Success Story: Went to Reregister Car, Discovered a Problem with Title

Success Story

Alice purchased a car in 2024 from a dealership in West Palm Beach, Florida. When she went to reregister the vehicle in 2026, FLHSMV said there was a problem with the title. The dealership had not filed the correct title paperwork and had since gone out of business, so Alice could not get help from the seller.

Alice used the Court-Ordered Title paperwork process from CarTitles. After she submitted the provided paperwork to the court, the court responded with a judgment approving her title. She then submitted the judgment with her title application to FLHSMV and obtained a new title.

Success Story: Father, a Car Collector, Passed Away

Success Story

Jeanette's father, an antique car collector, passed away, leaving behind a barn-find Studebaker with no vehicle title. After attempting to get a car title via several different methods, including trying to hire a lawyer, Jeanette used our Court-Ordered Title process to obtain a car title for the vehicle. Read her story about obtaining a car title for her father's Studebaker.

Success Story: Vehicle Purchased at Auction with No Title

Success Story

Congratulations to Nelson for obtaining a Car Title through our Court-Ordered Title process. Nelson buys used cars and then ships them internationally to be sold abroad. He purchased a car through a Copart Blue Light Auction and was not provided a title at the time of sale. Nelson used our Court-Ordered Title (Paperwork Only) to successfully obtain a car title! Read the case study below to learn more!

You Bought a Scrap Title, Junk or Parts-Only Title: What to Do Next

You’re shopping for a used car at a reasonable price, and you keep hitting a wall: everything on the open market is overpriced, and everything in your price range is well below what you were looking for in terms of quality, brand, or overall condition. Now what? There is another option—one that is gaining in popularity as many others find themselves in this same scenario: buying a vehicle with a scrap title and making the needed repairs after the fact. But it’s not always an easy road. What feels like a win can turn into a nightmare without a solid understanding of vehicle title types, the overall process, and your options. Here are some tips to help make your buying experience a good one.

Title Types and Limitations: Scrap and Salvage Titles vs Junk and Parts-Only Titles
To successfully navigate these options, you must first understand what you are buying. A scrap or salvage title indicates the car has been totaled due to some kind of damage, but that it can be rebuilt and ultimately be deemed road-worthy again. Many totaled vehicles can be repaired and put back on the road. The designation of “totaled” just means that the cost to repair is outside the insurance company’s acceptable ratio to the vehicle’s present-day value. With rising costs to repair and to buy parts, it’s taking less and less damage to deem a car as totaled.

However, with a parts-only or junk title, the damage is so severe that the vehicle itself can never be re-titled. It must instead be used for spare parts that were not damaged. It’s important to know the difference so you don’t purchase a car thinking it can be repaired, only to later find out it’s only good for parts.

You can run the vehicle’s VIN through a database to pull a history report. If you are purchasing the car through an auction company like Copart or IAA, they will have information regarding the type and extent of the damage. Also, it’s important to note that auction companies will label vehicles that are missing their original tiles as “blue light auction” vehicles. There is a process around obtaining the title after the fact. If the title still cannot be located within 30 days, cartitles.com can help you with a court-ordered title to officially get the vehicle into your name. This is key as you move through the process of getting the repaired vehicle properly documented so you can legally drive it.

Repair and Rebuild with Salvage or Scrap Titles
Once you have purchased a damaged vehicle, you have two options. If you purchased a salvage or scrap title, you can move forward with the needed repairs and ultimately re-title the vehicle with a rebuilt title. To do this, you will need to have the vehicle towed (even if it is “driveable,” you cannot legally drive it at this stage) to a mechanic for a full estimate of what is needed. Auction sites should give you a list of the needed repairs as well, so you have an idea of what is needed before you purchase. However, you will still need your own inspection. Documentation is critical throughout the process, including photos of the affected areas, a description of the work being done, and all required local and state inspections after the repairs are complete.

Sell for Parts with Parts-Only or Junk Titles
If you have purchased an irreparable vehicle, then you will need to pursue option two, which is to salvage what you can and sell off the parts individually. Anything that was not damaged can be sold though private sales, or websites like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. You can also use these salvage parts to repair your scrap title. If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of selling parts individually, you can also sell the entire vehicle to a scrapper or junkyard. They will provide a bill of sale and handle disposal, often salvaging what they can and selling those parts directly. However, you will still need the car title to be able to sell the vehicle; if you do not have the title, then you will need to get a court-ordered title in your name.

Weighing the Pros and Cons
The benefit to buying a scrap or salvage title is that you are getting a vehicle for far less than a comparable vehicle with a clean title. Particularly in cases of less severe damage, and if you can do some of the repair work on your own, this translates to huge savings. The downside for this option is that it will take longer to get the car repaired and re-titled, and that because of the rebuilt title, it will always be worth less than a comparable vehicle with a clear title.

Likewise, if you purchase a junk or parts-only title, you need to be aware of the heavy limitations around what you can do with it. If you want to get into the salvage business and sell off the parts, they will be worth more individually than what you spend on the initial purchase. But there is a lot of time involved—not to mention the hassle of finding buyers for those parts. By going into the process fully aware of the risks and rewards, you can make decisions that will work for you.

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Why Dealerships are Moving into the Salvage Title Business

Anyone who has shopped for a car recently knows even the used car market is seeing a continued elevation in prices. While not as steep as the 2022 peak, as we head deeper into 2026 it’s clear that these prices are not dropping as much as many would like or expect. The ongoing lack of affordability is impacting used car dealers in much the same way as the end-buyer. Without more affordable options to choose from on the car lot, inventory is more stagnant than in years past.

The Rise of Dealerships in the Salvage Car Title Market
To address the lack of affordable inventory, more dealerships are starting to consider an option that was once thought of as taboo: vehicles with a salvage title. A salvage title is ownership documentation that reflects the car was deemed to be a total loss due to heavy damage, to the point that repair costs exceeded a certain percentage of its value. And to add insult to injury, because of the rising costs to make those repairs, it’s now taking less and less damage to meet the insurance companies’ definitions of “totaled.”

When a vehicle is declared to be totaled, it cannot be registered as road-worthy until it has been repaired, inspected, and re-titled with a rebuilt title. Causes of loss include major impact damage, flooding, fires, and even theft. Historically, buyers would have to take to the Internet via channels such as Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist for vehicle inventory with salvage titles. Under the right circumstances, these salvage title vehicles can mean big savings, even with the needed repairs. Car dealerships are giving these a second look as a way to fill the gap in affordable used car inventory.

From Salvage Title to Rebuilt Title: Getting these Cars Ready for Sale
Dealership sites such as Copart and IAA help create a marketplace for these damaged vehicles, and dealerships are increasingly scooping up good deals at these auctions. By looking for certain criteria, dealerships can source damaged inventory that will be reparable and ready for the car lot in a fairly short amount of time. Just as with individuals purchasing auction vehicles, dealerships can also run into issues with securing the existing title so they can ultimately get it re-titled in their name. Occasionally, dealerships will need to seek a court-ordered title if the original car title cannot be located.

To get a salvage car ready for sale, the dealership completes the necessary repair work, documents those repairs, and completes all needed safety inspections based on local requirements. These inspections include verifying that no stolen parts were used, checking the VIN to ensure vehicle authenticity, and completing any required emissions testing. All of this is required to apply for a rebuilt title (also known as a branded car title), which makes it possible for the end buyer to properly register the vehicle.

The Pros and Cons to Dealerships Selling Rebuilt Title Vehicles
The increased inventory in more affordable price points is clearly the biggest benefit to dealerships being more willing to work this process. Salvage vehicles, once repaired and certified with a rebuilt title, retail at 20-50% less than comparable, clean-title used cars. And with the added benefit of working through reputable car dealerships, buyers can feel confident that all repairs were completed properly.

However, as with any car purchase—new or used—there’s always the potential for mechanical failure, and this is not any less so with rebuilt titles. Even under the most rigid repair standards, car issues can go undetected until much later in the vehicle’s lifespan. Additionally, not all insurance companies will insure rebuilt titles, so buyers need to do their research before making that purchase. And since the vehicles are starting out at lower price points, their values will continue to be lower than their clean-title counterparts. While these cars can be a tremendous bargain in the marketplace, the buyer must beware and go into this process considering all factors. If there is an issue obtaining a vehicle’s previous title at any point in the process, CarTitles.com can help. Reach out to our team at the link below.

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