When a Car Is a Total Loss in Delaware
How Delaware decides a car is a total loss, salvage title rules, and how to complain about a claim.
Short answer: When an insurer pays a total loss settlement and the owner keeps the vehicle, the owner must obtain a salvage certificate from the DMV (in person or by mail). Delaware DMV, Procedures for Owner Retained Salvage Vehicles
| Total loss rules | When an insurer pays a total loss settlement and the owner keeps the vehicle, the owner must obtain a salvage certificate from the DMV (in person or by mail). The vehicle cannot be driven until it is reconstructed, inspected by the Delaware State Police Auto Theft Unit, passes Delaware safety inspection, and is retitled. |
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| Complaints about an insurer | First contact the insurer, agent or adjuster. If not resolved, file a complaint with the Delaware Department of Insurance's Consumer Services Division using its online complaint form (https://sbs.naic.org/solar-web/pages/public/onlineComplaintForm/onlineComplaintForm.jsf?state=DE), or call 1-800-282-8611 (in Delaware) or (302) 674-7310, or email consumer@delaware.gov; requests may also be submitted by fax, mail or phone. A policyholder who receives a cancellation or nonrenewal notice for any reason other than nonpayment can appeal to the Department using the Application for Appeal of Automobile Cancellation or Non-Renewal (18 Del. C. § 3906). |
More Delaware car insurance & vehicle laws
- Minimum Car Insurance in Delaware
- Driving Without Insurance in Delaware
- SR-22 Insurance in Delaware
- Transferring a Car Title in Delaware
- All Delaware car insurance & vehicle laws rules
FAQ
When is a car a total loss in Delaware?
When an insurer pays a total loss settlement and the owner keeps the vehicle, the owner must obtain a salvage certificate from the DMV (in person or by mail). The vehicle cannot be driven until it is reconstructed, inspected by the Delaware State Police Auto Theft Unit, passes Delaware safety inspection, and is retitled.
How do you file a complaint against a car insurance company in Delaware?
First contact the insurer, agent or adjuster. If not resolved, file a complaint with the Delaware Department of Insurance's Consumer Services Division using its online complaint form (https://sbs.naic.org/solar-web/pages/public/onlineComplaintForm/onlineComplaintForm.jsf?state=DE), or call 1-800-282-8611 (in Delaware) or (302) 674-7310, or email consumer@delaware.gov; requests may also be submitted by fax, mail or phone. A policyholder who receives a cancellation or nonrenewal notice for any reason other than nonpayment can appeal to the Department using the Application for Appeal of Automobile Cancellation or Non-Renewal (18 Del. C. § 3906).
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.