Vehicle owners need to obtain a salvage title in Washington in order to have proof of ownership of a certain salvage vehicle. The Washington Department of Licensing (WA DOL) issues a salvage certificate to individuals who are dealing with salvaged vehicles. However, in order to be able to apply for such title, motorists first may need to satisfy certain eligibility criteria and then continue with the application procedure.

The DMV salvage title application procedure may also mandate vehicle owners to satisfy additional requirements and to prepare a list of documents needed for the process. Moreover, they may also be required to pay the applicable salvage title value, or to perform an inspection on the vehicle. To discover more information about each of these topics, continue reviewing the sections below.

What is a Washington salvage title?

To begin with an application procedure for getting a Washington DMV salvage title, vehicle owners need to first familiarize themselves with the type of title and the situations when it is issued. A salvage certificate is a legal ownership document issued to motorists who own salvage vehicles. Furthermore, a salvage vehicle is a motor vehicle that has been damaged to that extent that an insurance company has declared it as a total loss.

Moreover, a salvage vehicle may be also a motor vehicle that has been damaged and wrecked to that point that the owner, the insurance agency, or the person assigned to act on behalf of the owner has determined it is uneconomical to repair it.

Washington Salvage Title Eligibility Requirements

Prior to initiating an application procedure for a Washington DMV salvage title, vehicle owners may have to satisfy certain eligibility criteria in order to be eligible to apply for the appropriate title. At first, motorists need to make sure that the vehicles they possess are salvaged and that they satisfy the requirements set for a salvage vehicle.

Owners of salvage title cars in Washington may have four options from which they can choose what to do with their salvage vehicles when they have been declared as a total loss. They may either sell the vehicle, keep it and repair it, keep it without repairing or use the vehicle for parts. Moreover, motorists need to know that their salvage vehicles cannot be driven on public roads within the state before they obtain a new title. Therefore, car salvage owners are recommended to apply for a new car title if they want to operate their vehicle, or sell it or use it for parts.

How to Get a Salvage Title in Washington

When certain Washington salvage title cars are destroyed or declared as a total loss, the owner or the insurance company may be required to report the vehicle as salvage and surrender the title to the WA DOL. The legal owner of the salvage vehicle must surrender the title within 15 days of the vehicle’s destruction, while the insurance company will have to surrender it up to 15 days from the claim settlement.

Owners of car salvage vehicles who want to report a salvage vehicle and surrender the title need to write “Destroyed” on the face of the title as well as the date when the vehicle had been salvaged. After that, motorists need to mail the title to the WA DOL.

Salvage Car Inspections in Washington

A salvage vehicle inspection in Washington may be conducted when motorists decide to rebuild their salvage vehicles. When applying for a rebuilt title in WA, vehicle owners need to have their motor vehicles inspected by the Washington State Patrol (WSP), which prevents trafficking of stolen vehicles or parts. The inspection is performed by a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Officer who inspects the major component parts that have been used for the construction of the vehicle.

Motorists may be required to provide certain original documents as part of the requirements needed for a vehicle inspection. Some of the mandatory documents are proofs of legal ownership of the vehicle that is inspected and of the used parts. In other words, the rebuilt title inspection requires vehicle owners to provide the following:

• Washington State Patrol Inspection Request form
• Valid photo identification, such as an official WA driver’s license
• Certificate of Title
• Receipts for major component parts of the vehicle

Note: In a situation when owners of rebuilt salvage title vehicles want to rebuild their vehicles after it has been declared as a total loss, they will not be required to undergo a WSP inspection. However, the drivers or their insurance companies may be required to notify the WA DOL.

Washington Salvage Title Fees

In most cases, the final requirement of a salvage title application procedure is to provide payment for the applicable fees. However, since the WA DOL issues rebuilt title certificates instead of salvage ones, motorists need to inquire details about the imposed fees that they may have to pay.

Therefore, when wondering about the salvage title value in Washington, vehicle owners are encouraged to contact the WA DOL and find out more information about the cost and application procedure.

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