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Ohio’s Inspection Law For Salvage And
Self-Assembled Vehicles

Ohio has a vehicle inspection requirement for all vehicles that are self-assembled or salvaged. It’s important to be aware of this law, especially if you’re obtaining a vehicle after it has been considered a “total” loss by an insurance company. Before owners can obtain a vehicle title, an inspection must be completed by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

The purpose of this inspection is to verify the ownership of all the vehicle parts and to review all required documentation. It is not intended to certify the vehicle’s safety, road worthiness or the quality of workmanship. The cost is $50 per inspection.

Inspection process

• Obtain an inspection application at any Deputy Registrar location.
• Complete and return the inspection application, along with the $50 payment, to any Deputy Registrar location. Acceptable forms of payment are a certified check or money order, payable to Treasurer, State of Ohio.
• Contact the nearest area Ohio State Highway Patrol Salvage Inspection Location to arrange for an appointment (see chart below). You must provide the receipt number from the $50 inspection fee in order to make an inspection appointment.
• Provide all required documentation for the salvage inspection at the scheduled appointment (see documentation list below).

* Major component parts listed below

Source: Ohio State Highway Patrol

Inspection procedures

• Vehicle must be completely rebuilt and ready for highway operation.
• Before either a salvage or self-assembled inspection is conducted, all receipts and documents will be examined. Inspection will not be conducted if any items are missing, incorrect or incomplete.
• Individual presenting the vehicle for inspection will be permitted in the inspection area only when authorized by the inspecting officer.
• Applicant may be instructed to remove certain vehicle body parts before arriving for the inspection. During inspection, it may be necessary to remove certain parts to allow examination of Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN). Also, it may be necessary to leave the vehicle overnight.
• Any vehicle or component part bearing a VIN or VIN derivative determined to be stolen/missing or altered will result in the vehicle being impounded and held as evidence and/or seized for forfeiture.

Failure to meet all these requirements necessitates a rescheduling of the inspection.

Check the history of a vehicle

The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles offers free online vehicle title searches through their Web site at www.dps.state.oh.us/atps. Titles can be searched by VIN or title number for vehicles from March 1993 to present. Or, take the VIN to your county’s title bureau. For $2 you can obtain info regarding the mileage, whether the vehicle was a “lemon” or was crashed and written as a salvaged vehicle. If the county doesn’t have information about a specific vehicle, contact the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles title section (614-752-7671).

Another option would be to contact CarFax Inc. (www.carfax.com), a company that collects info from all 50 states. A one-time Internet search costs $19.99, while $24.99 will buy you an unlimited search for a 30-day period.

Ohio’s exclusive salvage market

Ohio is the only state in the US where an exclusive market still exists for the sale of salvaged or wrecked motor vehicles. Current Ohio law only allows in-state licensed salvage dealers to purchase such vehicles. It prohibits Ohio auto repair shops from purchasing salvage parts outside the state and restricts the purchase of salvage parts over the lnternet.

The lnternet has become a viable option for the effective, efficient disposal of salvage vehicles and for the purchase of salvage parts. Vehicles and parts are being sold to qualified buyers across the country at fair market sales prices – except in Ohio where Internet sales are prohibited.

Sellers of salvage vehicles in Ohio are faced with a restricted number of buyers for the 100,000-plus vehicles that are rendered salvage each year. A restricted market creates a smaller pool of participants in the auction process and suppresses the sale price of salvage motor vehicles.

In 2005, the Ohio House passed legislation allowing registered motor vehicle repair operators, scrap metal processors and licensed salvage vehicle dealers from other states to also compete for the purchase of Ohio salvage motor vehicles. The bill also permitted the use of lnternet sales to qualified US buyers. However, the bill did not pass in the Senate prior to the end of the 126th General Assembly. Legislation dealing with this issue will likely be re-introduced in the General Assembly.

Source: Ohio State Highway Patrol, as of May 30, 2006

Source: Ohio State Highway Patrol

Through mid-November 2004 auto recalls for the year linked to air bags totaled about 1.4 million, compared with 350,000 in 2003. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)