Clean, Salvage or Rebuilt Title: Checks Before Export
A title description answers only part of an export decision. Read the actual ownership document, identify its issuing jurisdiction and confirm what it permits. A seller’s “clean title” label does not establish mechanical condition, export readiness or destination eligibility.
Read the document rather than the listing
Obtain a legible copy showing the VIN, named owner, issuing authority and any brands or restrictions. Ask the issuer to explain unfamiliar terms, including salvage, rebuilt, junk or nonrepairable. Check whether a lien release, assignment or replacement document is outstanding. The US Department of Justice’s consumer guidance explains title-history information; use it alongside the actual document, rather than treating a report as permission to move the vehicle. [1]
Check export and import separately
Send the exact document and vehicle identity to the origin export contact and the destination adviser. Ask each to identify acceptable documentation, outstanding requirements and any condition restrictions. For US departures, consult CBP’s vehicle export guidance and the departure port’s instructions. Acceptance for export does not answer whether the destination permits import, repair, registration or resale. Keep the two answers in separate rows of your planning file. [2]
Resolve gaps before committing money
Mark each check confirmed, pending or rejected, with the responsible party and supporting reply. If the seller promises a later title, ask when it will be available and what the purchase terms provide if it is not. Do not dispatch a truck solely because the auction has released the vehicle. A useful next step is a complete document-and-condition inquiry, with uncertainties disclosed, rather than a booking based on an optimistic listing label.