Rules on owner retention of salvage

As a general rule, ICBC does not allow vehicle owners to retain their total loss vehicles unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Eligibility

The policy applies to all total loss vehicles and when a customer wants to keep their vehicle salvage after it has been declared a total loss by ICBC.

Note: There are subtle differences between owner retention and owner buy back. For more information, refer to Owner retention and owner buy back comparison.

Policy

ICBC does not allow vehicle owners to retain their total loss vehicles.
Exception: The Estimating Services manager, or Commercial Estimating Services manager may approve exceptions for an owner retention request if there are extenuating circumstances.
ICBC does not allow owner retention for Lessees or Renters on non-owned, out of province (OOP) vehicles. In some cases ICBC may cash settle at actual cash value (ACV), less salvage value with the out of province owner.
Note: Contact the Commercial Claims MD Manager for more assistance.
All potential payees of the settlement proposal must be advised in advance. They must also agree to the proposal in order for the net payment amount to be enough for all insureds and lienholders.
Note: If there is a dispute about the settlement proposal, refer to Policy on total loss settlement disputes.

A salvage vehicle must be sold

Exceptions

An Estimating Services manager, Commercial Estimating Services manager, or designate may permit an owner to retain a total loss vehicle on an exception-only basis under circumstances such as, but not limited to, when the vehicle