Indiana Rebuilt Title: Forms, Fees, and Police Inspection

How to get an Indiana rebuilt title: the police inspection on State Form 44606, the packet the BMV wants, the $15 fee, the 45-day penalty clock, and what gets an application sent back.

Updated October 2026

An Indiana rebuilt title costs $15 to apply for. The penalty is $30 if the BMV doesn't get your packet within 45 days of buying the car. In between, a police officer has to inspect the car and sign off that every major part has a paper trail.

That's the whole Indiana rebuilt title process in one line: inspection, affidavit, packet, mail. Miss a receipt and the BMV sends the entire application back. You can't register a salvage-titled car in Indiana until the rebuilt title is issued.

The Indiana rebuilt title process, step by step

Indiana calls this a salvage restoration title. The BMV Central Office processes it, not your local branch. The title you get back is branded "REBUILT VEHICLE", or "REBUILT FLOOD DAMAGED VEHICLE" if the car was a flood car.

Shoot the car before you touch it. The Indiana State Police Indianapolis District asks for photos of all four sides, taken before any work starts. Take them the day the car lands.
Repair and save every major-part receipt. Form 44606 asks for each part's name, source VIN or serial number, the seller's name and address, the date you got it, and what you paid.
Get the police inspection. The officer examines the car, the major component parts, and your ownership documents, then signs the inspection section of State Form 44606. An IDACS/NCIC check is part of it.
Build the packet. That means the State Form 205 title application, the salvage title, State Form 44606, part receipts or State Form 37964, proof of address, and State Form 56163 for payment.
Mail it to Central Office Title Processing. The address is 100 North Senate Avenue, Room N411, Indianapolis, IN 46204. The BMV's title line is (888) 692-6841.

If you can't document a major part, don't install it.

Who inspects the car, and what it costs

Indiana code says a state police officer inspects the vehicle. The officer verifies proof of ownership and the source of the major component parts.

Don't confuse this with State Form 39530. That's the general VIN inspection form, and the restoration packet doesn't list it.

Here's the cost side, line by line:

Inspection fee: $5 at most. An officer can charge it only if the local unit that employs them set the fee by ordinance.
Title application fee: $15.
Late penalty: $30 if the packet isn't received within 45 days after you bought or acquired the vehicle.
Speed title: $25 if you want it, on top of the $15.
Sales tax: 7% of the purchase price if ownership is transferring. You can show it was already paid on ST-108 (State Form 48842) instead. If you're keeping ownership or the sale is exempt, file ST-108E (State Form 48841).

Those are the state's numbers. Parts, labor, towing, and your time are not on that list, and they're where the real money goes.

The ISP Indianapolis District runs salvage inspections at the State Police Museum, 8620 East 21st Street, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The remaining 2026 dates are October 20, November 3 and 17, and December 1, 15, and 29. The car has to arrive towed or trailered, and you need a valid driver's license or ID.

Outside Indianapolis, call your ISP district. Their PDF covers that district only.

What gets a packet sent back

The BMV checklist is blunt. If required documents are missing or incomplete, the entire application is returned. Here's what usually causes that.

No proof for a major part. Form 44606 counts doors, fenders, differentials, frames, transmissions, engines, front assemblies ("doghouses"), and rear clips. Each one needs proof of ownership or purchase.
Parts on hand with no affidavit. If a part came off a shelf or a donor car you already owned, list it on State Form 37964. Include year, make, VIN, and the part's serial number if it has one.
Wrong title type. Form 44606 says junk, non-repairable, and scrap vehicles may not be titled in Indiana. That car is parts, not a rebuild.
Bad proof of address. A license or ID works only if the address on it is right. Otherwise, bring a document from the BMV's approved list dated within the last 60 days.
Missing odometer statement. If ownership is changing, complete it on the salvage title or file State Form 43230.
Driving it to inspection. It has to be towed or trailered. Driving it in risks a citation and impound.

Here's how this tends to go wrong, as a hypothetical. You swap in a used engine from a junkyard, pay cash, and get a handwritten slip with no VIN.

At inspection, the officer can't tie that engine to a source. Now you're hunting paperwork while the 45-day clock runs.

Rebuilt is a brand, not a clean title

Don't sell a rebuilt car as if the history is gone. Indiana law requires the new title to conspicuously bear "REBUILT VEHICLE" or "REBUILT FLOOD DAMAGED VEHICLE". The brand is printed on the title, so every later buyer sees it.

The BMV rule also gives you a second exit. You can rebuild and sell the car without first getting the rebuilt title.

In that case, the buyer gets the salvage title and your affidavit of restoration. That buyer then carries the inspection and the packet, and they will price that in.

Which exit makes more money is a comps question. Price both versions of the car in your market before you bid. See what actually changes resale between rebuilt and salvage titles for how to frame it.

A hypothetical title line

Say you win an Indiana salvage sedan for $4,000, buying it from another owner. On paper, the state charges come to:

7% sales tax on $4,000: $280
Title application fee: $15
Inspection fee: up to $5, if your local unit charges one

That's roughly $300 in state costs. Miss the 45-day window and add $30. Add $25 if you pay for the speed title.

These numbers are for illustration. Your real lines come from your own purchase price and timeline.

Before you bid on an Indiana salvage car, check this

The title type in the listing is salvage, not junk, non-repairable, or scrap.
The VIN is readable in the photos, and nothing suggests swapped plates.
You can price the major parts you'll need and get receipts for every one.
You have a towing or trailer plan to the inspection, plus the dates from your ISP district.
Your calendar can hit 45 days from purchase to a received packet.
Your resale comps are branded-title comps, not clean-title comps.

For a longer pre-bid routine, use the Copart and IAAI lot analysis checklist and the rebuilt-title buyer risk checklist.

The Indiana paperwork only matters if the car was worth buying in the first place. AutoFlip Pro is an auto auction analysis tool for Copart and IAAI buyers. Its risk check looks at sales history, title type, runs-and-drives status, engine-start info, and whether the seller is an insurance company, all before you bid.

It doesn't inspect cars, file BMV forms, or issue titles. To see what a lot's numbers look like before the rebuild math starts, run a free Copart lot analysis.

Key takeaways

Photograph all four sides before any repair work. The ISP Indianapolis District asks for it.
Get the police officer's signature on the inspection section of Form 44606. Don't file Form 39530 for a rebuild.
Mail the packet within 45 days of purchase to avoid the $30 penalty.
Log every major part with its source, VIN or serial, date, and cost as you buy it.
Price resale off branded-title comps, because the new title reads "REBUILT VEHICLE."

FAQ

How much does an Indiana rebuilt title cost?

The BMV charges a $15 title application fee. The speed title is $25 more if you want it.

If ownership is transferring, add 7% sales tax on the purchase price unless you already paid it. The police officer can charge up to $5, but only if their local unit set that fee by ordinance.

Who does the rebuilt inspection in Indiana?

A police officer does. Indiana code names a state police officer, and the inspection section on Form 44606 is signed by an Indiana police officer. They check the car, the major parts, and your ownership papers, and they run an IDACS/NCIC check.

Can I drive the car to the inspection?

Not to an ISP Indianapolis District inspection. That schedule says vehicles must be towed or trailered, and violations can bring citations and impound. Ask your own district if you're outside Indianapolis.

Is an Indiana rebuilt title the same as a clean title?

No. The new title has to conspicuously say "REBUILT VEHICLE", or "REBUILT FLOOD DAMAGED VEHICLE" for a flood car. That brand stays with the car for every buyer after you.

Can I sell the car before I get the rebuilt title?

Yes. The BMV rule allows it if you hand the buyer the salvage title and an affidavit of restoration. The buyer then has to finish the inspection and the packet before the car can be registered.