The account of what was done to a wrecked or flooded car to make it roadworthy again. Texas requires it before a rebuilt vehicle can be titled, and it is what turns a salvage title into a rebuilt one. If you sold a total loss to somebody who intends to fix it, this is the form on the other end of that transaction.
Written against VTR-61 (Rev 01/25), issued under Texas Transportation Code 501.100.
This form is for the person doing the rebuilding, which is usually not the person who sold the wreck. If you are selling a salvage vehicle, your obligation is the disclosure the buyer signs - not this.
Two documents, and they are not the same thing. Take the blank VTR-61 from the txdmv.gov copy so you get the revision that is current today, then print our VTR-61 guide and keep it beside you while you fill theirs in.
This is the actual VTR-61, rendered from the PDF the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles publishes and completed end to end: letterhead, every field, and the blocks at the foot.
Amber — you write it
Grey — not yours to fill
Numbered — explained below
The real VTR-61, filled in by the man who bought the flood-damaged truck from our salvage pages and put it back on the road. He signs both blocks, because the form allows the owner and rebuilder to be the same person.
Field by field
Every line, in the order you meet it
1
Somebody else fills this in
Vehicle and owner
VIN, year, make, body style, model and the owner’s name.
Watch out: The VIN is the original one. A rebuild does not get a new VIN unless the original is gone, which is a separate process.
2
Somebody else fills this in
The rebuilder
Name and full address of whoever did the work.
Watch out: If you did it yourself, you are the rebuilder. The form expects that and gives you both signature blocks.
3
Somebody else fills this in
What was actually done
Four numbered lines explaining the repair, with the location of replaced components in the form’s abbreviations.
Watch out: Specific beats brief. This is the record a future buyer’s inspector will read.
4
Somebody else fills this in
Date work completed
The date the rebuild was finished.
Watch out: It should sit after the salvage title date, not before it. A rebuild that predates the wreck is the sort of thing that gets noticed.
5
Somebody else fills this in
Sign both blocks
Rebuilder and owner, each with a printed name matching the signature and a date.
Watch out: Then check page 2. If any major component was replaced, it is not optional.
At a glance
What goes where
On the form
What to put in it
Vehicle and owner
VIN, year, make, body style, model and the owner’s name.
Details of work performed
The rebuilder’s name and address, four numbered lines to explain the work, the location of any component parts replaced, and the date the work was completed.
Signatures
Two blocks - one for the rebuilder and one for the owner - each with a printed name and date. The same person may sign both if they rebuilt their own car.
Component parts (page 2)
A grid for the origin and part number of every major component used, from engine and frame down to fenders, hood, doors and cargo box.
What gets this one rejected
•A vague description of the work. The rebuilder must explain what was done and specify the location of any component parts replaced, using the form’s own abbreviations - R, L, F, RF, LF, RR, LR.
•Skipping page 2 when parts were used. The instruction is explicit: page 2 must be completed if component parts were used to repair, rebuild, reconstruct or assemble the vehicle.
•Filing it alone. It goes to a county tax assessor-collector with the Form 130-U, ownership evidence and whatever else that transaction needs.
•Missing the ASE inspection on an assembled vehicle. A newly assembled vehicle that has never been titled as a complete vehicle needs an Automotive Service Excellence inspection by a Certified Master Technician, on Form VTR-64 or VTR-852.
Rules that decide whether it is accepted
•Owner and rebuilder can be the same person. The form says so, and provides two signature blocks anyway. Somebody who rebuilt their own car signs both.
•Part numbers are required for the big four. Engine, frame and body carry a required part number. Transmission, fenders, hood, doors, bumpers, quarter panels, tailgate, cargo box, cab and roof or floor pan carry one if available.
•The origin of each part is recorded. Not just what was fitted, but who it was purchased from, name and complete address. This is a theft-prevention measure as much as a safety one.
•Rebuilt is a brand, not a clean slate. A rebuilt title says the car was a total loss and has been repaired. It follows the vehicle, and it follows its value.
Every line here was read off VTR-61 (Rev 01/25) itself — the PDF is here — and off the Texas 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.
