Salvage, rebuilt and clean titles: what US auction titles mean
Updated: 2026-10-16
Every car at Copart or IAAI is sold with a title document from a US state. The title type tells you what happened to the car and what can legally be done with it. Rules differ by state and by destination country, so treat this as an overview, not legal advice.
Total loss: why insurers sell cars at auction
When repair costs exceed a threshold of the car’s value (often around 70–80%, depending on the state and insurer), the insurer pays the owner and declares the car a total loss. The insurer then sells it through Copart or IAAI to recover part of the money.
Common title types
Auction listings name the document type. The most common ones:
- Clean (clear) title: no brand on the title. Some insurance cars with light damage are sold with clean titles.
- Salvage title (salvage certificate): the car was declared a total loss. It cannot be driven on US roads until it is repaired and inspected.
- Rebuilt (reconstructed) title: a salvage car that was repaired and passed a state inspection.
- Certificate of destruction / non-repairable / parts only: the car may not be re-registered in that state and is meant for parts or export, where allowed.
- Flood or water damage brand: the car was damaged by water. Electronics and corrosion problems can appear months later.
What this means for importers
Many countries import salvage-title cars, but rules on age, damage and documents differ. Check the destination country’s import rules before bidding, especially for certificate-of-destruction and flood cars.
A rebuilt title in the US does not reveal what the damage was. Searching the VIN in an auction archive shows the photos from before the repair.
Check a VIN now
Questions and answers
Is a salvage title car bad?
Not always. It means the insurer found the repair uneconomical, not that the car is unsafe after a proper repair. Check the auction photos and get an independent inspection.
Can a salvage car get a clean title later?
In the US a repaired salvage car usually gets a rebuilt title, not a clean one. Some resellers move cars through other states or countries, which is why the auction record matters.
Where can I see the title type of a specific car?
In the Copart or IAAI listing while the lot is live, and in auction archives such as AllCarHistory afterwards.