Form TC-814 and Utah Rebuilt Title Rules for Dealers (2026): The Branded Title Notice, Windshield Display, Online Ad Disclosure, Licensing, and How to List Rebuilt Cars
September 20, 2026
Short answer: a Utah dealer can sell rebuilt title cars, and the rules for doing it legally fit on one page. Before you negotiate the sale of any salvage or rebuilt-restored vehicle, you hand the customer and any prospective lienholder written notice on form TC-814 that a salvage certificate or branded title has been issued for the car, and you keep that form displayed in the lower passenger-side corner of the windshield while the car is on the lot. Every advertisement for the car discloses the salvage certificate or branded title as prominently as the description. You hold a Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division dealer license ($127 a year and a $75,000 bond, as published), and if you buy salvage at auction you hold a Salvage Buyer's License on top of it. The brand itself is permanent, and the state's own words are that it cannot be removed even after repair or restoration. Do those things and a rebuilt title is just inventory, typically priced 20 to 40 percent below clean-title market value. This guide walks through each requirement with the statute or DMV page it comes from, then covers how Utah rebuilt title dealers write, price and list the cars online.
Key takeaways
- The dealer disclosure is form TC-814: written notice to the customer and prospective lienholder before negotiating, plus prominent display in the lower passenger-side corner of the windshield (dmv.utah.gov, Utah Code 41-1a-1004).
- Every advertisement for a salvage or branded title vehicle must disclose it, using the words "salvage certificate", "branded title", or "insurer declared total loss", displayed at least as prominently as the description (41-1a-1004(3)). Online listings count.
- Utah brands the title "rebuilt and restored to operation", "in a flood and restored to operation", or "not restored to operation"; the brand never comes off.
- Selling a salvage vehicle without first obtaining a salvage certificate is a class B misdemeanor (41-1a-1005), with an exemption for cars worth $2,000 or less undamaged.
- Licensing: MVED dealer license $127 with a $75,000 bond (form TC-301); Salvage Buyer's License $203 (form TC-305), issued only to a licensed dealer, body shop, or dismantler.
- Listing rebuilt inventory on ReVroom has no listing cap; Utah dealers appear on the Utah page of the dealer directory with a Verified Seller badge.
What does Utah law require before a dealer sells a rebuilt title car?
Short answer: written notice, a windshield form, and honest ads. The Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division's own dealer page puts the first rule this way: when a dealer comes into possession of a salvage or rebuilt-restored vehicle, the dealer, before negotiating for the sale of the vehicle, must give written notice to the customer and the prospective lienholder that a salvage certificate or a branded title has been issued for the vehicle, citing Utah Code 41-1a-1004. That notice is made on form TC-814, and the dealer must also prominently display the form in the lower passenger-side corner of the windshield when the vehicle is displayed or offered for sale.
The second rule is about advertising. Utah Code 41-1a-1004(3) says an advertisement for the sale of a vehicle for which a salvage certificate or branded title has been issued shall disclose that fact, displayed at least as prominently as the description of the vehicle, using the words "salvage certificate" or "branded title", or the words "insurer declared total loss". A listing that says "rebuilt title" in the headline satisfies the spirit of it; a listing that buries the brand in the fine print does not.
The third rule is the one with teeth. Utah Code 41-1a-1005(2): any person, insurance company, or dealer who fails to obtain a salvage certificate as required, or who sells a salvage vehicle without first obtaining a salvage certificate, is guilty of a class B misdemeanor. The section does not apply to a vehicle with an undamaged wholesale value of $2,000 or less, or to a vehicle that already carries a salvage certificate from another state.
| Requirement | What the dealer does | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Written notice before negotiating | Give the customer and any prospective lienholder form TC-814 stating a salvage certificate or branded title has been issued | dmv.utah.gov dealer salvage page; Utah Code 41-1a-1004(2) |
| Windshield display | Keep TC-814 in the lower passenger-side corner of the windshield while the car is displayed or offered for sale | dmv.utah.gov dealer salvage page |
| Advertising disclosure | State "salvage certificate", "branded title", or "insurer declared total loss" in every ad, as prominently as the description | Utah Code 41-1a-1004(3) |
| Salvage certificate first | Never sell a salvage vehicle without a salvage certificate on file; class B misdemeanor otherwise | Utah Code 41-1a-1005(2) |
| Rebuilt title before retail | A salvage certificate is not valid for registration; the car is retailed as a driver only after inspection and a branded title | Utah Code 41-1a-1001(7)(b) |
What are Utah's rebuilt title brands, and can they ever be removed?
Short answer: three brands, none of them removable. Utah Code 41-1a-1004(1) says that when the Division can ascertain the fact at the time a salvage vehicle is first registered or transferred, the title shall be branded "rebuilt and restored to operation", "in a flood and restored to operation", or "not restored to operation". The DMV's dealer guidance answers the question every lot gets asked: can a salvage or branded title ever have the brand removed? "No, vehicles cannot have the brand on the title removed, even after repair or restoration." A salvage vehicle, for reference, is one damaged to the point that the cost of repairing it for safe operation exceeds its fair market value, or one an insurer or another state has declared salvage (41-1a-1001(8)).
| Utah document | What it means | Can it be registered? | What a dealer can do with it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salvage certificate | Issued for a salvage vehicle before a new title; not valid for registration (41-1a-1001(7)) | No | Hold, repair, or wholesale it; retail only after inspection and a branded title |
| Title branded "rebuilt and restored to operation" | A former salvage vehicle repaired and restored to operation | Yes | Retail with TC-814 notice, windshield display, and ad disclosure |
| Title branded "in a flood and restored to operation" | A flood vehicle restored to operation; the flood history is named on the title | Yes | Same as above; the brand names the history for every future buyer |
| Title branded "not restored to operation" | A salvage vehicle that has not been restored | No | Parts, rebuild, or wholesale |
How does a salvage car become a rebuilt title in Utah?
Short answer: it is repaired, inspected, and retitled with the brand, and the paperwork is the rebuilder's receipts and photos. Utah's DMV describes the documentation trail for a vehicle that has been materially altered or built from parts: a Form TC-569A Ownership Statement explaining how the essential parts were acquired and how the vehicle was constructed, the titles to any vehicles that donated essential parts (the frame and body count), the original bills of sale and receipts for parts, a Form TC-656 Application for Utah Title, pictures that clearly show the interior and all sides of the exterior, and a safety inspection plus emissions inspection where applicable. When a new VIN is assigned, a Form TC-661 Certificate of Inspection is completed by a DMV employee, designated contractor, Utah peace officer or designated enforcement agency employee, licensed dealer, or certified safety inspector. For the cost side of the process, our Utah rebuilt title cost guide has the fees, and what an auto rebuilder does covers the rebuilder's side of the business.
For a dealer, the practical point is that the repair file exists because the state required it. Keep it with the car. Every question a buyer asks about a rebuilt title, and every question a lender or insurer asks, is answered faster by the receipts and the pre-repair photos than by anything you can say.
What license does a Utah dealer need to buy and sell salvage and rebuilt cars?
Short answer: an MVED dealer license to retail them, and a Salvage Buyer's License on top of it to buy salvage at auction. The fees and requirements below are as published by the Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division in September 2026; confirm current amounts with MVED before you file.
| License | Fee (as published) | Requirements (as published) |
|---|---|---|
| New or used motor vehicle dealer | $127 | Form TC-301 Bonded Motor Vehicle Business Application; $75,000 corporate surety dealer bond; BCI fingerprint $30 per owner, partner, or corporate officer; photo of the sign and principal place of business; eight-hour orientation course; three-hour class each year to renew; optional dealer plates $12 each, limit five |
| Motorcycle, OHV, or small trailer dealer | $51 | Same application; $10,000 bond |
| Salvage Buyer's License | $203 (renewal $203) | Form TC-305; the applicant must already be licensed in Utah as a dealer, body shop, or dismantler |
Applications, the bond, the photos, and the fees go to the Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division, 210 North 1950 West, Salt Lake City, Utah 84134. If you are a franchise store that takes rebuilt titles in trade and would rather not retail them, what dealerships should do with rebuilt title trade-ins covers the wholesale route.
What do Utah buyers have the right to see?
Short answer: the brand, in writing, before the deal, from a dealer or a private seller. The dealer side is TC-814. The private-seller side is Utah Code 41-1a-1005.3, which says a vehicle may not be offered, sold, leased, transferred, or exchanged by an owner who knows it is a salvage or total loss vehicle without prior written disclosure to any prospective purchaser, and it prints the disclosure statement the seller must use. That statement tells the buyer the vehicle has a salvage or total loss history, that Utah may permanently brand the title as a rebuilt salvage vehicle, and that the buyer may ask to see, or independently obtain, the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System report at vehiclehistory.gov.
None of that is a reason for a buyer to walk away. It is the reason a rebuilt title car in Utah sells for less, and the reason a dealer who shows the file up front closes faster. Across the 17,000+ rebuilt title sales ReVroom tracks nationally, buyers saved a median of $4,590 per vehicle and 87% of the cars sold carried only minor or moderate documented history. Buyers who want to know what a title says before they visit the lot can read how to check a car title in Utah, and buyers weighing a dealer purchase can read buying a rebuilt title car from a dealer.
What is Form TC-814, and how does a Utah dealer use it?
Short answer: TC-814 is Utah's "Notice of Salvage Vehicle or Branded Title." It is a one-page written notice that a salvage certificate or branded title has been issued for the car, signed by the people on both sides of the deal, and on a dealer lot it lives in the windshield.
Think of it like the permit card a contractor tapes to the window of a remodel. Nobody has to ask whether the work was permitted, because the answer is posted where everyone can see it. TC-814 does the same job for a rebuilt title car.
| Question | Answer, as published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Official name | Notice of Salvage Vehicle or Branded Title (current revision dated 9/26) | Form TC-814, tax.utah.gov |
| When it is required | Before the dealer negotiates the sale of a salvage or rebuilt-restored vehicle, written notice goes to the customer and the prospective lien holder | dmv.utah.gov dealer salvage page; Utah Code 41-1a-1004 |
| Where it goes on the car | Prominently displayed in the lower passenger-side corner of the windshield while the vehicle is displayed or offered for sale | dmv.utah.gov dealer salvage page; Form TC-814 |
| What is on it | The vehicle's year, make, model, color, body style and VIN, a statement that the vehicle has a salvage or total loss history, and signatures of the purchaser, lienholder and seller with the date | Form TC-814 |
| Who keeps a copy | The purchaser, the seller and the lienholder | Form TC-814 |
| Private sellers | The disclosure form must be used by non-dealers as well, but non-dealers do not need to place it in the windshield | dmv.utah.gov dealer salvage page |
| Repeat sales | The form is used every time the vehicle is knowingly resold with a salvage certificate or total loss history | Form TC-814 |
Here is the routine that keeps a Utah lot clean on TC-814, in the order it happens:
- At intake: confirm the title brand and fill in the vehicle section of a fresh TC-814 the day the car arrives.
- On the lot: put the form in the lower passenger-side corner of the windshield before the car is shown or advertised.
- In every ad: say "branded title" or "salvage certificate" as prominently as the description (Utah Code 41-1a-1004(3)).
- Before you talk numbers: hand the customer and any prospective lienholder their notice.
- At signing: collect the purchaser, lienholder and seller signatures and the date, and give each party a copy.
How should a Utah dealer write and price a rebuilt title listing online?
Short answer: put the brand in the headline, show the repair file, and price against the clean-title comp minus the typical rebuilt discount. The same habits that keep you compliant with 41-1a-1004(3) are the ones that sell the car, because the shoppers looking for rebuilt titles already know what they are buying.
Think of it like a bakery that puts "day-old" right on the sign. Nobody feels tricked, the price makes sense, and the people who walk in are the ones who wanted a deal. Burying the brand does the opposite: it brings in shoppers who leave the moment they read the title.
| Listing element | Why buyers want it | Utah rule it lines up with |
|---|---|---|
| "Rebuilt title" or "branded title" in the headline | Rebuilt-title shoppers search for it; clean-title shoppers self-select out | Ad disclosure at least as prominent as the description (41-1a-1004(3)) |
| A photo of the TC-814 in the windshield | Shows the disclosure is real before anyone drives over | Windshield display while offered for sale (dealer salvage page) |
| Pre-repair photos and the repair receipts | Answers "how bad was it?" in one scroll | The repair file the state already required for the rebuilt title |
| History type and severity | Buyers choose hail, light collision or heavier repairs on purpose | Goes beyond the minimum; it is what closes the lead |
| Price shown next to the clean-title comp | Makes the savings obvious | No rule; the savings are the reason the buyer is shopping rebuilt |
On price, rebuilt title cars are typically priced 20 to 40 percent below clean-title market value, and the dollar gap grows with model year. These are national medians from ReVroom's rebuilt title market snapshot, updated October 1, 2026:
| Model year | Median buyer savings vs clean title | Rebuilt cars sold |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $2,054 | 576 |
| 2018 | $3,283 | 931 |
| 2020 | $4,870 | 1,097 |
| 2022 | $5,966 | 1,328 |
| 2024 | $7,023 | 1,330 |
Across all 17,000+ sales the median rebuilt car sold for $17,499 at a median model year of 2020, and 87% carried only minor or moderate documented history. That last number is your best sales line: most rebuilt inventory is lighter than shoppers expect, and a listing that shows the grade lets them see it for themselves.
Where do Utah rebuilt title dealers list inventory?
Short answer: on ReVroom. ReVroom is the only marketplace built for rebuilt and branded title vehicles, and its dealer directory lists 30 verified rebuilt title dealers in 16 states as of October 11, 2026, with a Utah page that currently shows five Verified Sellers: Nation Auto Group in Lindon, Discover Auto Group in Draper, Momentum Motors in Spanish Fork, Sencion Performance Auto Sales in Pleasant Grove, and Summit Auto Sales in Orem. The terms, as published on the directory: list your inventory on ReVroom, unlimited listings, and your storefront appears on the directory automatically. A verified dealership is a licensed dealer that completed ReVroom's onboarding with its business address, phone, and fee disclosure on file, and it carries the Verified Seller badge on its storefront and on every listing. Because ReVroom listings show each car's history type and, where graded, an in-house severity grade, and buyers can filter by both, the TC-814 conversation has usually already happened by the time a lead reaches you.
- Go to revroom.org/marketplace/dealer-welcome and start onboarding.
- Enter the dealership's business address, phone, and fee disclosure.
- Add inventory; there is no listing cap.
- Your storefront appears on the Utah dealer page with the Verified Seller badge, and buyer leads arrive by email.
Which Utah rebuilt title dealers list on ReVroom, and how does a lot join?
Short answer: five Utah dealers are verified on ReVroom's directory today, and joining starts on the dealer page. A lot that already does TC-814 right has done the hard part, because ReVroom buyers arrive expecting the history up front.
| Verified Utah dealer (as listed October 11, 2026) | City |
|---|---|
| Nation Auto Group | Lindon |
| Discover Auto Group | Draper |
| Momentum Motors | Spanish Fork |
| Sencion Performance Auto Sales | Pleasant Grove |
| Summit Auto Sales | Orem |
Nationally the directory reads "30 verified rebuilt title dealers in 16 states," and the terms are the same for all of them, as published: unlimited inventory and a storefront on the state page. A verified dealership is a licensed dealer that completed onboarding with its business address, phone and fee disclosure on file, and it carries the Verified Seller badge on its storefront and every listing. Buyers can filter your inventory by history type and by ReVroom's in-house severity grade, which no other marketplace offers, so the shoppers who reach you have already chosen the kind of history they are comfortable with.
Start your dealer listing, or see how the Utah dealer page looks to buyers.
Can rebuilt title cars be insured and financed in Utah?
Short answer: yes to both, which matters for the lot because it is the second question every buyer asks. Liability coverage is available everywhere and most major insurers write full coverage on a rebuilt title as reported by their policyholders; our guide to which insurance companies cover rebuilt title cars has the carrier detail. Banks and credit unions both finance rebuilt titles, and ReVroom's financing page sends one application to a network of lenders that returns up to four offers; ReVroom is not a lender. A buyer who arrives pre-approved and a dealer who hands over the repair file make a short transaction.
Frequently asked questions
Can a dealer sell a rebuilt title car in Utah?
Yes. Utah dealers sell rebuilt and branded title vehicles every day. The conditions are that the dealer gives the customer and any prospective lienholder written notice on form TC-814 before negotiating the sale, displays that form in the lower passenger-side corner of the windshield while the car is offered for sale, and discloses the salvage certificate or branded title in any advertisement, as published by dmv.utah.gov and Utah Code 41-1a-1004.
What is form TC-814 in Utah?
TC-814 is the written notice a Utah dealer must give a customer and prospective lienholder before negotiating the sale of a salvage or rebuilt-restored vehicle, stating that a salvage certificate or branded title has been issued for the car. The dealer must also display the form prominently in the lower passenger-side corner of the windshield when the vehicle is displayed or offered for sale.
What does Utah print on a rebuilt title?
Under Utah Code 41-1a-1004 the title of a former salvage vehicle is branded "rebuilt and restored to operation", "in a flood and restored to operation", or "not restored to operation". The brand is permanent: Utah's dealer guidance states that vehicles cannot have the brand on the title removed, even after repair or restoration.
What license does a Utah dealer need to sell rebuilt title cars?
A Utah new or used motor vehicle dealer license from the Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division: application form TC-301, a $127 license fee, a $75,000 corporate surety dealer bond, a $30 BCI fingerprint fee per owner or officer, and an eight-hour orientation course, with a three-hour class each year to renew, as published by dmv.utah.gov. Buying salvage vehicles at auction additionally requires a Salvage Buyer's License ($203, form TC-305), which is only issued to a licensed dealer, body shop, or dismantler.
Does a private seller in Utah have to disclose a rebuilt title?
Yes. Utah Code 41-1a-1005.3 says a vehicle may not be sold, leased, transferred, or exchanged by an owner who knows it is a salvage or total loss vehicle without prior written disclosure to the prospective purchaser, using the statute's disclosure statement, which also tells the buyer they may check NMVTIS at vehiclehistory.gov.
What happens if a Utah seller skips the salvage certificate?
Under Utah Code 41-1a-1005, any person, insurance company, or dealer who fails to obtain a salvage certificate when one is required, or who sells a salvage vehicle without first obtaining one, is guilty of a class B misdemeanor. The section does not apply to a vehicle with an undamaged wholesale value of $2,000 or less, or one that already carries another state's salvage certificate.
Where can a Utah rebuilt title dealer list inventory?
On ReVroom, the marketplace built for rebuilt and branded title vehicles. Listings are unlimited; a dealer signs up at revroom.org/marketplace/dealer-welcome, completes onboarding with its business address, phone, and fee disclosure, and its storefront appears on the Utah page of the dealer directory with the Verified Seller badge.
Where does a dealer put the TC-814 form?
In the lower passenger-side corner of the windshield, prominently displayed, whenever the vehicle is displayed or offered for sale, per the Utah DMV's dealer guidance and the form itself.
Do private sellers in Utah need a TC-814?
Yes. The DMV says the disclosure form must be used by non-dealers as well. The difference is that non-dealers do not need to place the form in the windshield while the car is on display or offered for sale.
Does a Utah online car ad have to say rebuilt title?
Yes. Utah Code 41-1a-1004(3) says an advertisement for a vehicle with a salvage certificate or branded title must disclose that fact, displayed at least as prominently as the description, using the words salvage certificate, branded title, or insurer declared total loss. An online listing is an advertisement, so put the brand in the headline.
How far below clean-title value should a Utah dealer price a rebuilt car?
Rebuilt title cars are typically priced 20 to 40 percent below clean-title market value. ReVroom's national snapshot (October 1, 2026) shows median buyer savings rising with model year, from $2,034 on 2015 cars to $7,023 on 2024 cars, with a median of $4,590 across 17,000+ sales.
Recommended
- How do dealers buy rebuilt cars? Where rebuilt title dealers get inventory and where they sell it
- How to sell rebuilt title cars online as a dealer
- What dealerships should do with rebuilt title trade-ins
- How much does a rebuilt title cost in Utah?
- What is a salvage title in Utah?
- Rebuilt title car warranties in Utah
- Rebuilt title dealers in Utah
