Florida VIN check

How Florida classifies a wrecked car

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) issues titles under chapter 319 of the Florida Statutes. Under section 319.30, a car is a total loss when an insurer pays to replace it, or, if it was uninsured, when repairs would cost 80% or more of replacing it with one of like kind. The owner or insurer then has 72 hours to send the title in.

Every brand, including one from another state’s title, goes on the registration and is carried forward on all later titles for the life of the vehicle. Removing a rebuilt decal to hide the car’s status is a third-degree felony.

The FLHSMV rebuilt inspection

A salvage car can’t be sold as rebuilt until FLHSMV has examined it to confirm its identity and that of every major component part that was repaired or replaced. Under section 319.141, the inspection covers:

• the salvage title (or endorsed title or certificate of origin), the application for a rebuilt title and a rebuilder’s affidavit
• a photo of the car before repairs began, if one exists
• photos of the driver and passenger sides of the interior if airbags were deployed and replaced
• receipts or invoices for every major component part and repair
• proof the rebuild was reported to the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS)

Private rebuilt inspection facilities can also do this work in 12 counties: Bay, Broward, Duval, Escambia, Hillsborough, Leon, Manatee, Marion, Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Beach and Volusia. FLHSMV says its inspectors look at the major components to make sure no parts were stolen. That is a check on where the parts came from, not on how well the car was put back together.

After a hurricane: flood cars with clean titles

When a storm floods a region, insured cars are totaled and branded as salvage flood. FLHSMV warns about two gaps. Cars aren’t inspected before they get the flood brand, so the brand depends on the insurance claim. And states set their own title rules, so a car flooded in another state can be sold in Florida on a clean title. A car flooded while uninsured may never be branded at all.

For a Florida-titled car, FLHSMV’s Motor Vehicle Information Check shows brands by VIN or title number. For history from other states, insurance total losses and salvage auction sales, run a full report. Our flood damage check lists what to look at in person.

A CARFAX report costs $14.99 on Smart VIN Check.

What the seller must tell you

Florida puts the duty on every seller, not only dealers. Under section 319.14, anyone selling a rebuilt car, a flood vehicle or a manufacturer buyback must say so in writing before the sale, and any ad for it must state it clearly. Doing either knowingly without the disclosure is a misdemeanor.

For a lemon-law buyback, section 681.114 also requires the defect to be disclosed clearly before resale, and the manufacturer must warrant to fix that defect for one year or 12,000 miles, whichever comes first. The Attorney General runs the Lemon Law program and the Florida New Motor Vehicle Arbitration Board.

Florida buyer’s checklist

1. Read the title for Rebuilt, Flood, Total Loss Vehicle or Manufacturer’s Buy Back, and look for a rebuilt decal on the car.
2. Ask for the written brand disclosure. If there isn’t one, ask why.
3. Check the title history for a recent move from another state, or a title issued soon after a storm.
4. Smell the cabin. FLHSMV says a strong air freshener may be masking mildew. Look in the glove box, under the dash and in the trunk for a waterline or mud.
5. Look underneath for rust that doesn’t fit the car’s age.