Are you considering purchasing a vehicle with a salvage title in Arizona? While these vehicles can offer a significantly lower price than vehicles with clean titles, there are some questions you’ll need to answer. For example— what will you need to do to insure a salvage title in Arizona? We’re here to answer that any many other questions about Arizona salvage title vehicles in this informational article.
We’ll cover:
- What is a salvage car?
- How do you get a restored salvage title in Arizona?
- How do you get your restored salvage title insured in Arizona?
Have more questions? You can always check out our blog to receive more information about car insurance in Arizona and all of your save driving queries.
What is a Salvage Car?
First and foremost— what exactly is a salvage car? Let’s get the answer directly from the Arizona Department of Transportation. Here’s what they have to say about what they consider to be a salvage vehicle:
“A salvage vehicle is a vehicle to be titled and registered that has been stolen, wrecked, destroyed by water or otherwise damaged to the extent that the insurance company considered it to be uneconomical to repair and was therefore issued a certificate of title branded/marked as salvage.”
So what exactly does that mean for you? It means that a vehicle has been damaged in such a way that an insurance company decided that it just didn’t make financial sense for them to pay to have the vehicle repaired versus simply replacing it, based on the vehicle’s value relative to the cost of repairs.
Generally, what this means in the world of buying and selling is that vehicles with salvage titles can be purchased at a significant discount, and may be an economical choice for those who have access to inexpensive repair capabilities or plan to repair the vehicle themselves to get it up to functional standards.
But, there is one problem— car insurance in Arizona requires that a car have a ‘clean’ title in order to be insured. A salvage title won’t be able to be insured in the state of Arizona without taking a few steps first.
However, don’t give up yet— there is a way to get your vehicle street legal with proper insurance. Here’s everything you need to know about how to get a restored salvage vehicle title in Arizona.
How to Get a Restored Salvage Vehicle Title in Arizona
If Arizona doesn’t allow cars with salvage titles to be insured in the state, then what does that mean for you? Well, it means you need to find a way to have the title legally changed. For more information, let’s turn again to what the Arizona Department of Transportation has to say:
“A restored salvage vehicle is a vehicle that was previously issued a certificate of title branded as salvage, but has now been repaired/restored, then inspected for roadworthiness and issued a title branded as restored salvage.”
That means that in order to properly insure your salvage title vehicle, you’ll need to have it properly repaired to working order, inspected for safety, and then you’ll finally be able to get a new title that marks the vehicle as ‘restored salvage’— allowing you to get it properly insured.
Step 1: Repair or Restore the Vehicle
The first thing you’ll need to do is to get your vehicle up to street-safe condition. For some salvage title vehicles, that will be as simple as some basic body work. For others, it will mean some more advanced repairs. This is why it’s very important to carefully inspect vehicles with salvage titles. You don’t want to end up with more repair work and costs than you expected.
Step 2: Get an Inspection & Emissions Check
While you might be familiar with inspections and emissions checks on vehicles, the inspection you’ll need for your salvage title vehicle will be much more thorough. This is called a Level III inspection, designed to verify that all major component parts, which include front end assembly, engie, transmission, as well as rear end assembly for trucks and truck-type vehicles, are working properly. You’ll also need to provide proof of ownership of the vehicle, your driver’s license, and proof that necessary repairs were completed in order to make the vehicle roadworthy.
Step 3: Get Your New Title
Finally, you’ll need to give over the salvage title in order to receive your new restored salvage title, which will officially grant your vehicle roadworthy status and allow you to insure it in the state of Arizona.
How to get Insurance on a Salvage Title in Arizona
Now it’s time for the final step— getting that vehicle insured. While a vehicle with a restored salvage title is legally allowed to receive insurance in Arizona, that doesn’t mean that all insurers will be eager to offer it. Some will only offer the most basic coverage, while others will charge much higher premiums.
However, some insurers are experienced with restored salvage title vehicles and are more than willing to offer reasonable rates on custom policies based on your needs. Freedom National is one of these insurers, so it’s a good place to start when looking to receive the insurance you need for your Arizona salvage title.
Conclusion
Looking to get great quotes online for Arizona insurance? Go to our Arizona insurance quote page to find cheap car insurance in Arizona for all of your unique needs and life circumstances. Here you’ll find info about the kind of rates you can expect and how you can lower your rate with Freedom National, including opportunities to get coverage for those who may have adverse events on driving records such as SR-22s. If you’re looking for more information or want to learn more about car insurance in Arizona, feel free to browse our blog for additional info.
Once you’re ready to find cheap car insurance that will keep you fully covered and allow you to easily customize your plan based on your unique needs, head to our page to start your free quote. It takes just a few minutes to enter some basic information and get a custom quote.
