Used car buying · Ford of Peoria · Peoria, IL
What Is a Salvage Title?
A salvage title carries one of several "brands" a state can put on a vehicle's title to record its condition or history. This guide explains salvage and rebuilt brands, what Illinois says about them, and how to check a used car's title history before you buy.
The short answer
A salvage title is a title carrying a "salvage" brand. The U.S. Department of Justice's NMVTIS program describes a brand as a descriptive label that states assign to a vehicle to identify its current or prior condition, such as "junk," "salvage" or "flood," and notes that vehicles that incur significant damage are often branded junk or salvage. Each state sets its own rules for when the brand applies. A rebuilt title follows a salvage or flood history: the Illinois Secretary of State Police describe a rebuilt vehicle as one that was involved in a flood or was a salvage vehicle, and licensed Illinois dealers must disclose to a buyer if a vehicle is "REBUILT."
What a title brand is
NMVTIS, the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System overseen by the U.S. Department of Justice, describes a "brand" as a descriptive label that states assign to a vehicle to identify its current or prior condition, such as "junk," "salvage," "flood" or another designation. Vehicles that incur significant damage are often branded junk or salvage.
States do not all use the same rules. NMVTIS gives the example that one state may examine and brand a damaged vehicle as "salvage" while another may not, because the damage may not reach a dollar or value threshold, such as a damage estimate compared with fair market value, that the second state's law requires. A vehicle recovered from a flood may be branded "flood" in some states, while other states have no such designation.
From NMVTIS, For Consumers: What is NMVTIS? (vehiclehistory.bja.ojp.gov) and the NMVTIS brochure, Are You About to Buy a Flood or Junk/Salvage Car? (rev. 12-2019), read November 2, 2026.
Salvage title vs rebuilt title
| What it tells you | |
|---|---|
| Salvage | A state brand often applied when a vehicle incurs significant damage. Whether a damaged vehicle gets the brand depends on that state's law, which may set a dollar or value threshold (NMVTIS). |
| Rebuilt | In Illinois, a rebuilt vehicle is one that was involved in a flood or was a salvage vehicle (Illinois Secretary of State Police). Licensed Illinois dealers must disclose to a buyer if a vehicle is "REBUILT." |
| Junk | Another brand NMVTIS lists for vehicles with significant damage. NMVTIS also records reports of a vehicle being sold or transferred to an auto recycler, junk yard or salvage yard. |
| Flood | A brand some states apply to vehicles recovered from a flood; other states have no flood designation (NMVTIS). |
From NMVTIS, For Consumers: What is NMVTIS? and the Illinois Secretary of State Police, Frequently Asked Questions, read November 2, 2026.
What Illinois says about rebuilt vehicles
The Illinois Secretary of State Police say licensed dealers in Illinois must disclose to a purchaser if a vehicle is a "REBUILT" vehicle, meaning it was involved in a flood or was a salvage vehicle.
Under the Illinois Vehicle Code (625 ILCS 5/3-308), the Secretary of State inspects vehicles 8 model years old or newer when an application for a rebuilt title is submitted. The inspection checks that the vehicle identification numbers have not been tampered with, that the title application is accurate, and that there are no signs the vehicle or its parts were stolen. The statute lists these checks; it does not describe a repair-quality inspection, and the NMVTIS brochure suggests used car buyers may want to consider an independent inspection before buying.
From the Illinois Secretary of State Police, Frequently Asked Questions and 625 ILCS 5/3-308, Illinois Vehicle Code (rebuilt vehicle inspections), read November 2, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice.
How to check a used car for a salvage title
NMVTIS lets buyers look up information on a vehicle before buying it. Federal law requires all states, insurance carriers and junk and salvage yards to report to NMVTIS, and requires insurers and junk and salvage yards to report their salvage and total loss vehicles. Before you buy, an NMVTIS search can show:
- information from the vehicle's current title, including its brand history;
- the latest reported odometer reading;
- any determination by an insurance company or self-insuring organization that the vehicle is "salvage," including total losses;
- any reports of the vehicle being sold or transferred to an auto recycler, junk yard or salvage yard.
Once a state brands a vehicle, NMVTIS says that brand becomes a permanent part of the vehicle's NMVTIS record, which helps stop a brand from being "washed" off when a vehicle is retitled in another state. The NMVTIS brochure adds that used car buyers can benefit from all vehicle history report services available and may want to consider an independent inspection before buying.
From NMVTIS, For Consumers: What is NMVTIS? and the NMVTIS brochure, Are You About to Buy a Flood or Junk/Salvage Car? (rev. 12-2019), read November 2, 2026.
What a title check can miss
NMVTIS cautions that until every required entity is reporting, a search may give a false negative, such as "no junk or salvage history," and that private vehicle history databases can have the same gaps. A vehicle having been in a salvage yard does not mean a state must brand it, because state laws vary.
An insurance "total loss" also does not necessarily mean a vehicle was destroyed or is worthless. NMVTIS gives the example of stolen vehicles that are not recovered within 30 days, which insurers may label a total loss; if the car is later recovered in perfect condition, the total loss determination is not removed.
From NMVTIS, For Consumers: What is NMVTIS?, read November 2, 2026.
Shopping for a used car at Ford of Peoria
Ask us about any vehicle's title and history before you buy. You can browse our used inventory online, and when you are ready, see our financing application.
Ford of Peoria is at 2211 W. Pioneer Pkwy. in Peoria. Get directions.
Ford of Peoria sales hours
| Days | Hours |
|---|---|
| Mon-Fri | 9 a.m.-7 p.m. |
| Sat | 9 a.m.-5 p.m. |
| Sun | closed |
From Ford of Peoria's website, November 2, 2026. Holiday hours can differ.
Salvage title FAQ
What is a salvage title?
A title carrying a "salvage" brand, a label a state assigns to record a vehicle's condition or history. NMVTIS says vehicles that incur significant damage are often branded junk or salvage; each state sets its own rules.
What is a rebuilt title?
In Illinois, the Secretary of State Police describe a rebuilt vehicle as one that was involved in a flood or was a salvage vehicle. Licensed Illinois dealers must disclose to a buyer if a vehicle is "REBUILT."
What is the difference between a salvage title and a rebuilt title?
A salvage brand records that a state treated the vehicle as salvage, often after significant damage. A rebuilt vehicle in Illinois is one that was involved in a flood or was a salvage vehicle, and licensed Illinois dealers must disclose that status to buyers.
Does Illinois inspect rebuilt vehicles?
Yes. Under 625 ILCS 5/3-308, the Secretary of State inspects vehicles 8 model years old or newer when a rebuilt title application is submitted, checking that VINs were not tampered with, the application is accurate and there are no signs of stolen vehicles or parts.
How can I tell if a car has a salvage title?
Check the title itself and run an NMVTIS vehicle history report, which shows title brand history, the latest odometer reading, insurance salvage or total-loss determinations and junk or salvage yard reports.
Can a salvage brand be removed by moving a car to another state?
NMVTIS warns that brands can be washed off a paper title when a vehicle is retitled in a state that does not check its history. Once a state brands a vehicle, the brand stays a permanent part of its NMVTIS record, so an NMVTIS check can reveal it, though NMVTIS notes a search can still miss records that were never reported.
Shopping for a used car?
Visit us at 2211 W. Pioneer Pkwy. in Peoria, or browse our used inventory online.
Sources
Title brand definitions, NMVTIS search contents and limits are from the U.S. Department of Justice's NMVTIS consumer page and brochure; Illinois rebuilt-vehicle rules are from the Illinois Secretary of State Police FAQ and 625 ILCS 5/3-308. All were read on November 2, 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice. Our address and hours are from our own website, checked the same day. Photo is illustrative.
- NMVTIS, For Consumers: What is NMVTIS?, U.S. Department of Justice, read November 2, 2026
- NMVTIS brochure, Are You About to Buy a Flood or Junk/Salvage Car? (rev. 12-2019), U.S. Department of Justice / AAMVA, read November 2, 2026
- Illinois Secretary of State Police, Frequently Asked Questions, Illinois Secretary of State, read November 2, 2026
- 625 ILCS 5/3-308, Illinois Vehicle Code (rebuilt vehicle inspections), Illinois General Assembly, read November 2, 2026
- Address and hours (structured data), Ford of Peoria, November 2, 2026