Salvage inspections

Once a Salvage Vehicle has been repaired, and before it can be registered, it must be inspected. Salvage Inspections protect customers because they combat fraud and prevent the sale of stolen parts.

Overview

Once a vehicle has been repaired, and before it can be registered, the vehicle must be inspected. Salvage inspections protect customers because they combat fraud and prevent the sale of stolen parts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90D Section 20D governs the salvage inspection process.

At the salvage inspection, the inspector checks the vehicle's identification number, the appraisal report, and Bills of Sale for all major component parts that were replaced. The salvage inspection is not a safety inspection.

If the safety inspection sticker was removed from a vehicle's windshield at the time of the damage appraisal and replaced with a rejection sticker, you may submit the vehicle to any official inspection station for a valid safety inspection sticker any time after the vehicle has passed the salvage inspection and the vehicle has been properly registered. Note that the rejection sticker is valid for 20 calendar days from the date of inspection.

Salvage inspections sites are located throughout the Commonwealth. An appointment is required and may be paid for and scheduled online. If you have already paid for a salvage inspection at a service center please contact the Massachusetts State Police at 857-368-7394 to schedule an appointment.

Salvage inspections are done by the Massachusetts State Police. You may contact the Massachusetts State Police Salvage Unit at 857-368-8454 for general information related to salvage inspections.

What to bring to a salvage inspection

At the time of a salvage inspection, you must present all of the following documentation:

1. A completed Application for Inspection of a Salvaged Motor Vehicle, including the owner’s sworn affidavit.
2. The receipt for the $50.00 fee that you paid to “MassDOT.”
3. Ownership papers, including outstanding Salvage Title or RMV receipt for title.
4. Insurance appraisal report (vehicle will NOT be inspected without this).
5. Bills of sale evidencing acquisition of all major component parts used to restore the vehicle. If the vehicle was wholly or partially restored with “used” parts, the receipts must contain the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of the vehicle(s) from which the part(s) were taken.

NOTE: If an airbag has been replaced with a used airbag purchased after January 1, 2004, a copy of the certificate of title for the vehicle that the airbag came from must be provided, regardless of whether the airbag was purchased in Massachusetts or out-of-state. A “used airbag” is an airbag that has been removed from one vehicle and reinstalled in a salvage vehicle being rebuilt. 

Additional Resources

Salvage Instruction Sheet

Salvage inspection process

The salvage inspector will perform a partial inspection of all vehicles that are submitted for a salvage inspection. In addition, the RMV has created a procedure for the random selection of some salvage vehicles for full inspection. This procedure is documented in regulation at 540 CMR 12.00.

The inspector will inspect the Vehicle Identification Number and odometer reading of every vehicle presented as part of an application for a salvage inspection. The inspector may check secondary sources on the vehicle to confirm the Vehicle Identification Number and examine the exterior of the vehicle to verify that it conforms to the year, make, model, and color of the motor vehicle identified in the application and supporting documents.

Using the random selection process, the inspector will select a certain number of vehicles to undergo a full inspection of the major component parts which have been repaired or replaced as part of the rebuilding process. The inspection will verify that:

• The vehicle's parts have not been removed, falsified, altered, defaced, destroyed, or tampered with

• The vehicle information contained in the application and supporting documents is true and correct

In addition to the vehicles randomly selected for a partial inspection, any vehicle that does not possess a Vehicle Identification Number will be required to undergo a full inspection. If you remove a vehicle from the inspection facility after being informed that the vehicle has been selected for a full inspection, but prior to such inspection, an Inspector may withhold the your original documents and forward such documents to the Registrar. The Registrar may refuse to issue a Title for such vehicle.

If you request that the original documents specified in this section be returned, you must provide photocopies of the documents. The salvage inspector will retain the photocopies and stamp all of the original documents "Submitted for Salvage Inspection" to deter the re-use of original bills of sale or receipts.

After the vehicle has passed the salvage inspection, you may apply for a Reconstructed or Recovered Theft Title, whichever is applicable.

If a salvage inspection is failed, the salvage inspector will provide you guidance on next steps.

Inspection locations

*Please Note: Inspections are by Appointment Only.  Please click the “Schedule a Salvage Inspection” link below to schedule a salvage inspection.

Bridgewater
Massachusetts Highway Department
25 Fruit Street
Bridgewater, MA 
Inspection days: Monday thru Friday - By Appointment Only 

Haverhill 
Massachusetts Highway Department
500 Broadway, Rte 97
Exit 108 off Rte 495
Inspection days: Monday thru Friday - By Appointment Only 

Northboro
Route 20 at Route 9
138 Lawrence Street
Northboro, MA
Inspection days: Monday thru Friday - By Appointment Only 

Revere – Temporarily CLOSED, any inspections scheduled for Thursdays will be held at Haverhill site
Massachusetts Highway Department
735 Washington Avenue
West of Intersection of Route 60 and Route 1 at Malden line near Linden Square
Inspection days: CLOSED

Westfield*
Massachusetts Highway Department
93 East Main Street
Westfield, MA 
Inspection days: Monday thru Friday - By Appointment Only