Turns a totalled car's title into a salvage certificate, or into a nonrepairable certificate for a vehicle that will never go back on the road. If you settled with your insurer and kept the car, this is what has to be filed before it can be sold on.
Written against REG 488C (Rev 8/2008), issued under California Vehicle Code 11515 and 11515.2. Salvage and nonrepairable are not two words for the same thing. A salvage certificate can become a revived title after inspection; a nonrepairable certificate is the end of that vehicle's road life.
Two documents, and they are not the same thing. Take the blank REG 488C from the dmv.ca.gov copy so you get the revision that is current today.
| On the form | What to put in it |
|---|---|
| Original or duplicate | Two boxes at the top. Original is the normal case. |
| Section 1 or section 2, never both | The instruction is to complete only section 1 or section 2, with section 3. Section 1 is a salvage certificate; section 2 is a nonrepairable vehicle certificate. |
| Section 1 details | Plate number, make, year, VIN, state of last registration, registration expiry, claim number, cost or value, and the dates wrecked, destroyed, stolen or recovered. |
| The certification | That the vehicle is a total-loss salvage, with properly endorsed titling documents attached, and a request that the DMV issue the certificate. |
| Signature block | Date and signature of applicant or authorised agent, printed name of the insurance company or applicant, licence or ID number, address, and an occupational licence number where one applies. |
Every line here was read off REG 488C (Rev 8/2008) itself — the PDF is here — and off the California Department of Motor Vehicles pages. This is plain-language help with a form, not legal advice, and where our wording and the agency's differ, theirs governs.
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