2022 Minnesota Statutes

168A.151 SALVAGE TITLE; JUNKING CERTIFICATE.

Subdivision 1.Salvage and prior salvage brands.

(a) When an insurer, licensed to conduct business in Minnesota, acquires ownership of a vehicle, excluding a recovered intact vehicle, through payment of damages, the insurer must:

(1) for a late-model or high-value vehicle, immediately apply for a certificate of title that bears a "salvage" brand or stamp the existing certificate of title with "salvage" in a manner prescribed by the department; or

(2) for a vehicle that is not subject to clause (1), immediately apply for a certificate of title that bears a "prior salvage" brand or stamp the existing certificate of title with "prior salvage" in a manner prescribed by the department.

(b) Within ten days of obtaining the title of a vehicle through payment of damages, an insurer must notify the department in a manner prescribed by the department.

(c) Except as provided in section 168A.11, subdivision 1, a person must immediately apply for a certificate of title that bears a "salvage" brand if the person acquires a damaged late-model or high-value vehicle that:

(1) was acquired by an insurer through payment of damages;

(2) will incur a cost of repairs that exceeds the value of the damaged vehicle;

(3) has an out-of-state salvage certificate of title as proof of ownership; or

(4) bears the brand "damaged," "repairable," "salvage," or any similar term on the certificate of title.

(d) Except as provided in section 168A.11, subdivision 1, a person must immediately apply for a certificate of title that bears a "prior salvage" brand if the person acquires a damaged vehicle and:

(1) a "salvage" brand is not required under paragraph (c); and

(2) the vehicle:

(i) bears the brand "damaged," "repairable," "salvage," "rebuilt," "reconditioned," or any similar term on the certificate of title; or

(ii) had a salvage certificate of title or brand issued at any time in the vehicle's history by any other jurisdiction.

(e) A self-insured owner of a vehicle that sustains damage by collision or other occurrence which exceeds 80 percent of its actual cash value must:

(1) for a late-model or high-value vehicle, immediately apply for a certificate of title that bears a "salvage" brand; or

(2) for a vehicle that is not subject to clause (1), immediately apply for a certificate of title that bears a "prior salvage" brand.

Subd. 2.

[Repealed, 1993 c 93 s 20]

Subd. 3.

[Repealed, 1993 c 93 s 20]

Subd. 4.Junking certificate required.

When a person acquires ownership of a vehicle that is an unrepairable total loss vehicle, the person shall surrender the assigned certificate of title to the department and apply for a junking certificate of title.

Subd. 5.

[Repealed, 1993 c 93 s 20]

Subd. 6.Authority under junking certificate.

A junking certificate authorizes the holder only to possess and transport the vehicle, except that a salvage pool or insurance company, or its agent, may sell an unrepairable total loss vehicle with a junking certificate to a licensed used parts dealer or a licensed scrap metal processor.

History:

1988 c 496 s 19; 1989 c 342 s 14; 1993 c 93 s 9-11; 2005 c 94 s 2; 2008 c 287 art 1 s 30; 2012 c 163 s 4; 2012 c 267 s 4; 2022 c 57 s 6