1. When an insurance company acquires a motor vehicle as a result of a settlement in which the motor vehicle is determined to be a salvage vehicle, the owner of the motor vehicle who is relinquishing ownership of the motor vehicle shall endorse the certificate of title of the motor vehicle and forward the endorsed certificate of title to the insurance company within 30 days after accepting the settlement from the insurance company. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2, the insurance company or its authorized agent shall forward the endorsed certificate of title, together with an application for a salvage title or nonrepairable vehicle certificate, to the state agency within 180 days after receipt of the endorsed certificate of title.

2. If the owner of the motor vehicle who is relinquishing ownership does not provide the endorsed certificate of title to the insurance company within 30 days after accepting the settlement pursuant to subsection 1, the insurance company shall, as soon as practicable, forward an application for a salvage title or nonrepairable vehicle certificate to the state agency. Except as otherwise provided in subsections 10 and 11, the state agency shall issue a salvage title or nonrepairable vehicle certificate to the insurance company for the vehicle upon receipt of:

(a) The application;

(b) A motor vehicle inspection certificate signed by a representative of the Department or, as one of the authorized agents of the Department, by a peace officer, dealer, rebuilder, automobile wrecker, operator of a salvage pool or garage operator;

(c) Documentation that the insurance company has made at least two written attempts by certified mail, return receipt requested, or by use of a delivery service with a tracking system, to obtain the endorsed certificate of title; and

(d) Proof satisfactory to the state agency that the certificate of title was required to be surrendered to the insurance company as part of the settlement.

3. Except as otherwise provided in subsections 1 and 2, before any ownership interest in a salvage vehicle, except a nonrepairable vehicle, may be transferred, the owner or other person to whom the motor vehicle is titled:

(a) If the person has possession of the certificate of title to the vehicle, shall forward the endorsed certificate of title, together with an application for salvage title to the state agency within 30 days after the vehicle becomes a salvage vehicle.

(b) If the person does not have possession of the certificate of title to the vehicle and the certificate of title is held by a lienholder, shall notify the lienholder within 10 days after the vehicle becomes a salvage vehicle that the vehicle has become a salvage vehicle. The lienholder shall, within 30 days after receiving such notice, forward the certificate of title, together with an application for salvage title, to the state agency.

4. An insurance company or its authorized agent may sell a vehicle for which a total loss settlement has been made with the properly endorsed certificate of title if the total loss settlement resulted from the theft of the vehicle and the vehicle, when recovered, was not a salvage vehicle.

5. An owner who has determined that a vehicle is a total loss salvage vehicle may sell the vehicle with the properly endorsed certificate of title obtained pursuant to this section, without making any repairs to the vehicle, to a salvage pool, automobile auction, rebuilder, automobile wrecker or a new or used motor vehicle dealer.

6. Except with respect to a nonrepairable vehicle, if a salvage vehicle is rebuilt and restored to operation, the vehicle may not be licensed for operation, displayed or offered for sale, or the ownership thereof transferred, until there is submitted to the state agency with the prescribed salvage title, an appropriate application, other documents, including, without limitation, an affidavit from the state agency attesting to the inspection and verification of the vehicle identification number and the identification numbers, if any, for parts used to repair the motor vehicle and fees required, together with a certificate of inspection completed pursuant to NRS 487.860.

7. Except with respect to a nonrepairable vehicle, if a total loss insurance settlement between an insurance company and any person results in the retention of the salvage vehicle by that person, before the execution of the total loss settlement, the insurance company or its authorized agent shall:

(a) Obtain, upon an application for salvage title, the signature of the person who is retaining the salvage vehicle;

(b) Append to the application for salvage title the certificate of title to the motor vehicle or an affidavit stating that the original certificate of title has been lost; and

(c) Apply to the state agency for a salvage title on behalf of the person who is retaining the salvage vehicle.

8. If the state agency determines that a salvage vehicle retained pursuant to subsection 6 is titled in another state or territory of the United States, the state agency shall notify the appropriate authority of that state or territory that the owner has retained the salvage vehicle.

9. A person who retains a salvage vehicle pursuant to subsection 7 may not transfer any ownership interest in the vehicle unless he or she has received a salvage title.

10. When a salvage pool, at the request of an insurance company, obtains possession of a vehicle that is the subject of an insurance claim and a total loss claim is not paid by the insurance company for the vehicle, the salvage pool, after the vehicle has been abandoned at the facility of the salvage pool for not less than 30 days, may apply for a salvage title or a nonrepairable vehicle certificate. The state agency shall issue a salvage title or nonrepairable vehicle certificate to the salvage pool upon receipt of:

(a) The application;

(b) A motor vehicle inspection certificate signed by a representative of the Department or, as one of the authorized agents of the Department, by a peace officer, dealer, rebuilder, automobile wrecker, operator of a salvage pool or garage operator; and

(c) Documentation that the salvage pool has made at least two written attempts by certified mail, return receipt requested, or by use of a delivery service with a tracking system addressed to the owner of the vehicle and any known lienholder to have the vehicle removed from the facility of the salvage pool.

11. When an organization that the Secretary of the Treasury has determined to be tax exempt pursuant to the provisions of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C. § 501(c)(3), obtains a vehicle by donation and the organization is unable to obtain the endorsed certificate of title, the organization may apply for a salvage title or a nonrepairable vehicle certificate. The state agency shall issue a salvage title or nonrepairable vehicle certificate to the organization upon receipt of:

(a) The application;

(b) A motor vehicle inspection certificate signed by a representative of the Department or, as one of the authorized agents of the Department, by a peace officer, dealer, rebuilder, automobile wrecker, operator of a salvage pool or garage operator; and

(c) Evidence satisfactory to the Department that the organization made at least two written attempts, mailed to the address of the previous owner of the vehicle, to obtain the endorsed certificate of title.

(Added to NRS by 1963, 839; A 1979, 1230; 1987, 1603; 1991, 526; 1995, 1574; 2003, 471, 1914; 2007, 227; 2009, 1750; 2019, 1445)