Salvage vehicle guides
Each province’s brands, how a salvage vehicle becomes rebuilt, buying without a dealer licence, and selling or keeping a written-off car. Each guide lists its sources.
Alberta
Status brands, inspections and buying in Alberta.
Alberta rebuilt inspection: how a Salvage vehicle becomes Rebuilt
The steps from a Salvage status to Rebuilt in Alberta: the repairs, the receipts to keep, the salvage vehicle inspection and the visit to a registry agent.
Province guide3 minute read
Alberta salvage title rules: Salvage, Rebuilt, Non-Repairable and Unsafe
What each Alberta vehicle status means, what to get from the seller when you buy a Salvage vehicle, and which vehicles can never return to the road.
Province guide5 minute read
Buy a salvage car in Alberta without a dealer licence
How the auction licensing rules work in Alberta, what brokers do, how buying on DNF differs, and when buying to resell may need an AMVIC licence.
Buying without a dealer licence4 minute read
British Columbia
Status brands, inspections and buying in British Columbia.
BC rebuilt inspection: from Salvage to Rebuilt with ICBC
The steps to put a Salvage vehicle back on the road in British Columbia: repairs, photos, the structural and mechanical inspections and ICBC's Rebuilt status.
Province guide3 minute read
BC salvage title rules: ICBC's Salvage, Rebuilt, Non-Repairable and Altered statuses
What each vehicle status ICBC records means, what to check when you buy a Salvage vehicle in British Columbia, and which vehicles can never be licensed again.
Province guide4 minute read
Buy a salvage car in BC without a dealer licence
Why ICBC and auction salvage is mostly closed to the public in British Columbia, how brokers work, how buying on DNF differs, and when reselling needs a VSA licence.
Buying without a dealer licence3 minute read
Ontario
Status brands, inspections and buying in Ontario.
Ontario rebuilt inspection: structural inspection and safety certificate
How a Salvage vehicle becomes Rebuilt in Ontario: the repair, the structural inspection certificate, the safety standards certificate and the rebranding at ServiceOntario.
Province guide3 minute read
Ontario salvage title rules: None, Salvage, Rebuilt and Irreparable brands
Ontario's vehicle brands explained: what Salvage, Rebuilt and Irreparable mean, what the Used Vehicle Information Package shows, and what a buyer needs before registering a Salvage vehicle.
Province guide4 minute read
Buy a salvage car in Ontario without a dealer licence
Why Ontario's salvage auctions send private buyers to brokers, what brokers charge, how buying on DNF differs, and when reselling needs OMVIC registration.
Buying without a dealer licence3 minute read
Manitoba
Status brands, inspections and buying in Manitoba.
Manitoba rebuilt inspection: getting a Salvageable vehicle back on the road
The steps to register a written-off vehicle again in Manitoba: repairs, receipts, the inspection MPI requires, and what to ask MPI before you start.
Province guide3 minute read
Manitoba salvage title rules: Salvageable, Irreparable and MPI's vehicle statuses
The statuses Manitoba Public Insurance records after a write-off, what each one means for repair and registration, and what to check before you buy a Salvageable vehicle.
Province guide3 minute read
Buy a salvage car in Manitoba without a dealer licence
How MPI's salvage auction and the big auctions treat public buyers in Manitoba, what brokers do, how buying on DNF differs, and when reselling needs a dealer permit.
Buying without a dealer licence3 minute read
Saskatchewan
Status brands, inspections and buying in Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan rebuilt inspection: repairing a written-off vehicle for registration
What to plan for when you repair a written-off vehicle in Saskatchewan: the questions for SGI, the receipts to keep, the inspection, and registering it again.
Province guide3 minute read
Saskatchewan salvage title rules: what SGI records after a write-off
What SGI's write-off statuses mean, what to check when you buy a written-off vehicle in Saskatchewan, and which vehicles can never be registered again.
Province guide3 minute read
Buy a salvage car in Saskatchewan without a dealer licence
How the salvage auctions treat public buyers in Saskatchewan, what brokers do, how buying on DNF differs, and when reselling needs a dealer licence from the FCAA.
Buying without a dealer licence3 minute read
Quebec
Status brands, inspections and buying in Quebec.
Quebec rebuilt inspection: from Gravement accidenté (VGA) to Reconstruit
The SAAQ's steps from VGA to Reconstruit: the rebuilding record, the technical appraisal, the mechanical inspection and registering the vehicle again.
Province guide5 minute read
Quebec salvage title rules: Gravement accidenté (VGA), Reconstruit and Irrécupérable
What Quebec's three vehicle statuses mean in English, when a vehicle gets one, what to get from the seller, and which vehicles can never go back on the road.
Province guide5 minute read
Nova Scotia
Status brands, inspections and buying in Nova Scotia.
Nova Scotia rebuilt inspection: from Salvage to Rebuilt under the Traffic Safety Act
How a Salvage vehicle becomes Rebuilt in Nova Scotia under the new rules: the mechanical fitness inspection, the application to the Registrar and what the status means later.
Province guide4 minute read
Nova Scotia salvage title rules: Salvage, Rebuilt and Non-Repairable
What Nova Scotia's three vehicle statuses mean under the new Traffic Safety Act, who reports a write-off, and which vehicles can never be plated again.
Province guide5 minute read
New Brunswick
Status brands, inspections and buying in New Brunswick.
New Brunswick rebuilt inspection: from Salvage to Rebuilt
How a Salvage vehicle becomes Rebuilt in New Brunswick: the rebuilding record, the certificate of inspection, the application to the Registrar and what it leaves out.
Province guide4 minute read
New Brunswick salvage title rules: Salvage, Rebuilt and Non-Repairable
What New Brunswick's three vehicle statuses mean, who has to report a write-off and when, what to check before you buy, and which vehicles can never return to the road.
Province guide4 minute read
Prince Edward Island
Status brands, inspections and buying in Prince Edward Island.
Prince Edward Island rebuilt inspection: the salvage vehicle inspection and Rebuilt
How a Salvage vehicle becomes Rebuilt on PEI: the salvage vehicle inspection at an approved body shop, the periodic inspection and the Registrar's entry on the permit.
Province guide4 minute read
Prince Edward Island salvage title rules: Salvage, Rebuilt and Non-Repairable
What PEI's three vehicle designations mean, who puts them on the registration permit, what to check before you buy, and which vehicles can never go back on the road.
Province guide4 minute read
Newfoundland and Labrador
Status brands, inspections and buying in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Newfoundland and Labrador rebuilt inspection: the three-part salvage inspection
How a Salvage vehicle becomes Rebuilt in Newfoundland and Labrador: the mechanical, structural and alignment inspection, who does it, and the certificate the registrar needs.
Province guide4 minute read
Newfoundland and Labrador salvage title rules: Salvage, Rebuilt and Non-Repairable
What the three vehicle statuses mean in Newfoundland and Labrador, who reports a write-off, what paperwork to ask for, and which vehicles can never return to the road.
Province guide4 minute read
Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut
Status brands, inspections and buying in Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut salvage title rules: what to ask before you buy
Who registers vehicles in each territory, what Canada's national vehicle status program says, and what to ask before you buy a written-off vehicle in the North.
Province guide4 minute read
For sellers
Your options when your insurer writes off your vehicle or you keep it after the settlement, and how listing works.
Keep your car after a write-off: owner-retained salvage explained
How keeping a written-off car works in Canada: the insurer's salvage deduction, the brand on your registration, and whether to repair it, sell it or part it out.
4 minute read
Sell a written-off car: why it can be worth more than scrap
Your options after an insurance write-off, why a rebuilder may pay more for a damaged car than a scrap yard, what to disclose, and how listing and offers work.
5 minute read
Articles
Hail, inspections, auctions, electric vehicles, flood and theft recovery, starting with Alberta.
How Canadian buyers check liens on a damaged car
Plan Canadian lien research using official guidance, selected provincial registry routes and a blank discharge-evidence checklist before a damaged-car purchase.
4 minute read
carVertical or CARFAX Canada: compare evidence coverage before paying
Compare provider-disclosed history, photo and lien-search coverage for a Canadian purchase, then identify the records you still need before choosing a report.
3 minute read
Hail-damaged cars for sale in Alberta: what to know before you buy
Why Alberta has so many hail-damaged vehicles, what hail damage usually means, how to read the brand, and what to check before you make an offer.
3 minute read
Keeping your car after a write-off in Alberta
Keeping a written-off car in Alberta: compare settlement offers, confirm the actual vehicle status, and weigh repair, resale and remaining costs.
4 minute read