Washington DC Vehicle History — Salvage, Rebuilt Salvage and Flood Notices (Reports from $4.99)

In the District, a car whose repairs exceed 75% of its pre-damage retail value is a Salvage Vehicle. It can return to the road only as Rebuilt Salvage, after a DC safety inspection and a Metropolitan Police Department anti-theft inspection.

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US-DC
District of Columbia

Official vehicle-registry authority: District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles (DC DMV)

Why District of Columbia is different

The District's rules are in Chapter 13A of Title 50 of the D.C. Code. A Salvage Vehicle is a non-historic motor vehicle whose repair cost exceeds 75 percent of its retail value before the damage, or one the owner voluntarily designates. A Junk Vehicle is one the DMV finds incapable of road use and worth nothing except as parts or scrap. Under §50-1331.02 the owner must apply for a Salvage Title before repairs and within 30 days of the damage; an insurer that acquires the car in a settlement must apply within 30 days of receiving the title.

A Salvage Vehicle may not be registered, and ownership can pass only on a Salvage Title. To come back, it must pass the DC safety inspection and the Metropolitan Police Department anti-theft inspection; DC DMV then titles it as "Rebuilt Salvage". A vehicle holding a Junk Vehicle Certificate can never be titled or registered by the DMV, and its ownership may be transferred only once. When the car arrives on another state's salvage title, DC keeps that state's brand, for example MD Salvage or VA Salvage, on the new DC title.

Flooding gets its own rule. A Flood Vehicle is one submerged until water entered the passenger or trunk compartment, and §50-1331.03 requires the owner to give the buyer written notice before the transfer and to notify the DMV, which notes the flood status on the title. It is also unlawful to represent a Salvage or Junk Vehicle as Rebuilt Salvage. Because many cars move between DC, Maryland and Virginia, compare every title in the chain with a CARFAX or AutoCheck report and any Copart or IAAI record.

Title rules in District of Columbia at a glance

Title agency
District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles (DC DMV)
Salvage trigger
Repair cost over 75% of pre-damage retail value for a non-historic vehicle, or voluntary designation; apply before repairs and within 30 days.
Title brands
Salvage Title; Rebuilt Salvage; Junk Vehicle Certificate; Non-Repairable; flood notation; prior-state salvage brands kept.
Rebuilt inspection
DC safety inspection and Metropolitan Police Department anti-theft inspection before the vehicle can be registered.
Seller disclosure
Written notice to the buyer before transferring a Flood Vehicle, plus notice to the DMV (D.C. Code §50-1331.03).
Flood vehicles
Submerged until water entered the passenger or trunk compartment; the DMV notes flood status on the title.

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Title brands in District of Columbia

Salvage Title
Designates a Salvage Vehicle, meaning repairs exceed 75% of pre-damage retail value or the owner chose the designation. The vehicle cannot be registered while it holds this title.
Rebuilt Salvage
Issued when the owner holds a Salvage Title and the vehicle passes the required inspections. Ownership of a Rebuilt Salvage Vehicle may be transferred only on a Rebuilt Salvage Title.
Junk Vehicle Certificate
For a vehicle incapable of road use with value only as parts or scrap. It cannot be titled or registered by the DMV, and ownership may be transferred only once.
Non-Repairable
DC DMV states that non-repairable vehicles are branded as Non-Repairable.
Flood notation and prior-state brands
The DMV notes Flood Vehicle status on the title, and out-of-state salvage titles that pass the DC inspections keep the previous state's brand, such as MD Salvage or VA Salvage.

Red flags specific to District of Columbia

⚠ Another state's brand on a DC title
A DC title that reads MD Salvage or VA Salvage is the DMV keeping the earlier state's brand, not an error. The warning sign is a car with a salvage record elsewhere and no brand at all on its DC title.
⚠ Historic vehicles outside the salvage definition
The D.C. Code defines a Salvage Vehicle as a non-historic motor vehicle. A badly damaged historic vehicle may therefore not carry a Salvage Title, so inspect such cars closely.
⚠ Junk cars offered as project cars
A vehicle on a Junk Vehicle Certificate can never be titled or registered in the District, and its ownership may change hands only once. Do not buy one expecting to rebuild it for DC roads.
⚠ Flood cars from low-lying areas
Neighbourhoods and garages near the Potomac and Anacostia rivers are exposed to flash and river flooding. A seller must give written notice before transferring a Flood Vehicle; without it, still check for silt, corrosion and water lines.

Frequently asked questions

Under D.C. Code §50-1331.01, a Salvage Vehicle is a non-historic motor vehicle whose cost of repair exceeds 75% of its retail value before the damage. An owner can also voluntarily designate a vehicle as salvage.

The vehicle must hold a Salvage Title and pass the DC safety inspection and the Metropolitan Police Department anti-theft inspection. DC DMV uses a Salvage Vehicle MPD Anti-Theft Inspection Form and a Salvage Vehicle Procedure Acknowledgement Form; MPD does not accept the anti-theft form in person. Passing vehicles are titled as Rebuilt Salvage.

No. D.C. Code §50-1331.05 says no Salvage Vehicle may be registered, and ownership must be transferred using a Salvage Title until the vehicle is retitled as Rebuilt Salvage.

If an out-of-state title branded Salvage passes the DC DMV inspections, the car is titled in DC with the previous state's brand kept, for example MD Salvage or VA Salvage.

Yes. Under D.C. Code §50-1331.03, an owner or lessor transferring a Flood Vehicle (one submerged until water entered the passenger or trunk compartment) must give the buyer written notice before the transfer and notify the DMV.

It is issued for a vehicle the DMV finds incapable of operation on the roads and without resale value except as parts or scrap. Such a vehicle cannot be titled or registered by the DMV, and its ownership may be transferred only once.

D.C. Code §50-1331.08 makes it unlawful to represent a Salvage or Junk Vehicle as a Rebuilt Salvage Vehicle or to falsify inspection results. Violations can bring a fine, up to 180 days in jail, or both.

Sources

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

Other regions of USA

Maryland Virginia

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