Florida Vehicle History — Hurricane Flood Detection & FLHSMV Brands (Reports from $4.99)

Hurricanes such as Ian (2022) and Helene and Milton (2024) put water-damaged cars into Florida's salvage stream. Florida law brands a water-caused total loss as a flood vehicle and requires written disclosure before sale — check the title brands and auction records for the VIN before you pay.

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US-FL
Florida

Official vehicle-registry authority: Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV)

Why Florida is different

Florida Statutes §319.30 decides when a car becomes salvage. It is a total loss when an insurer pays the owner to replace it with one of like kind and quality, or — for an uninsured car — when repairing it would cost 80 percent or more of the cost of a replacement. The owner, or the insurer once it holds the title, must forward the title to FLHSMV within 72 hours, and the department issues a salvage certificate of title or a certificate of destruction.

A certificate of destruction ends the car's road life: it authorizes only dismantling or destruction and may be reassigned at most twice. It is mandatory for a late-model vehicle — a model year 7 years old or newer with a current retail cost of at least $7,500 — when repair estimates reach 90 percent or more of that retail cost, and for any older vehicle whose only remaining value is parts or scrap metal.

When a salvage car is rebuilt, §319.14 requires FLHSMV to physically examine it, stamp the title to show it was rebuilt and affix a decal to the vehicle. Water-caused total losses are branded "flood vehicle", manufacturer repurchases "Manufacturer's Buy Back", and every brand is carried forward on later Florida titles and registrations. Sellers must disclose these histories in writing before the sale and in their advertising. Compare that with a CARFAX or AutoCheck history and any Copart or IAAI auction records and photos for the VIN.

Title rules in Florida at a glance

Title agency
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV).
Salvage trigger
Insurer pays to replace the vehicle, or (uninsured) repairs cost 80% or more of replacement cost; title goes to FLHSMV within 72 hours (§319.30).
Title brands
Salvage certificate of title; certificate of destruction; rebuilt; flood vehicle; "Manufacturer's Buy Back" (§319.14, §319.30).
Rebuilt inspection
FLHSMV physically examines identity and repaired or replaced major parts, stamps the title rebuilt and affixes a decal (§319.14(1)(b)).
Seller disclosure
Written disclosure of rebuilt, flood or buyback status before the sale is completed, and in every advertisement (§319.14(2)-(3)).
Flood vehicles
A total loss caused by water damage is branded "flood vehicle"; brands carry forward on all later titles (§319.14).

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Title brands in Florida

Salvage certificate of title
Issued after a total loss under §319.30 — an insurer replacement payout, or repairs at 80 percent or more of replacement cost for an uninsured car. The car must be rebuilt and examined before it can be retitled.
Certificate of destruction
Used in place of a title for a vehicle declared unrebuildable; it authorizes only dismantling or destruction and is reassignable a maximum of two times.
Rebuilt
Stamped on the title after FLHSMV physically examines a rebuilt vehicle's identity and repaired or replaced major component parts; a rebuilt decal is affixed to the vehicle.
Flood vehicle
A vehicle declared a total loss as a result of water damage. The brand must be on the title before sale and is carried forward on all later titles and registrations.
Manufacturer's Buy Back
Stamped on the title of a vehicle repurchased under Florida's lemon law (chapter 681) to show it is a nonconforming vehicle.

Red flags specific to Florida

⚠ Water damage after a hurricane season
A flood vehicle brand applies when water damage leads to a total-loss declaration. A car with water damage that was never declared a total loss carries no brand, so check auction photos and the vehicle history around storm seasons.
⚠ Seller has no written disclosure
§319.14 bars knowingly selling a rebuilt, flood or buyback vehicle without a written disclosure before the sale is completed. A Florida seller who cannot produce one is a warning sign.
⚠ Certificate of destruction in the history
A certificate of destruction authorizes only dismantling or destruction. If the history of a car offered for the road shows one, the chain was broken somewhere.
⚠ Rebuilt car without the decal
FLHSMV affixes a decal to a rebuilt vehicle after its physical examination. A car with a rebuilt title brand but no decal deserves a closer look at the paperwork.

Frequently asked questions

Under §319.30, when an insurance company pays the owner to replace it with a vehicle of like kind and quality, or, for an uninsured vehicle, when repairing it would cost 80 percent or more of the cost to replace it.

A document used instead of a title for a vehicle declared unrebuildable. It authorizes only dismantling or destruction and can be reassigned at most twice. It is mandatory for a late-model vehicle (7 model years or newer, retail cost at least $7,500) with repair estimates of 90 percent or more of its retail cost.

A vehicle declared a total loss as a result of water damage. Its title must be branded before it is sold, and the brand is carried forward on all later Florida titles and registration certificates.

FLHSMV physically examines the vehicle to confirm its identity and the major component parts that were repaired or replaced, stamps the title to show it was rebuilt, and affixes a rebuilt decal to the vehicle.

Yes. §319.14 says a person may not knowingly sell a rebuilt, flood or manufacturer-buyback vehicle without disclosing it in writing before the sale is completed, and advertisements must state it clearly.

No. The flood brand depends on a total-loss declaration, so water damage repaired without one may not appear on the title. A CARFAX or AutoCheck history and Copart or IAAI auction photos add context, but no report proves a clean history.

Sources

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

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