Don’t buy any cars at Copart that have a certificate of destruction or are non-reparable. These cars are designated to be used for parts only. If you see a vehicle at Copart or IAA that says non-reparable junk parts only certificate of destruction, you will not be able to get a title for it. That’s a designation that permanently prevents that VIN number from ever getting a title in any state in the country.
Export restrictions and liability concerns
In fact, it’s even hard to export them. The CBP (Customers and Border Protection) normally requires a car to be completely dismantled into major component parts before it gets shipped out. So, you can’t export it either. How does this happen? Well, the insurance companies are slapping this designation on these cars because they don’t want them back on the road for liability purposes, as discussed in other videos.
Avoid Challenges: Non-Reparable Doesn’t Mean Repairable
If you see a car that says it’s non-reparable, don’t consider it a challenge, like someone’s throwing down a gauntlet and saying I bet you can’t repair it. Even if you can repair it, you can’t title it. Also, be aware of vehicles that have no title bill of sale only out of certain states, like Washington State. It may seem innocent enough, but it’s not.
No Title, Bill of Sale Only: Understanding the Implications
Some states don’t even put a designation on a vehicle of parts only or non-reparable; they just say no title bill of sale, and it’s the same thing. You could buy that car from Copart on the Washington state bill of sale only and then come to find out later that it’s not able to be titled—ineligible.
Legal Barriers and Impossibility of Title
There is no way to get a title for it. This has been going on for 10 years, and we get 100 calls a day from people who bought these cars. If there was a way to do it, believe me, we’d be doing it. It’s a federal law that prohibits any state from issuing a title for these vehicles by law. It’s a federal statute that prohibits these cars from going on the road, so avoid them like the plague.
Options for Previously Purchased Cars
If you have purchased one, you can check out our website for some options on how to get the most money back for it. You’re not going to put that car back on the road, but you may be able to do some things to extract some value and get some of your money back—maybe even selling it back to Copart.
Future Precautions: Increasing Designations
Non-reparable certificate of destruction junk parts only; don’t buy those cars. In fact, over the next few years, you’ll find that more and more vehicles at Copart will have that on it. There’s going to be very few salvage titles left—all of them are going to be parts only over the next couple of years. So, unless you can specifically verify that that car has a salvage or clean title, don’t buy it because you won’t be able to put it back on the road.