, that the second state's law requires. A vehicle recovered from a flood may be branded "flood" in some states, while other states have no such designation.

From NMVTIS, For Consumers: What is NMVTIS? (vehiclehistory.bja.ojp.gov) and the NMVTIS brochure, Are You About to Buy a Flood or Junk/Salvage Car? (rev. 12-2019), read November 2, 2026.

Salvage title vs rebuilt title

From NMVTIS, For Consumers: What is NMVTIS? and the Indiana Secretary of State, Salvage or Rebuilt Vehicle Disclosure (State Form 55974, R2 8-23), read November 2, 2026.

What Indiana says about salvage and rebuilt vehicles

Indiana's Secretary of State describes a salvage vehicle as one that has been declared economically impractical to repair by an insurance company, has been flood damaged, has had a salvage title issued by another jurisdiction, or is otherwise described in Indiana Code 9-13-2-160. A rebuilt vehicle is a salvage vehicle that has been restored to operable condition. A vehicle with a salvage-branded title is not eligible for an interim license plate.

Under Indiana Code 9-32-13-6, it is an unfair practice for a dealer to sell, exchange or transfer a salvage or rebuilt vehicle without disclosing that fact in writing to the buyer when the dealer knows or should reasonably know it. Indiana's disclosure form is signed by both the dealer and the buyer.

• The certificate of salvage title must be submitted; out-of-state titles are accepted.
• Proof of ownership and the source of the major component parts used in the restoration, such as doors, fenders, engines, transmissions and frames, are required.
• The restorer certifies that the restoration is complete and that, to their knowledge, no stolen parts were used.
• An Indiana law enforcement officer physically examines the vehicle, its major component parts and the ownership documents, with an IDACS/NCIC check.
• Vehicles designated "junk," "non-repairable," "scrap" or similar may not be titled in Indiana.

These steps come from the BMV's Affidavit of Restoration for a Salvage Motor Vehicle, the form used to request a certificate of title with a "Rebuilt" brand under Indiana Code 9-22-3-15. The officer's inspection covers the vehicle, its parts and paperwork; the NMVTIS brochure suggests used car buyers may also want to consider an independent inspection before buying.

From the Indiana Secretary of State, Salvage or Rebuilt Vehicle Disclosure (State Form 55974, R2 8-23) and the Indiana BMV, Affidavit of Restoration for a Salvage Motor Vehicle (State Form 44606, R4 12-24), read November 2, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.

How to check a used car for a salvage title

NMVTIS lets buyers look up information on a vehicle before buying it. Federal law requires all states, insurance carriers and junk and salvage yards to report to NMVTIS, and requires insurers and junk and salvage yards to report their salvage and total loss vehicles. Before you buy, an NMVTIS search can show:

• information from the vehicle's current title, including its brand history;
• the latest reported odometer reading;
• any determination by an insurance company or self-insuring organization that the vehicle is "salvage," including total losses;
• any reports of the vehicle being sold or transferred to an auto recycler, junk yard or salvage yard.

Once a state brands a vehicle, NMVTIS says that brand becomes a permanent part of the vehicle's NMVTIS record, which helps stop a brand from being "washed" off when a vehicle is retitled in another state. The NMVTIS brochure adds that used car buyers can benefit from all vehicle history report services available and may want to consider an independent inspection before buying.

From NMVTIS, For Consumers: What is NMVTIS? and the NMVTIS brochure, Are You About to Buy a Flood or Junk/Salvage Car? (rev. 12-2019), read November 2, 2026.

What a title check can miss

NMVTIS cautions that until every required entity is reporting, a search may give a false negative, such as "no junk or salvage history," and that private vehicle history databases can have the same gaps. A vehicle having been in a salvage yard does not mean a state must brand it, because state laws vary.

An insurance "total loss" also does not necessarily mean a vehicle was destroyed or is worthless. NMVTIS gives the example of stolen vehicles that are not recovered within 30 days, which insurers may label a total loss; if the car is later recovered in perfect condition, the total loss determination is not removed.

From NMVTIS, For Consumers: What is NMVTIS?, read November 2, 2026.

Shopping for a used car at Michigan City Ford

Ask us about any vehicle's title and history before you buy. You can browse our used inventory online, and when you are ready, see our financing application.

Michigan City Ford is at 3930 Franklin St. in Michigan City. Get directions.

Michigan City Ford sales hours

From Michigan City Ford's website, November 2, 2026. Holiday hours can differ.