If the total cost of repairs to rebuild or reconstruct the motor vehicle to its condition immediately before it was wrecked, destroyed or damaged, and for legal operations on the roads or highways, exceeds seventy-five percent (75%) of the fair market value of the motor vehicle immediately preceding the time it was wrecked, destroyed or damaged, and the motor vehicle is less than seven (7) years beyond the date of manufacture, the owner shall return within ten (10) days to the division of motor vehicles, the certificate of title of that vehicle and obtain a salvage certificate of title for that vehicle as prescribed for by the administrator of the division of motor vehicles. For the purposes of this section, “fair market value” shall mean the retail value of a motor vehicle as set forth in a current edition of any nationally recognized compilation of retail values, including automated databases, or from publications commonly used by the automotive industry to establish the values of motor vehicles, or determined pursuant to market survey of comparable vehicles with regard to condition and equipment. If any person, individual, or corporation or other owner sells the motor vehicle for any reason, that owner shall make application for a salvage certificate of title. The division of motor vehicles shall issue the salvage certificate of title on a form prescribed by the administrator of the division of motor vehicles that shall be of a color easily distinguished from the original certificate of title and shall bear the same number and information as the original certificate of title. The administrator of the division of motor vehicles shall charge the owner a fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) for the cost of processing each salvage certificate of title.

History of Section.
P.L. 1977, ch. 144, § 1; P.L. 1983, ch. 221, § 2; P.L. 1988, ch. 196, § 1; P.L. 1990, ch. 13, § 4; P.L. 1992, ch. 15, art. 7, § 2; P.L. 1993, ch. 138, art. 85, § 4; P.L. 2007, ch. 385, § 1; P.L. 2007, ch. 489, § 1; P.L. 2009, ch. 5, art. 9, § 4.