Salvage, Rebuilt, Flood: A Developer-Friendly Guide to Title Brands and NMVTIS

If you're shopping for a used car, the single most expensive mistake is buying a vehicle with a branded title you didn't know about. This post explains what title brands are, how NMVTIS works, and where a plain VIN decode fits in. A title brand is a permanent notation a state DMV adds to a vehicle's title when something significant happens to it. Common brands include: Salvage – an insurer declared the vehicle a total loss (damage cost exceeds a state-defined share of its value). Rebuilt / Reconstructed – a salvage vehicle that was repaired and passed a state inspection.