Minnesota Form PS2015, the Declaration of Reconstruction/Special Assembly, is the document that tells the state exactly which major parts went into a rebuilt or specially assembled vehicle. You fill it out, attach proof of ownership for every component listed, submit it with a PS2000 title application, and bring the vehicle to a Minnesota State Patrol inspection station. The inspection fee is $35, and a passing inspection is what gets a salvage title converted to a “prior salvage” title so the vehicle can be registered and driven.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 168A.152 – Certificate of Inspection
When You Need PS2015
If your certificate of title carries a “salvage” brand, you cannot put plates on the vehicle or drive it on public roads. You can own it, move it on a trailer, and sell it, but registration is blocked until the brand is changed to “prior salvage” through a State Patrol inspection.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 168A.152 – Certificate of Inspection PS2015 is the paperwork that documents the rebuild for the inspector.
The same form covers specially assembled vehicles — builds pieced together from donor parts or aftermarket components rather than rebuilt from one wrecked car. Auction rebuild or scratch-built project, the form is the same.
Where to Get the Form
Download PS2015 from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services website, or pick up a copy at any deputy registrar office.2Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Vehicle Forms, Documents and Tax Manual Grab Form PS2000, the standard application to title and register a motor vehicle, while you are there. You need both to finish the process.
Filling Out the Form
The top of the form captures vehicle identification: model year, make, and the full seventeen-digit VIN from the dashboard plate or the door-jamb sticker. Check that number against your existing salvage title character by character. A single wrong digit will hold up the file.
The main body of the form is a checklist of major components. Mark the box for each part you replaced and indicate whether it is original to the vehicle, used from a donor, or new aftermarket. For cars and trucks, the checklist covers the cab, body, frame, front clip, rear clip, engine, transmission, doors, fenders, quarter panels, bumpers, decklid or truck box, and a miscellaneous line for anything else. For motorcycles, it covers the frame, engine assembly, transmission, front fork and handlebars, wheel assemblies, seat, gas tank, fenders, and wiring harness.3Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Declaration of Reconstruction Special Assembly
There is also a space for a written description of the work. Be specific. Note whether panels were welded or bolted, whether the frame needed straightening, and what structural repairs you made. “Repaired front end” invites follow-up questions and a slower file.
Proof of Ownership for Every Part
This is where most reconstruction files stall. Minnesota requires original proof of ownership for each major component in the build, and the document that counts depends on the part. The point is to confirm nothing on the vehicle is stolen.
Parts That Need a Certificate of Title
A used truck cab, used car body, trailer box, or used motorcycle frame each require the certificate of title from the donor vehicle. A front clip that includes the public VIN plate also needs a title, not a receipt.3Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Declaration of Reconstruction Special Assembly
Parts That Need a Title Copy and Bill of Sale
A used car or truck frame and a used motorcycle engine can be documented with a copy of the title if it comes with a bill of sale identifying the specific donor vehicle.3Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Declaration of Reconstruction Special Assembly
Parts That Need Letterhead Receipts
Engines, transmissions, doors, fenders, quarter panels, bumpers, decklids, front clips without VIN plates, and miscellaneous parts all require original letterhead receipts. Each receipt must list the VIN of the donor vehicle the part came from.4Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Minnesota Statute 168A – Affidavit of Reconstruction/Special Assembly A handwritten note on plain paper will not pass. If you bought parts from a Minnesota-licensed parts dealer, the inspector may ask for a copy of the dealer’s junk vehicle report.
New Aftermarket and Kit Components
New aftermarket motorcycle frames, motors, and motor cases, along with kit car components, each need a Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin. A replacement cab, frame, or trailer box bought from a manufacturer requires both the original factory invoice from manufacturer to dealer and your receipt from the dealer.3Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Declaration of Reconstruction Special Assembly
If You Cannot Document a Part
Missing proof of ownership for a body, cab, frame, or major motorcycle component does not automatically kill the application. It triggers a bonding requirement instead. You post a surety bond equal to one and a half times the vehicle’s value as determined by the department, protecting the state and anyone who might later prove ownership or a lien.5Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 168A.07 – Conditional Registration
With the bond you also submit a statement of facts explaining why ownership proof is unavailable and an affidavit of protection.4Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Minnesota Statute 168A – Affidavit of Reconstruction/Special Assembly The bond stays in effect for three years, and if no ownership claims come forward it releases and any cash deposit comes back. On a $10,000 vehicle, the required bond is $15,000, which usually means several hundred dollars in surety premiums. Finding the right receipts before you file is almost always cheaper.
Booking the Inspection
Schedule online at onlineservices.dps.mn.gov or call 651-282-2173.6Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Vehicle Inspection Sites The State Patrol operates nine inspection stations:
- Bemidji, 1606 Pine St NW
- Brooklyn Center, 5501 Xerxes Ave N
- Duluth, 3273 Carlton St
- Faribault, 190 20th St NW
- Fergus Falls, 1035 Progress Dr
- Mankato, 2202 4th Ave, Suite 200
- Marshall, 750 W College Dr
- Rochester, 1304 Valleyhigh Dr NW, Suite A
- St. Cloud, 3043 36th Ave SE
Bring the vehicle, the completed PS2015, the completed PS2000, and every piece of ownership documentation listed above. All supporting documents must be with you at the appointment. You cannot submit them later.3Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Declaration of Reconstruction Special Assembly
What the Inspector Checks
The inspector works through your PS2015 against the physical vehicle. Serial numbers on the engine and transmission are matched to donor VINs on your receipts, the public VIN plate is examined for signs of tampering, and every listed part is verified. Photographs taken before, during, and after the rebuild are not formally required in every case, but clear images of the original damage and the assembly stages give the inspector context and often resolve questions on the spot.
If everything matches, the inspector signs the report as passed. If a receipt is missing, a VIN tag looks altered, or a part on the vehicle is not on your form, you resolve the discrepancy and schedule a new appointment.
After a Passing Inspection
The signed inspection report is the final piece. Submit it with Form PS2000, your current salvage title, and the fees to a deputy registrar. The title fee is $8.25, and the salvage inspection fee is $35.7Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Vehicle Fees Registration tax and plate fees also apply and vary by vehicle type and value.
DVS issues a new certificate of title branded “prior salvage.” That brand stays on the title permanently and follows the vehicle through every future sale.1Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Statutes 168A.152 – Certificate of Inspection With the new title, you can register the vehicle and put it on the road.