Rock Rapids, Iowa — Some good news for people who buy vehicles with a salvage title and repair them.
The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office says that beginning May 1st, 2018 they will be performing salvage vehicle theft inspections.
They tell us that Iowa law requires all vehicles designated “salvage” or vehicles that have a “salvage” title to be physically examined by a peace officer who has been certified by the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy to conduct inspections prior to issuance of an Iowa vehicle registration. The applicant must present to the officer an Iowa salvage title in the applicant’s name, or a properly assigned title is acceptable.
The sheriff’s office says there is a fee for the salvage theft examination. It’s $50.
Sheriff’s officials tell us that the examination is to physically verify that no stolen parts were used to rebuild a vehicle and to authenticate the vehicle being rebuilt. A typical salvage theft examination takes approximately 45 minutes but may take several hours if the vehicle identification numbers are not easily accessible or there are problems with the ownership documents.
Lyon County sheriff’s officials say that it’s important to maintain all receipts, invoices, and documentation for parts used to rebuild the vehicle and to bring these to the inspection as the officer will need to verify this information. Plus, if during the repair of the salvage vehicle the cab or frame was changed, or if the public VIN was damaged or removed, you will need to contact the Iowa Department of Transportation, Bureau of Investigation & Identity Protection to schedule an appointment. They tell us they can be reached at invbureau@iowadot.us or by calling 515-237-3050.
An online instruction guide is available. The affidavit of salvage vehicle repairs form and online instruction guide can be found at https://iowadot.gov/mvd/vehicleregistration/salvage.
To schedule a salvage vehicle inspection in Lyon County you can contact the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office at 712-472-8300. They advise that in other locations, call your local law enforcement and they can point you in the right direction.
