LawWiki
HomeCodesSearchGlossaryAPIAbout
LawWiki

Plain English summaries of California law with zero-hallucination AI. Every summary is verified against official source text.

Product

  • Search
  • Codes
  • About

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Disclaimer

© 2026 LawWiki. All rights reserved.

HomeVehicle CodeDiv. 5Ch. 3§ 11540 Salvage Pool Vehicle Records

§ 11540 Salvage Pool Vehicle Records

Vehicle Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 11540 Salvage Pool Vehicle Records

This law says salvage pools must keep records of every car they get and sell, and must remove and turn in license plates from certain cars before selling them.

Key Takeaways

  • •Salvage pools must keep records of all cars they buy and sell.
  • •They must remove and turn in license plates from certain cars before selling them.
  • •They have to keep records of the license plates for two years.
  • •These records can be checked by police during business hours.

Example

A salvage pool buys a car that was in a bad crash and is considered a total loss.

Before selling the car, they must remove the license plates and send them to the DMV. They also have to keep records of the car and the plates for two years.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 11540 Salvage Pool Vehicle Records

(a) A salvage pool shall maintain an accurate record of every vehicle it acquires and every vehicle it disposes of, and shall notify the department of the disposition of any vehicle pursuant to Section 5900. (b) Whenever a salvage pool acquires a total loss salvage vehicle, a nonrepairable vehicle, or a recovered stolen vehicle and the license plates on the vehicle have not been removed pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 11515, subdivision (a) of Section 11515.2, subdivision (e) of Section 11515.3, or any other provision of law, the salvage pool shall, prior to disposing of that vehicle, remove and submit the license plates to the department. The salvage pool shall maintain an accurate record of every license plate it acquires and disposes of, which records shall be maintained for two years and be open for inspection by any peace officer during the regular business hours of that salvage pool. (Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 364, Sec. 2. (AB 1901) Effective January 1, 2025.)

Last verified: January 9, 2026

Key Terms

salvage pooltotal loss salvage vehiclenonrepairable vehiclerecovered stolen vehiclelicense platesdepartmentSection 5900

Related Statutes

  • § 10750 Vehicle Identification Protection
  • § 11504 License Application Requirements
  • § 11519 Salvage Vehicle Registration Requirements
  • § 11541 Salvage Pool Administration
  • § 4458 Lost Or Stolen Plates

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Vehicle Code. Section 11540.
View Official Source