Georgia rebuilt title inspection: from Salvage to Rebuilt

In Georgia, a vehicle on a Salvage title gets back on the road through the Department of Revenue's rebuilt process: a licensed rebuilder restores it, it passes an inspection before it's painted, and the DOR issues a title marked Rebuilt. The same process applies to a vehicle with another state's Salvage, Flood, Water, Fire or Total Loss brand.

These notes sum up the Georgia Department of Revenue's published rules as of October 2026. They aren't legal advice, so check with the Georgia Department of Revenue before you buy, repair or register a vehicle.

Check the title, and the rebuilder, first

A vehicle that's been scrapped, dismantled or demolished can't be repaired or legally driven, and the DOR marks its VIN so it can't be titled again. No inspection brings it back. A salvage vehicle can be rebuilt, but the DOR says anyone who buys a salvage or wrecked vehicle to restore or rebuild it must be licensed as a rebuilder, and the DOR's rules ask for a copy of the rebuilder's Georgia Used Motor Vehicle Parts License with the application. If you don't hold one, ask the DOR what that means for your plans before you buy. The Georgia salvage title rules guide explains each brand.

From Salvage to Rebuilt

1. Before any repair, photograph the vehicle as it is. The DOR asks for one or more photos of it in its salvage or wrecked condition, and its rules say they must clearly show the damage to the major component parts.
2. Restore the vehicle, and keep a receipt for every part, new or used. Each receipt should show the part's name and stock number and the owner or rebuilder as the buyer, under the same name the rebuilder uses on Form T-129. For a used part, the receipt also shows the VIN of the vehicle it came from, and that vehicle's title has to be on file with the DOR or sent in with the application. Parts from another state need a letter of certification from that state.
3. Book the inspection after the vehicle is restored but before it's painted. You can use one of the DOR's state inspectors or an approved private inspector. Private inspectors register with the Department, hold an I-CAR Platinum designation and carry a bond, and the inspector can never be the vehicle's builder, rebuilder or owner.
4. For a private inspector, give them the current salvage title and a completed Form T-22R, Request for Inspection of a Rebuilt Motor Vehicle. For a state inspector, bring everything in step 5 to the inspection, and tow the vehicle there: it can't be driven.
5. Fill in Form MV-1, Title/Tag Application, and Form T-129, Labor and Parts Certification, and gather the original salvage title, the before photos, the parts receipts and the copy of the rebuilder's license.
6. At the inspection, the inspector checks the VIN against the salvage title, reviews the T-129 and the parts repaired or replaced, and checks the before photos. You get a Form T-172, Salvage Motor Vehicle Inspection Report, and a copy of the inspector's registration. The DOR's rules list both among the documents for the title application.
7. Mail the application to the DOR's Motor Vehicle Division, Attn: Salvage Unit. Expect a title fee and an inspection fee for each inspection or re-inspection. A private inspector or inspection station can add its own charges, within limits the DOR's rules set. Check the current amounts with the Department when you book.

If the vehicle doesn't pass, Georgia law says the DOR won't issue the title until the vehicle complies, and it can order more repairs. If the DOR decides the vehicle can't be returned to a safe, operable condition, the salvage certificate is revoked and the vehicle can be used only for scrap or parts.

A vehicle coming from another state on a title already branded rebuilt still needs a Georgia inspection before it gets a Georgia Rebuilt title. With valid registration from the other state, it can be driven to the inspection.

What the title says afterwards

Georgia's rule says the DOR issues a title with REBUILT as its legend, including the name of the rebuilder. Georgia law says the word on the title is there to tell all later owners the vehicle was rebuilt, and the DOR's rules carry every brand forward onto later Georgia titles. When the rebuild took two or more major component parts, the law also has the word "rebuilt" fixed to the vehicle itself, on the door post or wherever the DOR directs.

The rules also protect the next buyer. Once a rebuilt vehicle has passed inspection, the rebuilder has to give the buyer copies of all the documents at the sale, and the vehicle can't be sold until the DOR has issued the new title and the owner has received it.

What the inspection doesn't tell you

Georgia's law and rules describe the inspection as a check of the VIN, the bills of sale and the labor and parts certification for the parts used, the photos of the damage before repair and, for a repaired vehicle, that it has the safety equipment the law requires. Neither describes a road test or a check of how well the repairs were done. It isn't a warranty, and it can't tell you how the vehicle has been looked after since.

Buying a Georgia Rebuilt vehicle? Ask for the documents the rules say you should get, including the T-129, the receipts and the before photos, and compare them with the damage you can see. A history report is no substitute for an independent vehicle inspection, as the FTC puts it, so arrange one before you buy.

Rebuilt listings on DNF show the brand as the seller reports it, and the Score says whether the seller attached the inspection paperwork. Browse rebuilt vehicles in Georgia, or read how to buy without a dealer license in Georgia.