Texas Form VTR-61, the Rebuilt Vehicle Statement, is the certification you file with your county tax assessor-collector when you want a Texas title for a vehicle that has been repaired, rebuilt, reconstructed, or assembled from parts. It goes in alongside an Application for Texas Title (Form 130-U) and your ownership evidence, and once processed the vehicle receives a title permanently branded “Rebuilt Salvage.”1Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Rebuilt Vehicle Statement (Form VTR-61)
When You Need to File It
Use VTR-61 any time a vehicle that previously held a salvage title has been restored to roadworthy condition and you want to title and register it in Texas. Under state law, a salvage motor vehicle is one whose repair costs (parts and labor, excluding paint and sales tax) exceed the vehicle’s actual cash value just before it was damaged.2State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 501.091 – Definitions A vehicle that entered Texas on an out-of-state salvage title also qualifies.
The form also covers newly assembled vehicles built from parts that were never previously titled as a complete vehicle. Assembled vehicles carry one extra requirement: an Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) inspection performed by a Certified Master Technician and documented on Form VTR-64 or VTR-852.1Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Rebuilt Vehicle Statement (Form VTR-61)
One category is off-limits. A nonrepairable vehicle, meaning one damaged, wrecked, or burned so badly that its only value is as scrap or parts, cannot be retitled for road use no matter how well it is restored.2State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 501.091 – Definitions If the current title says “Nonrepairable,” VTR-61 will not help.
Get the Inspections Done First
The county tax office will not accept your application until two inspections are complete. First, a standard vehicle safety inspection performed after repairs are finished and after you have received the salvage vehicle title. Ask the inspector for an Identification Certificate (Form VI-30), which verifies the vehicle identification number against official records. Second, an anti-theft inspection that confirms the VIN and major component parts are legitimate.3Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Rebuilt Vehicles
Filling Out Page 1
The form is two pages. Download it from the TxDMV site or pick one up at the county tax office. Both the owner and the rebuilder sign; if you rebuilt the vehicle yourself, you sign in both places.1Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Rebuilt Vehicle Statement (Form VTR-61)
At the top, enter the owner’s full legal name and address, then the vehicle information: VIN, year, make, model, body style, and document or title number if you have one. Verify the VIN against the number physically stamped on the vehicle. A mismatch stops the application.
The “Details of Work Performed” section is where the rebuilder describes every repair and alteration. For component parts that sit on a specific side of the vehicle (fenders, doors, bumpers, quarter panels), note the exact location: right front, left rear, and so on. Vague descriptions bring follow-up questions from the county clerk and slow you down.
Beneath the work description, the rebuilder signs a certification stating the work was performed and that all component parts were obtained legally under Transportation Code Chapter 501. The owner signs a separate certification confirming legal ownership and that the VIN on the form matches the one on the vehicle.1Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Rebuilt Vehicle Statement (Form VTR-61)
Filling Out Page 2
Complete page 2 whenever replacement parts went into the rebuild. The form splits parts into two groups.
Major component parts are the engine, frame, and body. For each one used, you have to provide ownership evidence, meaning a bill of sale, a title, or both, proving you obtained the part legally. This is the step people most often get wrong. If you bought a salvage engine from a junkyard, get a written bill of sale at the time of purchase. Showing up without proof of where a major part came from means the application gets bounced.1Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Rebuilt Vehicle Statement (Form VTR-61)
Other component parts include the transmission, fenders, hood, doors, bumpers, quarter panels, tailgate or deck lid, pickup cargo box (on vehicles 10,000 lbs. or under), truck cab, and roof or floor pan. Record the component part number where one is available.
What to Bring to the County Tax Office
You submit VTR-61 in person. Under 43 Texas Administrative Code § 217.89, the application package must include at minimum:
- Completed Form VTR-61, both pages, signed by rebuilder and owner.
- Form 130-U, Application for Texas Title and/or Registration.
- The salvage vehicle title, properly assigned to you.
- Bills of sale or titles for any engine, frame, or body used in the rebuild.
- Vehicle Inspection Report and Identification Certificate (Form VI-30) from the safety and anti-theft inspections.
- Odometer disclosure signed by the seller and acknowledged by the buyer, if the vehicle was purchased.
- Proof of insurance in the applicant’s name if you are registering at the same time.
- Lien release if there was a lien on the surrendered title and ownership did not transfer with the same lienholder.
Missing documents delay the application.4Cornell Law Institute. 43 Texas Admin Code 217.89 – Rebuilt Salvage Motor Vehicles
Fees
Expect two main charges at the counter. A $65 rebuilt salvage fee applies on top of the standard statutory title application fee.4Cornell Law Institute. 43 Texas Admin Code 217.89 – Rebuilt Salvage Motor Vehicles If you are also registering the vehicle, county registration fees and any applicable motor vehicle sales tax will be added. Totals vary by county, so call ahead to confirm what to bring.
What Happens After the Title Is Issued
The state issues a title permanently branded “Rebuilt Salvage.” That brand tells every future buyer the vehicle was once declared a total loss and then restored. It cannot be removed.3Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Rebuilt Vehicles
Rebuilt salvage vehicles are generally worth 20 to 40 percent less than an equivalent vehicle with a clean title. Insurance can also be limited. Many carriers will sell you liability-only coverage but refuse comprehensive or collision, and some will not write any policy at all. TxDMV recommends confirming insurance availability before you buy or begin rebuilding, not after.3Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Rebuilt Vehicles
Penalties for False Information
Both certifications on VTR-61 carry a printed warning. Under Texas Transportation Code § 501.155, knowingly providing false or incorrect information on a title application, an assignment of title, or any document required for a vehicle ownership transfer is a third-degree felony.5State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 501.155 – False Name, False Information, and Forgery That covers misrepresenting the VIN, lying about where parts came from, or signing someone else’s name without authorization. VIN fraud on rebuilt salvage vehicles is exactly the pattern state investigators look for.