Certificate of Destruction vs. Salvage Title
Karen Matera
When a vehicle is involved in an accident, and the insurance company declares the vehicle a total loss, they may request that the state reclassify the title as a certificate of destruction or a salvage title. So what's the difference?
A certificate of destruction is basically a Death Certificate.. That vehicle can never be operated on the road again. I REPEAT, It's days are over. Period. These CD's cannot be rebuilt... They are meant to become a giant ball of scrap metal or stripped of its parts.
A salvage title, is a different animal. Most states have a mathematical equation in which they take the current value of the vehicle against the cost to repair. If the cost to repair is less than , usually about 70 to 80% of the vehicle value they may request that a salvage title be issued. In most states, this means that the vehicle can be repaired and put back up on the road, subject to DMV inspections. Keep in mind that some states still have a " Salvage Un rebuildable" title classification, which means simply that, it cannot be put back on the road.
*** thetitlegoddess