How to Complete a VIN Inspection in Minnesota

If you're simply bringing a vehicle with a clean out-of-state title into Minnesota, the Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) division doesn't send you to a separate VIN inspection appointment — you register and title the vehicle using your current title, registration, and identification documents. A physical VIN inspection becomes necessary in a narrower set of cases: when a vehicle's title carries, or is being cleared of, a salvage brand, and when a vehicle has been reconstructed or specially assembled.

When is a Minnesota VIN Inspection Required?

New Minnesota residents have 60 days to register a passenger vehicle, motorcycle, or trailer. To do so, you provide your current out-of-state title (or a Manufacturer's Certificate/Statement of Origin), proof of insurance, a valid ID, the current odometer reading, and lienholder information to a deputy registrar office or by mail to DVS — no VIN inspection is part of that routine process.

A vehicle that is marked "salvage" on its title must pass inspection before that brand can be removed. This isn't a safety inspection; its purpose is to deter fraud and theft. Vehicles that have been reconstructed or specially assembled are likewise subject to inspection, and the owner (or whoever performed the repairs) must complete a Declaration of Reconstruction/Special Assembly form.

Who Performs a Minnesota VIN Inspection, and Where

Salvage and reconstruction inspections in Minnesota are conducted by DVS, not by local police. DVS operates dedicated vehicle inspection sites in cities across the state, including Bemidji, Brooklyn Center, Duluth, Fergus Falls, Mankato, Marshall, Rochester, and St. Cloud, with periodic hours also available in Faribault. You'll need the vehicle's VIN to schedule an appointment online, or you can call DVS directly at 651-282-2173.

What to Bring to a Minnesota VIN Inspection

• The salvage title, if it hasn't already been surrendered to DVS
• A completed Declaration of Reconstruction form, filled out by whoever performed the repairs
• Receipts on original company letterhead for any major parts that were replaced
• A copy of the title for any parts vehicle used in the rebuild

What Happens After the Inspection

Once the vehicle passes inspection, take the documents above to a deputy registrar office along with a $35 salvage inspection fee and the applicable filing fee. DVS will then remove the salvage brand from the title and replace it with a "prior salvage" notation, after which the vehicle can be titled and registered normally.