Home›Title brands

Reference

What every title brand means

Q: Is a salvage title the same as a total loss?

No, and the difference matters. Total loss is an economic decision: an insurer or a state works out that repairing the car costs more than the car is worth. Salvage is the broader category — the federal definition says salvage automobiles include vehicles determined to be a total loss, so every total loss is salvage but not every salvage vehicle was totalled. Junk is stricter still and is a physical judgement: the vehicle cannot operate on public roads and has no value except as parts or scrap, and it may never be titled or registered again.

Q: What is the difference between rebuilt and reconstructed?

They sound alike and mean different things. Rebuilt is a salvage-history brand — the standard defines it as a vehicle “previously branded salvage” that has since passed inspection. Reconstructed is a modification brand: a vehicle permanently altered by removing, adding or substituting major components. A reconstructed vehicle need never have been damaged at all.

Q: What do the odometer brands mean?

Exceeds mechanical limits means the odometer physically cannot display the true total — the reading is lower than reality and nobody cheated. Not actual mileage means the reading is known to be wrong, for any reason; a separate brand exists for when tampering has been verified. “Rollback” is not a regulatory term at all — federal law calls it tampering, and the federal disclosure rule has exactly three categories: actual, exceeds mechanical limits, and not actual.

The complete set of NMVTIS vehicle title brands with their official definitions, taken from the standard that defines them. WhichTrim does not sell vehicle history reports — this is the reference we wanted to exist when we built our free VIN decoder.

Three layers, often confused

A title brand reaches you through three separate systems, and mixing them up is the source of most bad information on this subject.

Federal regulation (28 CFR Part 25, Subpart B) created NMVTIS and defines exactly three terms — junk, salvage and total loss — which govern who must report. It does not list the brands, so anyone citing the regulation for a brand list is citing the wrong document. The brand set lives in a data standard, AAMVA's D20 dictionary, which is how brands are encoded and exchanged between states. States then issue their own brands under their own laws and their own names, and are not required to adopt another state's.

The federal definitions, verbatim:

Junk automobile	An automobile that (1) is incapable of operating on public streets, roads, and highways; and (2) has no value except as a source of parts or scrap.
Salvage automobile	An automobile that is damaged by collision, fire, flood, accident, trespass, or other event, to the extent that its fair salvage value plus the cost of repairing the automobile for legal operation on public streets, roads, and highways would be more than the fair market value of the automobile immediately before the event that caused the damage. Salvage automobiles include automobiles determined to be a total loss under the law of the applicable jurisdiction or designated as a total loss by an insurer under the terms of its policies, regardless of whether or not the ownership of the vehicle is transferred to the insurance carrier.
Total loss	That the cost of repairing such vehicles plus projected supplements plus projected diminished resale value plus rental reimbursement expense exceeds the cost of buying the damaged motor vehicle at its pre-accident value, minus the proceeds of selling the damaged motor vehicle for salvage.

Source: 28 CFR Part 25, Subpart B. Note the nesting — the federal definition of salvage explicitly includes total loss.

Salvage, total loss and rebuilt

Source: AAMVA D20 8.2

The brands a buyer most needs to understand. Note that they are not synonyms — see below.

Code	Brand	Official definition
11	Salvage	Any vehicle which has been wrecked, destroyed or damaged, to the extent that the total estimated or actual cost of parts and labor to rebuild or reconstruct the vehicle to its pre-accident condition and for legal operation on roads or highways exceeds a jurisdiction-defined percentage of the retail value of the vehicle. Also includes any vehicle to which an insurance company acquires ownership pursuant to a damage settlement, or any vehicle the owner chooses to designate as salvage.
49	Salvage — stolen	Any vehicle the reporting jurisdiction considers salvage because an insurance company has acquired ownership pursuant to a settlement based on the theft of the vehicle.
50	Salvage — reasons other than damage or stolen	Any vehicle the reporting jurisdiction considers salvage based on criteria, such as abandonment, not covered by the other salvage brands. Percent of damage is not reported with this brand.
16	Salvage retention	The vehicle is branded salvage and is kept by the owner.
09	Rebuilt	The vehicle, previously branded “salvage”, has passed anti-theft and safety inspections, or other jurisdiction procedures, to ensure the vehicle was rebuilt to required standards. Also known as prior salvage.
31	Totaled	A vehicle that is declared a total loss by a jurisdiction or an insurer that is obligated to cover the loss or that the insurer takes possession of or title to.
32	Owner retained	A vehicle that has been declared by the insurance company to be a total loss but the owner maintains possession and ownership of the vehicle.
38	Prior owner retained	A vehicle that was previously branded owner retained and was sold. The new owner’s title contains this brand.
36	Recovered theft	The vehicle was previously titled as salvage due to theft. The vehicle has been repaired and inspected (or complied with other jurisdiction procedures) and may be legally driven.

Damage

Source: AAMVA D20 8.2

Applied for a specific kind of damage, whether or not the vehicle was written off.

Code	Brand	Official definition
01	Flood damage	Vehicle damaged by freshwater flood (or it is unknown whether the damage was caused by fresh water or salt water).
04	Salt water damage	Vehicle damaged by saltwater flood.
02	Fire damage	Vehicle damaged by fire.
03	Hail damage	Vehicle damaged by hail.
14	Collision	Vehicle damaged by collision.
05	Vandalism	Vehicle damaged by vandals.
51	Disclosed damage	The vehicle has sustained damage to the extent that the damage is required to be disclosed under the jurisdiction’s damage disclosure law.
55	Hazardous substance contaminated	The jurisdiction has determined that the vehicle has been contaminated by a hazardous substance and is unsafe for use. Excludes flood-damaged vehicles. A hazardous substance is any substance that could diminish the safety of the vehicle or cause injury to its occupants.

End of life

Source: AAMVA D20 8.2

The vehicle is not coming back to the road, or may only leave the country.

Code	Brand	Official definition
08	Junk	The vehicle is incapable of safe operation for use on the roads or highways and has no resale value except as a source of parts or scrap, or the vehicle’s owner has irreversibly designated the vehicle as a source of parts or scrap. This vehicle shall never be titled or registered. Also known as non-repairable, scrapped, or destroyed.
07	Dismantled	The vehicle can only be sold as parts and cannot be legally driven.
53	Crushed	The frame or chassis of the vehicle has been crushed or otherwise destroyed so that it is physically impossible to use it in constructing a vehicle.
52	Prior non-repairable / repaired	A vehicle constructed by repairing a vehicle that had been declared non-repairable or otherwise ineligible for titling because of the extent of its damage, but which has since been issued a title under state law carrying this brand.
56	Export only	A salvage or junk vehicle determined for exportation outside of the United States and/or its territories; not eligible for re-title or re-registration for on-road use in the United States.
90	Pending junk — CARS.gov	NHTSA’s Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save (CARS) programme is processing an application which, if approved, will render this vehicle incapable of operating on public roads.
91	Junk — CARS.gov	Under the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Act of 2009, this vehicle is incapable of operating on public roads, has no value except as parts or scrap, and shall be crushed or shredded including the engine block.

Manufacturer buy-backs and defects

Source: AAMVA D20 8.2

Lemon-law buy-backs and manufacturer-reported defects.

Code	Brand	Official definition
47	Manufacturer buy back	A vehicle that has been bought back by the manufacturer under jurisdiction-defined regulations or laws, such as lemon laws — for example where a specified number of repair attempts fails to correct a major problem on a new vehicle, or the vehicle has been out of service for the same problem for 30 days or more within a year of purchase.
23	Warranty return	Vehicle returned to the manufacturer because of a breach in the warranty.
41	Safety defect uncorrected	A safety defect reported to the jurisdiction by the vehicle manufacturer remains uncorrected.
42	Safety defect corrected	A safety defect reported to the jurisdiction by the vehicle manufacturer has been corrected.
39	Non-conformity uncorrected	A non-safety defect reported to the jurisdiction by the vehicle manufacturer remains uncorrected.
40	Non-conformity corrected	A non-safety defect reported to the jurisdiction by the vehicle manufacturer has been corrected.

How it was used

Source: AAMVA D20 8.2

A previous life as a taxi, police car or working vehicle.

Code	Brand	Official definition
17	Prior taxi	Vehicle previously registered as a taxi.
19	Original taxi	Vehicle is currently registered as a taxi.
18	Prior police	Vehicle previously registered as a police vehicle.
20	Original police	Vehicle is currently registered as a police vehicle.
48	Former rental	The standard names this brand but gives no definition for it. Report sites that print one have invented it.
26	Agricultural vehicle	The vehicle will primarily be operated on private roads for agricultural purposes.
27	Logging vehicle	The vehicle will primarily be operated on private roads for logging purposes.

Origin and construction

Source: AAMVA D20 8.2

How the vehicle was built, rebuilt, imported or identified.

Code	Brand	Official definition
10	Reconstructed	A vehicle that has been permanently altered from original construction by removing, adding, or substituting major components.
06	Kit vehicle	A vehicle built by combining a chassis with a different (non-matching VIN) frame, engine, and body parts. The VIN on the chassis is used as the vehicle’s VIN.
30	Replica	A vehicle with a body built to resemble and be a reproduction of another vehicle of a given year and given manufacturer.
28	Street rod	The vehicle has been modified to not conform with the manufacturer’s specifications, and the modifications adhere to jurisdiction-specific criteria.
21	Re-manufactured	Vehicle was reconstructed by the manufacturer.
13	Refurbished	Any vehicle modified by the installation of a new cab and chassis for the existing coach which has been renovated, resulting in a vehicle of greater value or a vehicle with a new style.
12	Test vehicle	The vehicle is built and retained by the manufacturer or has been retrofitted by a third party for testing and may not be considered roadworthy after testing is complete.
24	Antique	The vehicle is over 50 years old.
25	Classic	The vehicle is over 20 years old and adheres to other jurisdiction-specific criteria.
45	Gray market — not compliant	Vehicle was manufactured for use outside the United States and has been brought into the United States. The vehicle is not in compliance with applicable federal standards.
46	Gray market — compliant	Vehicle was manufactured for use outside the United States and has been brought into the United States. The vehicle is in compliance with applicable federal standards.
29	Contains reissued VIN	The chassis VIN has been reissued, i.e. the same VIN is reused.
43	VIN replaced	VIN replaced by a new state-assigned VIN. A title should not be issued for the original VIN. This brand can be issued for rebuilt vehicles.

Odometer and title record

Source: AAMVA D20 8.2

Mileage disclosures and title-record flags.

Code	Brand	Official definition
68	Odometer — actual	The true mileage for the vehicle. The odometer has not been tampered with, reached its mechanical limits, or been altered.
69	Odometer — not actual	The odometer reading is known to be other than the true mileage for the vehicle.
70	Odometer — not actual, tampering verified	The odometer reading is known to be other than the true mileage for the vehicle, due to tampering.
72	Odometer — exceeds mechanical limits	The odometer reading is less than the true mileage of the vehicle because the odometer cannot display the total number of true miles.
73	Odometer may be altered	The titling authority has reason to believe that the odometer reading does not reflect the true mileage of the vehicle because of an alteration to the odometer.
76	Odometer discrepancy	The titling authority has reason to believe that the odometer reading does not reflect the true mileage of the vehicle because of known previous recorded values of odometer for the vehicle.
74	Odometer replaced	The odometer in the vehicle is not the odometer put in the vehicle when manufactured.
71	Exempt from odometer disclosure	The vehicle falls within criteria that allow it to change ownership without disclosure of the odometer reading.
75	Odometer reading at renewal	The odometer reading was recorded when the registration was renewed.
78	Rectifies a previous exceeds-mechanical-limit brand	A state other than the brander corrected the “exceeds mechanical limits” brand.
77	Title discrepancy	The titling authority knows of an issue with the title record that it cannot print on a title. The titling authority will discuss the issue with authorised inquirers.

Administrative and retired

Source: AAMVA D20 8.2

Record-keeping brands, plus the codes that are no longer issued. Some paid report sites still list the retired ones as current.

Code	Brand	Official definition
34	Memorandum copy	The title document is a facsimile title and not the active (original or duplicate) title document.
15	Prior salvage retired	Retired. Eliminated in favour of code 09, Rebuilt.
22	Gray market (old) retired	Retired on 25 June 2001, replaced by codes 45 and 46.
33	Bond posted retired	Retired. Not valid after 17 January 2003. The insurance company had issued a bond on a vehicle whose ownership could not be proven, allowing it to be sold and titled.
35	Parts only retired	Retired, replaced by code 07, Dismantled.
37	Undisclosed lien retired	Not valid after 17 January 2003. The vehicle entered a jurisdiction from one that does not disclose lien-holder information on the title.

The distinctions people get wrong

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Is a salvage title the same as a total loss?

No, and the difference matters. Total loss is an economic decision: an insurer or a state works out that repairing the car costs more than the car is worth. Salvage is the broader category — the federal definition says salvage automobiles include vehicles determined to be a total loss, so every total loss is salvage but not every salvage vehicle was totalled. Junk is stricter still and is a physical judgement: the vehicle cannot operate on public roads and has no value except as parts or scrap, and it may never be titled or registered again.

What is the difference between rebuilt and reconstructed?

They sound alike and mean different things. Rebuilt is a salvage-history brand — the standard defines it as a vehicle “previously branded salvage” that has since passed inspection. Reconstructed is a modification brand: a vehicle permanently altered by removing, adding or substituting major components. A reconstructed vehicle need never have been damaged at all.

Does repairing a salvage vehicle remove the brand?

It changes the brand, not the history. The vehicle becomes road-legal and is re-titled as rebuilt, but AAMVA's guidance to states is explicit that brands are carried forward for the life of the vehicle “even if the damage is repaired”. What can change is the paper: a state that does not recognise a particular brand may not print it on its own title, while the record stays in NMVTIS — which is how a brand can disappear in one state and reappear when the car is titled in another.

Can a flood-damaged car have a clean title?

Yes, through three separate gaps. Some states have no flood brand at all — the Department of Justice notes that a vehicle branded flood in one state does not have to be branded in another. Insurers are only required to report vehicles from the current model year and the four before it, so an older write-off may never be reported. And the duty to report falls on insurers and salvage yards, so a car that was never insured and never went through a yard has nothing to trigger a report. This is why a clean title is not the same as an undamaged car.

What is title washing?

Moving a vehicle to a state that does not carry a particular brand so the brand drops off the new title. NMVTIS exists largely to stop it: the record is kept centrally and made available to every state, so the history survives even when a title does not show it. That is also why checking the NMVTIS record is different from reading the title in your hand.

What do the odometer brands mean?

Exceeds mechanical limits means the odometer physically cannot display the true total — the reading is lower than reality and nobody cheated. Not actual mileage means the reading is known to be wrong, for any reason; a separate brand exists for when tampering has been verified. “Rollback” is not a regulatory term at all — federal law calls it tampering, and the federal disclosure rule has exactly three categories: actual, exceeds mechanical limits, and not actual.

Where this came from

Definitions are AAMVA's own wording from the D20 Traffic Records Systems Data Dictionary, section A.2.6, the public standard the NMVTIS specifications build on. The codes are not contiguous — 00–43, 45–53, 55, 56, 68–78, 90 and 91 — and four of them are retired. Two of the largest paid VIN-report sites still publish retired codes 22 and 33 as current brands, which is the clearest sign they are working from an old copy rather than the standard.

To look up a specific vehicle, use the Department of Justice's list of approved NMVTIS providers and compare their prices. We take no commission from any of them.