Iowa Salvage Theft Examinations

Salvage Theft Examinations

Iowa law requires that all vehicles that are designated SALVAGE or have a SALVAGE title to be physically examined by a "peace officer" who has been certified by the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy to conduct examinations.

The purpose of the salvage theft examination is to physically verify that no stolen parts were used to rebuild a vehicle. The exam is also used to authenticate the ownership of the vehicle that is being presented for examination. 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.

The physical examination of the vehicle will be performed by a peace officer with a local or county law enforcement agency who has been certified to perform these examinations. If you are requesting a salvage theft examination, you must call one of the agencies listed here to schedule an appointment. Agencies Conducting Salvage Theft Examinations PDF

An Affidavit of Salvage Vehicle Repairs, Form #411071PDF, must be completed and presented to the examining officer prior to the examination commencing. These forms can be obtained from the examining officer, from this website, the Office of Motor Vehicle Enforcement headquarters, or possibly your county treasurer's office. It will also be necessary to bring with you to the examination site all bills of sale, receipts and invoices showing ownership to all parts used to rebuild the vehicle. A permit to drive the vehicle to the examination site is included on the affidavit and must be carried in the vehicle and presented to any peace officer if stopped.

The applicant must also present to the examining officer an Iowa salvage title in the name of the applicant or if the examination is performed within 30 days of the assignment of ownership, a properly assigned title is acceptable.

The fee for the salvage theft examination is $30.

Viewing or printing the above PDF forms require AcrobatŽ Reader, a free utility from Adobe.

ŠIowa Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division
Last Updated: May 25, 2006