Vehicle Status
Motor vehicle administrators in Canada and the U.S. assign a status to every registered vehicle.
The status is used to track:
- Vehicles sold by insurance companies as salvage
- The decommissioning of wrecked vehicles
- The inspection and re-licensing of rebuilt vehicles
Normal
If a vehicle does not have a status of rebuilt, salvage or altered, it is considered to have a normal status. "Normal" is simply a term used for the purposes of vehicle registration. A normal status does not mean the vehicle has never been damaged or is in good mechanical condition.
Rebuilt
This status is assigned to "salvage" vehicles after they have been repaired and have passed inspection.
Salvage
This status is given to a vehicle that has been written off in an accidental loss, but has the potential to be repaired or reconstructed. The vehicle must be repaired and inspected before it can be licensed or reinsured.
Altered
This status is given to a vehicle that has been significantly modified after its manufacture. It is also used for homemade and some other constructed vehicles to indicate that they have been inspected and are structurally sound. The status is added when the vehicle has passed inspection.
Please note: vehicle status alone does not fully describe a vehicle's mechanical condition or damage history.
