How To Get a Rebuilt Title in Indiana
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Indiana is one of the few states where you pay less than $20 as the title fee. To get a rebuilt title in Indiana, you must accomplish the procedures and pay the due fees within 45 days of acquiring a salvaged vehicle. The rebuilt title is processed and issued by the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV).
Rebuilt titles allow you to re-registered vehicles previously written off as a “total loss” by the car owner or an insurance company. The car must first have a salvaged title to get a rebuilt title in Indiana.
This article explains how to get a rebuilt title in Indiana!
Table of Contents
Rebuilding a Salvaged Car in Indiana
A salvaged car is a vehicle reported to the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles as a “total loss,” indicating that the cost of repairing such a car is worth more than the fair price for a new one.
Salvaged vehicles are conferred a “salvage title,” which automatically makes them unregistered (even though they may have been registered before the irreparable damage) and illegal to be driven on the roads.
Unlike in Illinois, where you must have your salvaged car rebuilt by a licensed rebuilder, in Indiana, you can have any professional mechanic rebuild the car and then move to the BMV for the rebuilt title documentation.
Repairing a salvaged car can be as expensive as buying a brand-new model of the same vehicle; you should consider this before going on with the rebuilding.
How To Get a Rebuilt Title in Indiana
Somehow, it’s easier to get a rebuilt title in Indiana than in other states. However, all paperwork must be completed, signed, and submitted to the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles Central Office within 45 days of purchasing or acquiring the salvage vehicle. You need a salvage title to get a rebuilt title, so you should apply for it if you haven’t got one.
Step 1: Get a Salvage Title
To get a salvage title for your car in Indiana, you need to mail some important documents to the state’s Central Office Title Processing address, which is:
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles Central Office Title Processing
100 North Senate Avenue, Room N411
Indianapolis, IN 46204
Here are the documents you should mail over:
- The vehicle’s original title document
- Application for Certification of Title for a vehicle
- Salvage Title Affidavit form
- Proof of settlement from your insurance company
- Proof of the required payments ($4 salvage title application fee). You’d have to pay an additional $10 as a penalty if you submit your salvage title application after 45 days of acquiring/possessing the car.
Optionally, you can pay a $25 “speed title fee” to speed up the processing of your title application.
Step 2: Rebuild the Car
After you have secured a salvage title for the vehicle, you can make the necessary repairs and replacements to bring the car back to life.
You could DIY the repairs if you feel you can do it - but it’s always best to have a professional mechanic handle the job since the car has been damaged “beyond repair” previously. When done with the repairs, you can apply for a rebuilt title.
Step 3: Go for the Rebuilt Title
In Indiana, getting a rebuilt title is known as “Salvage Restoration Packet.” Here, you need to gather all listed documents in the “packet” and submit them to the Central Title Processing office (mail it over). Documents to submit include:
- Application for Certificate of Title for a vehicle
- Salvage title certificate
- Completed Odometer Disclosure Statement (if the vehicle is being transferred to a new owner)
- An Affidavit of Restoration for a Salvage Motor Vehicle
- Proof of ownership and/or proof of purchase
- Receipts of the parts bought and replaced to make the car function again
- Vehicle information, such as year, make, VIN, and serial numbers of parts used for the rebuilding (if applicable)
- One proof of address (driver’s license or identification card)
- Payment proofs - $15 title application fee. A $30 administrative penalty fee will be requested if you don’t submit the title application packet within 45 days of purchasing or acquiring the vehicle. A $25 “speed title” fee is applicable if you need the title to be processed faster.
