Missouri Vehicle History — Prior Salvage, Junk and Reconstructed Titles (Reports from $4.99)

Missouri’s repair-cost salvage test only covers cars damaged within six years of their model year, and hail damage does not count toward it. A rebuilt car returns to the road with a “Prior Salvage” title after a Missouri State Highway Patrol examination.

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US-MO
Missouri

Official vehicle-registry authority: Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR), Motor Vehicle Bureau

Why Missouri is different

RSMo §301.010 defines a salvage vehicle in several ways. One is a vehicle damaged no more than six years after its model year where repairs would cost more than eighty percent of its fair market value. Others are a vehicle declared salvage by an insurer settling a claim, or by its owner or lienholder. The repair-cost figure leaves out airbags, tires, sound systems, sales tax and hail damage, so a hail-battered car can stay on a regular title even when its body repair bill is large.

Once a salvage vehicle is rebuilt, the Department of Revenue’s guide to titling rebuilt vehicles (Form 4698) requires a Vehicle Examination Certificate, Form DOR-551, completed by the Missouri State Highway Patrol or another authorized officer. The owner also needs notarized bills of sale for the major parts used. The new title is designated “Prior Salvage”, and Missouri law keeps that designation on the face of every later Missouri title.

The age limit is the gap buyers miss. Under RSMo §301.227 a salvage title is mandatory only when the vehicle is bought in a year no more than six years after its model year; for older cars it is optional. An older Missouri car sold after a total loss may therefore still have a regular title. Ask for repair invoices, and compare the title with a vehicle history report and any Copart or IAAI sale photos.

Title rules in Missouri at a glance

Title agency
Missouri Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Bureau, through local license offices.
Salvage trigger
Repairs over 80% of fair market value for vehicles damaged within six years of model year, or insurer declaration (RSMo §301.010).
Title brands
Salvage, Prior Salvage, junking certificate, Reconstructed, Motor Change, Specially Constructed, Non-USA-Std Motor Vehicle.
Rebuilt inspection
Vehicle Examination Certificate (DOR-551) by the Missouri State Highway Patrol or another authorized officer; checks VINs and classifies the vehicle.
Older-vehicle exemption
Salvage title optional for vehicles bought more than six years after their model year (RSMo §301.227).
Seller disclosure
Written disclosure required if a junking certificate was applied for or issued; otherwise the sale is voidable by the buyer.

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Title brands in Missouri

Salvage certificate of title
A negotiable title the Department of Revenue issues to the buyer of a vehicle sold for salvage, dismantling or rebuilding. Required for vehicles bought within six years of their model year (RSMo §301.227).
Prior Salvage
Shown on the face of the title after a salvage vehicle is rebuilt and passes the Highway Patrol examination. The designation remains on every later Missouri title.
Junking certificate
Issued for a vehicle classified as junk. If another state issued a junking certificate or similar designation, Missouri issues only a junking certificate, never a salvage or regular title.
Reconstructed / Motor Change / Specially Constructed Motor Vehicle
Designations RSMo §301.190 requires on the current and all later titles. A reconstructed vehicle has had two or more major component parts added or substituted; a motor change vehicle is a pre-August-1957 vehicle with a replacement engine; a specially constructed vehicle, including a kit vehicle, was not built by a recognized manufacturer.
Non-USA-Std Motor Vehicle
Marks a vehicle not originally manufactured to U.S. emissions or safety standards. It is carried on all later Missouri titles, including when the vehicle arrives with that designation from another state.

Red flags specific to Missouri

⚠ Hail damage does not count
Hail damage is excluded from the 80% repair-cost calculation in RSMo §301.010. A car with heavy hail repairs may never have been branded, so check auction condition notes and repair history for hail claims.
⚠ Totaled cars more than six years old
A salvage title is optional, not mandatory, once a vehicle is bought more than six years after its model year (RSMo §301.227). The current title may not reflect a recent total loss.
⚠ Junking certificate not disclosed
A seller must disclose in writing that a junking certificate was applied for or issued; otherwise the buyer may void the sale (RSMo §301.227(3)). Ask the seller directly and keep the answer in writing.
⚠ Wrecked cars brought in from other states
Vehicles brought into Missouri wrecked or damaged must be inspected by the Highway Patrol, and if they are in salvage or junk condition the Missouri title says so (RSMo §301.190(11)). If a seller offers a car on a title from Illinois, Kansas or another state, ask whether it was damaged before it came to Missouri and look for that state’s brand.

Frequently asked questions

For a vehicle damaged no more than six years after its model year, it is salvage when repairs would cost more than 80% of its fair market value before the damage (RSMo §301.010). Airbags, tires, sound systems, hail damage and sales tax are not counted. A vehicle is also salvage when an insurer declares it so in a claim settlement.

It is the title Missouri issues after a salvage vehicle has been rebuilt and examined. The Department of Revenue’s Form 4698 says the new title will be designated “Prior Salvage” on its face, and the designation is carried onto all later Missouri titles.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol or another law enforcement officer authorized by the Director of Revenue completes the Vehicle Examination Certificate (DOR-551). It verifies vehicle identification numbers and classifies the vehicle. Under RSMo §301.190, salvage vehicles ten years old or older do not have to be restored to their original appearance to pass.

Yes. If another state’s title designates the vehicle as reconstructed, motor change, specially constructed or prior salvage, Missouri shows that state’s name and the prior designation on the new and all later titles (RSMo §301.190(12)).

Generally no. A vehicle with a junking certificate or similar classification from any state can only receive a Missouri junking certificate. The person who first applied for a Missouri junking certificate may rescind it within ninety days, but only if the vehicle had not already been classified as junk.

Not because of the hail alone. RSMo §301.010 excludes hail damage from the repair costs used to decide whether a vehicle is salvage. A vehicle an insurer declares salvage in a claim settlement is still salvage, whatever caused the damage.

Sources

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

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