TITLE 31
Motor and Other vehicles
CHAPTER 31-46
Rhode Island Salvage Law
SECTION 31-46-3
§ 31-46-3 Salvage by non-insurer.
If the total cost of repairs to rebuild or reconstruct the motor vehicle to its
condition immediately before it was wrecked, destroyed or damaged, and for
legal operations on the roads or highways, exceeds seventy-five percent (75%)
of the fair market value of the motor vehicle immediately preceding the time it
was wrecked, destroyed or damaged, and the motor vehicle is less than seven (7)
years beyond the date of manufacture, the owner shall return within ten (10)
days to the division of motor vehicles, the certificate of title of that
vehicle and obtain a salvage certificate of title for that vehicle as
prescribed for by the administrator of the division of motor vehicles. For the
purposes of this section, "fair market value" shall mean the retail value of a
motor vehicle as set forth in a current edition of any nationally recognized
compilation of retail values, including automated databases, or from
publications commonly used by the automotive industry to establish the values
of motor vehicles, or determined pursuant to market survey of comparable
vehicles with regard to condition and equipment. If any person, individual, or
corporation or other owner sells the motor vehicle for any reason, that owner
shall make application for a salvage certificate of title. The division of
motor vehicles shall issue the salvage certificate of title on a form
prescribed by the administrator of the division of motor vehicles that shall be
of a color easily distinguished from the original certificate of title and
shall bear the same number and information as the original certificate of
title. The administrator of the division of motor vehicles shall charge the
owner a fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) for the cost of processing each salvage
certificate of title.
History of Section.
(P.L. 1977, ch. 144, § 1; P.L. 1983, ch. 221, § 2; P.L. 1988, ch.
196, § 1; P.L. 1990, ch. 13, § 4; P.L. 1992, ch. 15, art. 7, §
2; P.L. 1993, ch. 138, art. 85, § 4; P.L. 2007, ch. 385, § 1; P.L.
2007, ch. 489, § 1; P.L. 2009, ch. 5, art. 9, § 4.)