Subdivision 1. Salvage titles. (a) When an insurer, licensed to conduct business in Minnesota, acquires ownership of a late-model or high-value vehicle through payment of damages, the insurer shall immediately apply for a salvage certificate of title or shall stamp the existing certificate of title with the legend "SALVAGE CERTIFICATE OF TITLE" in a manner prescribed by the department. 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.

(b) A person shall immediately apply for a salvage certificate of title if the person acquires a damaged late-model or high-value vehicle with an out-of-state title and the vehicle:

(1) is a vehicle that was acquired by an insurer through payment of damages;

(2) is a vehicle for which the cost of repairs exceeds the value of the damaged vehicle; or

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

(c) A self-insured owner of a late-model or high-value vehicle that sustains damage by collision or other occurrence which exceeds 80 percent of its actual cash value shall immediately apply for a salvage certificate of title.

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 [Repealed, 1993 c 93 s 20]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 [Repealed, 1993 c 93 s 20]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 [Repealed, 1993 c 93 s 20]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