How to Compare Car Insurance Rates 2025
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Getting Car Insurance For a Salvage or Rebuilt Title

Headshot of Aaron Besson
Written by
Aaron Besson
Headshot of Bryan Ochalla
Edited by
Bryan Ochalla
Published on:
Content was accurate at the time of publication.

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Key takeaways

  • You may have a hard time getting car insurance for a vehicle with a rebuilt title.
  • If you can find a company that offers rebuilt title insurance, it may only sell you limited coverage.
  • You can’t get insurance for a car with a salvage title.

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You can’t get car insurance for a salvage title vehicle.

A car with a salvage title is not safe for driving. After a car is totaled in an accident, the insurance company usually takes possession of the wreck. They will sometimes then sell the car at auction or a salvage yard to recoup the costs they can.

If you have a car with a salvage title, your main options are:

  • Sell it to someone else This usually requires a Notice of Cancellation letter and notarized receipt.
  • Use it for spare parts
  • Keep it and get it repaired

If you keep the salvage title car and have a licensed specialist repair it, it may get a rebuilt title if it passes inspection.

You should be able to get insurance for a vehicle with a rebuilt title.

Different states have different criteria for rebuilt title cars. For example, in Washington state, a rebuilt title car must be five years old or newer, unless it meets market threshold criteria. These criteria are:

  • The car is between six and 20 years old
  • It’s a passenger vehicle, light-duty truck or SUV
  • Its retail value is $10,430 or more before being declared a total loss

Even if a car is given a rebuilt title, getting insurance for it can be challenging. No matter how road-safe the car is after it’s repaired, car insurance companies often consider rebuilt cars to be a high risk.

Some companies will only sell you liability car insurance coverage for a rebuilt car, while other companies won’t cover them at all.

Some companies that sell car insurance for vehicles with a rebuilt title:

These companies sell at least liability-only car insurance for rebuilt title cars. Shopping around may help you find other companies that offer liability-only or full-coverage car insurance for rebuilt cars. Make sure to ask what your options are when you compare car insurance quotes.

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Have the proper documentation ready before looking for rebuilt car insurance quotes. Insurance companies will usually ask for:

  • The rebuilt title document
  • Receipts of repairs done
  • Inspection certifications

Once you have those documents, you can compare car insurance quotes from several different companies. When comparing quotes, use the same policy limits each time to make sure you’re getting an accurate comparison.

Be honest with insurance companies when entering your info for a quote, too. Note the rebuilt title status, if asked. Companies will see the rebuilt title status when they pull up the car’s VIN (vehicle identification number), so it won’t be hidden.

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