North Dakota Vehicle History — Salvage, Previously Salvaged and Damage Disclosure (Reports from $4.99)

North Dakota requires a salvage title once damage passes 75% of retail value, not counting glass or hail. Smaller body damage on newer cars is disclosed on the title, but an owner can have that disclosure removed once the car is old enough.

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US-ND
North Dakota

Official vehicle-registry authority: North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT), Motor Vehicle Division

Why North Dakota is different

Under N.D.C.C. §39-05-20.2, the owner of a vehicle damaged in excess of seventy-five percent of its retail value, measured by the National Automobile Dealers Association official used car guide, must send the title to the department within ten days. The department then issues a salvage certificate of title, which carries a prominent notation that it was issued for a salvaged vehicle. Glass and hail damage are excluded from the calculation, so even severe hail damage cannot by itself trigger a salvage title.

A reconstructed salvage vehicle returns to a regular title with a certificate of inspection, the salvage title and a five dollar fee. North Dakota does not use a police theft exam for this step. The inspection must be completed by a business registered with the Secretary of State that repairs vehicles for the public and did not do the rebuild. It confirms the vehicle meets the state’s equipment requirements. Every later title reads “previously salvaged” and notes that damage disclosure information is available from the department.

Section 39-05-17.2 adds a body-damage disclosure for the current model year and the seven before it. Damage counts when it equals or exceeds the greater of ten thousand dollars or 25% of pre-damage retail value, again excluding glass and hail. Once the vehicle ages past that window, the holder may pay five dollars to have the disclosure removed from the title. On an older North Dakota car a clean title therefore tells you little. Check a vehicle history report and any auction records too.

Title rules in North Dakota at a glance

Title agency
North Dakota Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division.
Salvage trigger
Damage over 75% of NADA retail value, excluding glass and hail; title to the department within ten days (N.D.C.C. §39-05-20.2).
Title brands
Salvage certificate of title; “previously salvaged” with damage-disclosure notation; body damage disclosure.
Rebuilt inspection
Certificate of inspection by a registered public repair business other than the rebuilder; equipment compliance with chapter 39-21.
Older-vehicle exemption
Body damage disclosure covers the current and seven preceding model years and may then be removed for $5.
Seller disclosure
Body damage of at least the greater of $10,000 or 25% of retail value must be disclosed on transfer (N.D.C.C. §39-05-17.2).

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Title brands in North Dakota

Salvage certificate of title
Issued when a vehicle is damaged beyond 75% of its NADA retail value, not counting glass or hail damage. It must carry a prominent notation that it was issued for a salvaged motor vehicle.
Previously salvaged
Placed on the regular title, and all later titles, of a reconstructed salvage vehicle, with a notation that damage disclosure information is available from the department.
Body damage disclosure
Recorded on the title for vehicles in the current or seven preceding model years when damage reaches the greater of $10,000 or 25% of pre-damage retail value. It can be removed for $5 once the vehicle is older.
Junk certificate of title
N.D.C.C. §39-05-20.4 authorizes the department to require junk certificates of title for junk motor vehicles under its rules.

Red flags specific to North Dakota

⚠ Removed damage disclosure
When a vehicle ages past the current model year plus seven, the title holder may have the body damage disclosure removed and a new title issued for five dollars (N.D.C.C. §39-05-17.2). A clean title on an older car may once have carried a disclosure.
⚠ Hail repairs never count
Hail and glass damage are excluded from both the 75% salvage test and the body damage disclosure. Expect hail-repaired cars on unbranded titles and look closely at roof, hood and glass.
⚠ Inspection is not a police theft check
The certificate of inspection for a previously salvaged title comes from a registered repair business, not law enforcement. Ask who inspected the car and get your own pre-purchase inspection.
⚠ Out-of-state junk titles are refused
The department may not issue a North Dakota title for a vehicle whose out-of-state title shows scrap, parts-only, junk, unrepairable, nonrebuildable or a similar notation (N.D.C.C. §39-05-20.3). A car bought on such a title in Minnesota or Montana cannot be given a North Dakota title.

Frequently asked questions

When it is damaged in excess of 75% of its retail value as determined by the NADA official used car guide. The owner must forward the title to the department within ten days. Glass damage and hail damage are excluded from the calculation (N.D.C.C. §39-05-20.2).

The vehicle once held a salvage certificate of title and was reconstructed. The department places “previously salvaged” and a notation that damage disclosure information is available on the regular title and on all later titles.

A business registered with the Secretary of State, in good standing, that offers motor vehicle repair to the public. It may not be the business that reconstructed the vehicle, and it must state that the vehicle complies with chapter 39-21 equipment requirements. The department also verifies the VIN or other proof of identity.

For vehicles of the current model year and the seven before it, damage equal to or greater than $10,000 or 25% of pre-damage retail value, whichever is greater, must be disclosed when the vehicle is sold. Glass damage, hail damage, modifications and normal wear are excluded. Violations are a class A misdemeanor.

Yes, once the vehicle is older than the current model year plus the seven preceding ones. The title holder may then have the disclosure removed and a new title issued for a five dollar fee.

No. Under N.D.C.C. §39-05-20.3 the department treats a vehicle with an out-of-state title marked scrap, parts-only, junk, unrepairable, nonrebuildable, dismantler or similar as unfit and will not issue a title.

Sources

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

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