SALVAGE THEFT EXAMINATIONS
Iowa law requires all vehicles designated “salvage” or vehicles that have a “salvage” title to be physically examined by a peace officer who has been certified by the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy to conduct inspections prior to issuance of an Iowa vehicle registration. The applicant must present to the officer an Iowa salvage title in the applicant’s name, or a properly assigned title is acceptable. The fee for the salvage theft examination is $50.
The purpose of the salvage theft examination is to physically verify that no stolen parts were used to rebuild a vehicle and to authenticate the vehicle being rebuilt. A typical salvage theft examination takes approximately 45 minutes, but may take several hours if the vehicle identification numbers are not easily accessible or there are problems with the ownership documents. It’s important to maintain all receipts, invoices, and documentation for parts used to rebuild the vehicle and to bring these to the inspection as the officer will need to verify this information.
Below is the web site to guide you through the salvage theft examination process and answer any questions from the frequently asked questions section.