A salvage title and a junk certificate are both branded titles issued for damaged vehicles, but they have different meanings and affect what you can do with the car.
| Document | What It Means | Can the Car Be Driven Again? |
|---|---|---|
| Salvage Title | Vehicle was damaged and declared a total loss by an insurance company, but can potentially be repaired | Yes, after repairs and inspection, it can be re-titled as “rebuilt” and registered |
| Junk Certificate | Vehicle is damaged beyond reasonable repair and designated for parts or scrap only | No, the car can never be registered or driven on public roads again |
Salvage title: Issued when an insurance company totals a vehicle but the damage is repairable. Repair shops, rebuilders, or individuals can buy salvage cars, fix them, pass a state inspection, and convert the title to “rebuilt” status. Rebuilt vehicles can be registered, insured, and driven legally.
Junk certificate (also called certificate of destruction): Issued for vehicles too damaged to ever be roadworthy. This includes severe structural damage, flood damage, or extensive fire damage. A junk certificate permanently retires the vehicle. It can only be sold for parts or scrap metal and can never be titled, registered, or driven again.
The distinction matters when selling. Salvage title vehicles may have higher value because they can be rebuilt. Junk certificate vehicles are worth only their parts and scrap car value.