How to Complete Indiana State Form 44606: Affidavit for Salvage Vehicle Restoration

Indiana Form 44606 is the Affidavit of Restoration for a Salvage Motor Vehicle, and you file it with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles after rebuilding a salvage-titled vehicle so the BMV will issue a new title with a “Rebuilt” brand that lets the vehicle return to the road.¹ The form is one piece of a larger packet that includes a title application, the original salvage title, parts documentation, and a police inspection, all mailed together to the BMV Central Office in Indianapolis.²

Who Files Form 44606

You file this form if you have rebuilt a vehicle that currently carries a salvage-branded title and you want to register it for road use in Indiana. Under Indiana law, a vehicle within its last seven model years gets a salvage title when an insurer declares it not economically practical to repair, when repair costs exceed 70% of the pre-damage fair market value for a self-insured business or a post-damage buyer, or when it qualifies as flood damaged.³ A salvage-titled vehicle cannot be driven on public roads or registered until it goes through this restoration process.

One boundary to check first: if the existing title reads “junk,” “non-repairable,” “scrap,” or a similar designation rather than “Salvage,” the vehicle cannot be titled in Indiana at all, and the BMV will reject the application no matter how good the rebuild is.¹ Confirm the brand before you buy parts.

What to Gather Before You Fill Out the Form

Form 44606 travels with a packet, and the BMV returns the entire application if any piece is missing or incomplete.² Assemble all of it before you start writing:

Application for Certificate of Title (State Form 205).
The original certificate of salvage title. Out-of-state salvage titles are accepted.
Form 44606 itself.
Proof of ownership or purchase for every major component part: receipts, invoices, or bills of sale. For parts you already had on hand, complete a General Affidavit (State Form 37964) listing the vehicle information and each part with its serial number.
Odometer Disclosure Statement (State Form 43230), if ownership is transferring and the odometer statement was not already completed on the salvage title.
One proof of address: a current Indiana driver’s license or ID card, or any document from the BMV’s approved list dated within the last 60 days.
Collection of Payment Information (State Form 56163).
Sales tax documentation: 7% sales tax on the purchase price if ownership is transferring, or a Certificate of Gross Retail or Use Tax Paid (State Form 48842). If ownership is unchanged or you are tax-exempt, submit a Certificate of Gross Retail or Use Tax Exemption (State Form 48841) instead.

All of these forms are available on the BMV’s title forms page at in.gov/bmv/titles/title-forms and are linked from the official Salvage Restoration Packet checklist.

Filling Out the Form Section by Section

Use blue or black ink, or fill in the fields digitally and then print.¹

Owner and Restorer Information

Enter the vehicle owner’s full name, street address, city, state, and ZIP. A separate block asks for the same details about the restorer, meaning the person or shop that actually did the rebuild. If you did the work yourself, put your own information in both blocks.¹

Vehicle Information

Enter the VIN, year, make, model, body type, date of purchase, and purchase price. Copy the VIN character-for-character from the salvage title; a single transposed digit causes a rejection. The broader packet also asks you to record the color and fuel type (gasoline, diesel, hybrid, electric, or other).²

Major Component Parts

This is where most applications get tripped up. For every major component part used in the rebuild, you must list the part name, the source VIN or serial number, the name and address of whoever supplied it, the date you got it, and the cost.¹

The form defines “major component parts” as parts that normally carry a manufacturer’s VIN, a derivative identification number, or a government-assigned number. Engines, transmissions, frames, doors, fenders, differentials, front assemblies (sometimes called doghouses), and rear clips all qualify.¹ Keep the receipt or bill of sale from each source. For parts you already owned rather than bought for this build, attach a General Affidavit (State Form 37964) listing each one with its serial number.²

Restoration Statement and Signatures

The restorer signs and dates the restoration statement, attesting that the vehicle has been rebuilt. If the owner is a different person, the owner signs separately below. Printed names go next to both signatures.¹

Police Inspection

You do not fill out the bottom section. An Indiana law enforcement officer completes it after physically inspecting the rebuilt vehicle, running an IDACS/NCIC check to verify the VIN and screen for theft, recording comments on the vehicle’s condition, and signing with their badge number and department.¹ Salvage inspections in Indiana are handled by the Indiana State Police, not by local departments.⁴ The ISP holds scheduled inspection events; check the ISP website or call the BMV at (888) 692-6841 for dates and locations.

Fees and the 45-Day Deadline

The costs tied to a salvage restoration title are:²

$15 title application fee.⁵
$30 late penalty if the packet is not received within 45 days of the date you purchased or acquired the vehicle.⁵
$25 speed title fee if you want expedited processing, on top of the $15 title fee.
7% sales tax on the purchase price if ownership is transferring. If you already held the salvage title or qualify for an exemption, submit the matching exemption form instead.

The 45-day clock runs from the acquisition date, not from the day you finish the rebuild, so mail the packet as soon as the inspection is complete.

Where to Send the Packet

The complete packet goes by mail to the BMV Central Office:²

Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles
Central Office Title Processing
100 North Senate Avenue, Room N411
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Local BMV branches do not process salvage restoration titles. Use a mailing method with tracking; if the packet is lost in transit, you would need to obtain a duplicate salvage title before resubmitting.

What Happens After You Submit

The BMV reviews the packet to confirm every required document is present and that the parts documentation is credible. If the agency determines there is sufficient evidence to substantiate the claim of ownership, it issues a new title with the “Rebuilt” brand.² If anything is missing or incomplete, the BMV returns the entire packet, not just the deficient document, so you would start the mailing over. The “Rebuilt” brand on the new title is permanent and travels with the vehicle to every future owner, so keep your restoration records with the title.

1
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Affidavit of Restoration for a Salvage Motor Vehicle – State Form 44606
2
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Salvage Motor Vehicle Restoration Title Application Checklist
3
Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-22-3-3 – Certificate of Salvage Title Required
4
Indy.gov. Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) Inspections
5
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles. BMV Fee Chart