Arizona Vehicle History — Salvage, Nonrepairable & Restored Titles (Reports from $4.99)

Arizona separates damaged cars into salvage, nonrepairable and stolen-vehicle certificates, and a repaired salvage car must pass a Level III inspection before it can be sold on a restored salvage title. Look up the VIN to see what earlier owners, insurers and auctions recorded.

🇺🇸
US-AZ
Arizona

Official vehicle-registry authority: Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division (ADOT MVD)

Why Arizona is different

Arizona law (A.R.S. §28-2091) defines a salvage vehicle as one that was stolen, wrecked, destroyed, flood or water damaged, or otherwise damaged to the point that the owner, leasing company, lender or insurer considers it uneconomical to repair. There is no fixed percentage in the statute — the judgment of whoever carries the loss decides. An insurer that takes the car in a total-loss settlement must apply for a salvage certificate of title within 30 days after the owner assigns the title, and an owner who keeps a totaled car has to apply too.

The more severe category is the nonrepairable vehicle: a car with no resale value beyond parts or scrap, a completely stripped theft recovery, or a completely burned shell. Once a nonrepairable certificate is issued the registration is cancelled, ownership can be reassigned no more than two times, and no further paper title is issued. A buyer who is offered a road-ready car whose history shows a nonrepairable designation is looking at a vehicle Arizona does not intend to return to the road.

A repaired salvage car cannot be transferred until ADOT issues a restored salvage certificate of title (A.R.S. §28-2095), which requires a Level III inspection. That inspection checks the public, secondary and confidential VINs plus component-part VINs and whether the car is properly equipped for highway use — it verifies identity and parts, not the quality of structural repairs. Before buying, compare the title in hand with the vehicle’s history and auction photos, and ask an independent shop to look at how the damage was fixed.

Title rules in Arizona at a glance

Title agency
Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division (ADOT MVD).
Salvage trigger
Stolen, wrecked, flood or water damaged, or otherwise damaged so the owner or insurer considers repair uneconomical (A.R.S. §28-2091). No fixed percentage.
Title brands
Salvage, restored salvage, nonrepairable vehicle and stolen vehicle certificates of title.
Rebuilt inspection
Level III inspection — VINs plus component-part VINs and highway equipment (A.R.S. §28-2011, §28-2095).
Seller disclosure
Written or electronic disclosure of salvage or restored salvage status before the sale is completed (A.R.S. §28-2091, §28-2095).
Flood vehicles
Flood or water damage is named in the statutory salvage definition; there is no separate flood title.

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Title brands in Arizona

Salvage certificate of title
Issued when a vehicle is stolen, wrecked, flood or water damaged, or otherwise damaged to the point its owner or insurer considers it uneconomical to repair. A vehicle on this title cannot be transferred after rebuilding until a restored salvage title is issued.
Restored salvage certificate of title
Issued under A.R.S. §28-2095 for a repaired salvage vehicle that is repairable and has passed a Level III inspection. The earlier salvage status is part of the title’s name, so the history stays visible.
Nonrepairable vehicle certificate of title
For vehicles with value only as parts or scrap, completely stripped theft recoveries, or completely burned vehicles. Registration is cancelled and no further paper title is issued.
Stolen vehicle certificate of title
Issued to the owner of a vehicle that has been stolen and not recovered. A car later recovered and offered for sale should have a title history that explains the recovery.

Red flags specific to Arizona

⚠ Rebuilt car offered without a restored salvage title
A.R.S. §28-2095 bars transfer of a rebuilt salvage vehicle until the restored salvage certificate is issued. A seller who offers a repaired salvage car on a bill of sale alone, promising to "sort out the title later," is asking you to take on that gap.
⚠ Nonrepairable history on a car that is driving again
A nonrepairable vehicle in Arizona gets no further paper title and can be reassigned only twice. If a car with that designation in its record is being sold for road use, ask how it was retitled and where.
⚠ Missing parts paperwork for the inspection
Arizona sellers of salvage vehicles must tell buyers that ownership documents for certain replacement parts will be needed at the inspection, and ADOT may seize parts without proper documentation. Buying a project car without those receipts can stall the restored title.
⚠ Cars crossing from neighbouring states
Arizona borders California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Mexico, and many used cars arrive with out-of-state paperwork. Compare the brands recorded in earlier states with the Arizona title rather than relying on the current document alone.

Frequently asked questions

Under A.R.S. §28-2091, a vehicle that was stolen, wrecked, destroyed, flood or water damaged, or otherwise damaged to the point that its owner, leasing company, financial institution or insurer considers it uneconomical to repair. The statute sets no fixed damage percentage.

It is the title ADOT issues for a salvage vehicle that has been repaired. Under A.R.S. §28-2091 and §28-2095 the vehicle must be repairable and pass a Level III inspection, and it cannot be transferred until the restored salvage certificate of title has been issued.

Under A.R.S. §28-2011 it includes the Level II checks of the public, secondary and confidential VINs against the ownership documents, plus verification of VINs on some or all component parts at the inspector’s discretion, to confirm the vehicle’s identity and that it is properly equipped for highway use.

The statute gives no route back. Once a nonrepairable vehicle certificate is issued, registration is cancelled, ownership may be reassigned no more than two times, and the department does not issue further paper titles for that vehicle.

Yes. A seller who knows a salvage certificate has been issued must disclose in writing or electronically, before the sale is completed, that the vehicle is a salvage vehicle (A.R.S. §28-2091). A seller who knows of a restored salvage title must likewise disclose it (A.R.S. §28-2095).

A CARFAX or AutoCheck report can show title brands and insurer or auction events that were reported to those services, and Copart or IAAI records can add sale photos and damage notes. No report can prove a clean history, so check the physical title and have the car inspected as well.

Sources

Legal facts on this page were checked against these official sources in November 2026.

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