Every day, vehicles move through the salvage ecosystem. An insurance carrier declares a total loss. A salvage yard acquires the vehicle. An auto recycler dismantles it for parts. While those transactions may feel routine, they include a federal reporting obligation that many businesses can't afford to overlook.
If your company handles junk, salvage, or total loss vehicles, understanding your reporting responsibilities under the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) matters. Missed reporting can create compliance risk, increase administrative workload, and delay downstream vehicle transactions.
Who Must Report
The NMVTIS reporting requirement generally affects:
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Salvage yards that acquire damaged or totaled vehicles
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Auto recyclers that dismantle vehicles for parts or scrap
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Insurance companies that declare vehicles as total losses and take possession of those vehicles
The goal of NMVTIS is to improve vehicle history transparency and help reduce title fraud by ensuring vehicle status information is reported and available across the industry.
What Information Must Be Reported
While NMVTIS reporting requirements vary based on your industry, the goal remains the same: Create an accurate vehicle history record and maintain compliance.
Here’s a breakdown of federal requirements by industry:
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Salvage Yards & Auto Recyclers
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Insurance
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Name, address, and contact information of your company
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Name, address, and contact information of your company
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VIN
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VIN
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Date the vehicle was obtained
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Date the vehicle was obtained or designated as a junk or salvage vehicle
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Name of the individual or entity from whom the vehicle was obtained
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Name of the individual or entity from whom the vehicle was obtained and who possessed it when the vehicle was designated as a junk or salvage vehicle
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A statement of whether the vehicle was crushed or disposed of, for sale or other purposes, to whom it was transferred, and if the vehicle is intended for export out of the United States
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Name of the owner of the vehicle at the time of the filing of the report
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Why Reporting Accuracy Matters
Incomplete or delayed reporting can lead to operational challenges such as:
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Time spent correcting reporting errors or responding to compliance inquiries
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Revenue loss from stalled transactions due to incomplete vehicle history information
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Compliance risk from failing to meet reporting obligations consistently
A proactive reporting process helps prevent those issues before they impact your business.
Simplify Reporting With Online Tools
NMVTIS reporting is easier to manage when it's built into your day-to-day operations. Rather than treating reporting as a separate task, many organizations capture the required vehicle information as part of their intake and disposition processes. This approach helps reduce errors, maintain accurate records, and avoid compliance issues before they become larger problems.
Many businesses also use online reporting tools to maintain records, track vehicle status changes, and improve reporting accuracy.
When reporting becomes part of your standard workflow, your team spends less time correcting mistakes and more time focusing on the vehicles moving through your business.
FAQ
Who is required to report to NMVTIS?
Businesses that handle five or more junk, salvage, or total loss vehicles per year are required to report qualifying vehicles to the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS).
This requirement commonly includes salvage yards, auto recyclers, insurance carriers, and other businesses that take possession of salvage or total loss vehicles.
Why is NMVTIS reporting important?
NMVTIS helps maintain accurate vehicle history records by tracking title, salvage, total loss, theft, and odometer information. Accurate reporting supports industry transparency and helps businesses stay compliant with reporting requirements.
How can businesses make NMVTIS reporting easier?
Many organizations use electronic reporting tools to simplify submissions, reduce manual work, and maintain reporting records. ADD's NMVTIS reporting solution provides online reporting tools to help support compliance workflows.