Title Check: what a Texas car title really says
No brand, salvage, rebuilt, flood and the other brands this state uses. Each word changes what the car is worth and what you can do with it.
The title is the document that says who owns the car and what serious things have happened to it. Brands and disclosures depend on the issuing jurisdiction’s rules; also review available records from previous states. A branded car can be the right buy at the right price; the problem is paying a no-brand price for one that has a brand.
Title brands and disclosure information in Texas
| Brand or condition | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No brand | An unbranded title does not establish that there were no accidents, flooding or repairs. Review available records and the car’s condition. | Check odometer and listing history, and get a pre-purchase inspection. |
| Salvage | Total loss: repair cost (parts and labor, excluding paint) exceeds the car's actual cash value right before the damage, or it came into Texas on another state's salvage title (§ 501.091(15)). On a salvage title it cannot be driven or registered (§ 501.09111). | Not a car to drive; a project. Only at a project price, knowing you will need the rebuilt process afterward. |
| Rebuilt Salvage | It was salvage, was repaired and TxDMV issued a new title branded "Rebuilt Salvage" (sometimes with the loss percentage: TxDMV's official Texas-to-NMVTIS chart lists "Rebuilt Salvage – 75-94% Loss" and "Rebuilt Salvage – 95% + Loss", and both convert to NMVTIS code 09 Rebuilt). The rebuilder had to list every major part used and who it came from (VTR-61, § 501.100) and pay a $65 rebuilder fee. The title must describe the former condition in an understandable way. | Can be a good buy if the repair was serious. Ask for parts receipts, ask whether the frame was damaged and check with your insurer before paying: TxDMV warns many rebuilt cars are denied insurance. |
| Flood Damage | Salvage because of damage caused exclusively by flood; the title must carry that notation (§ 501.09112(d)). In NMVTIS it shows as "Flood Damage" or "Salt Water Damaged". Water destroys wiring, modules and airbags progressively. | For most buyers: no. After Harvey and after every storm, thousands show up. Check carpet, rusted screws under the dash and musty smell. |
| Nonrepairable | Damaged, wrecked or burned until it is worth only parts or scrap (§ 501.091(9)). On a nonrepairable title issued since September 1, 2003 it cannot be repaired, titled, registered or driven (§ 501.09111). In NMVTIS it maps to "Junk". | Never as a road car. If someone offers it with a plate, it is illegal. |
| Owner Retained | The insurer paid the total loss but the owner kept the car (§ 501.1002). It cannot be sold until TxDMV issues the salvage or nonrepairable title in the owner's name. | Treat it as salvage: insist on seeing the issued salvage title, not the old regular title. |
| Manufacturer Buyback | The maker bought it back under the lemon law (Tex. Occ. Code ch. 2301, subch. M). It had a defect they could not fix in a reasonable number of attempts. | Ask what the defect was and get the final repair in writing. The law gives you something to work with: the manufacturer had to restore the cause of the buyback to factory specifications and issue a NEW 12-month, 12,000-mile warranty, and the buyback statement had to accompany the car through the first retail sale with a toll-free TxDMV number you can call to be told what the defect was (§ 2301.610). If the seller does not have that statement, get the number and call. |
| Export Only | Salvage or nonrepairable sold to leave the country (§ 501.099). It cannot be titled or registered again in Texas. | Do not buy it to drive in Texas. |
| Reconstructed · Replica | Permanently altered by removing, adding or substituting major components, or with a body built to imitate another car. It is not the catalog car. | Different value and insurance. Confirm with your insurer first. |
| Not Actual Mileage | The odometer does not show the real mileage. It is a title brand that TxDMV converts to NMVTIS code 69 "Not Actual Mileage". It can come from a dash repair, a cluster replacement or outright fraud. | The number on the dash is no good for pricing the car or for knowing when service is due. Ask for the title history and service records, and remember the seller is required to disclose the odometer to you (§ 501.072 and 49 U.S.C. § 32705). |
| Mileage Exceeds Mechanical Limits | The odometer rolled over: the car has more miles than the instrument can display. TxDMV converts it to NMVTIS code 72 "Exceeds Mechanical Limits". You see it on older cars with five-digit odometers. | Add 100,000 miles in your head and value the car on its condition, not on the number. It is not a damage brand. |
The law protects you, if you use it
In Texas the brand travels on the title itself: salvage, nonrepairable, rebuilt salvage and flood damage must appear on the document (§§ 501.097, 501.09112, 501.100), and a rebuilt title has to describe the car's former condition "in a manner reasonably understandable to a potential purchaser" (§ 501.100(c)). We searched Transportation Code ch. 501 and Occupations Code ch. 2301 and found no law requiring a private seller to tell you about a brand in writing apart from the title; so read the whole title and run the Title Check before paying. There is one written duty, for one brand: if the manufacturer repurchased or replaced the car under the lemon law, it must issue through its franchised dealer a statement saying so, and that statement must accompany the car through the first retail sale and include a toll-free number you can call to ask what the defect was (§ 2301.610). A dealer who hides something they know that would have kept you from buying commits a deceptive practice (Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 17.46(b)(24)) and must disclose the odometer (§ 501.072); that list of deceptive practices binds any person, a private seller included.
How to review the title and available history
- Title Check – Look Before You Buy (NMVTIS): check the service coverage, costs and access requirements; not every service displays title-brand history.
- NMVTIS: the federal title-history system. Consumer access is through approved providers; report prices and limitations depend on the service.
- NICB VINCheck: thefts and total losses reported by insurers.
- The paper: ask to see the physical title (or the printed electronic one) before handing over money. The VIN on the title must be the car's, and the name the seller's.
Odometer: the other brand
Where an odometer disclosure is required, review the mileage and any notation of unknown mileage or counter limits. Exemptions exist; check current requirements and compare the odometer with maintenance and inspection records.
How much it changes the price
This guide sets no fixed discount and recommends no individual vehicle price. Consider condition, documented repairs, insurance terms and market context, supported by an independent inspection.
From a guide to the individual vehicle
Sources
- Tex. Transp. Code ch. 501, subch. E — Nonrepairable and salvage motor vehicles (§§ 501.091, 501.09111, 501.09112, 501.097, 501.100, 501.1002)
- TxDMV — Title Check: Rebuilt
- TxDMV — Title Check: Salvage brands
- TxDMV — Title Check: Water damage
- TxDMV — Title Check: Junk title brands
- TxDMV — Texas to NMVTIS brand conversion chart
- Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 17.46 — Deceptive trade practices
- Tex. Transp. Code § 501.091(3) — Definition of "damage": hail, gradual damage and paint-only damage excluded
- Tex. Occ. Code § 2301.610 — Lemon law buyback disclosure statement, new 12-month/12,000-mile warranty, toll-free number
- TxDMV — Title Check – Look Before You Buy (NMVTIS)
- NMVTIS — National Motor Vehicle Title Information System
- NICB — VINCheck
- NHTSA — Odometer Fraud
- FTC — Buying a Used Car From a Dealer
This guide informs; it is not legal or financial advice, nor an offer, quote or appraisal. Every figure carries its source and date; check it is still current before you decide.