State guide
West Virginia
West Virginia publishes a dedicated VIN verification form, DMV-1B, that must be completed by law enforcement. For rebuilt salvage vehicles, the state also requires a West Virginia safety inspection and a separate examination by a WV DMV reconstructed vehicle inspector before a reconstructed title is issued.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
Try a ZIP like 30303, “Travis County” or “Columbus, OH”
- When a VIN verification is required
- Official WV pages found require VIN-related inspection steps for reconstructed/salvage title work; DMV-1B is also used in special title cases such as abandoned or repossessed title filings, but I did not find an official WV page stating routine out-of-state title transfers always require DMV-1B.
- Who can do it
- DMV-1B must be completed by a law enforcement officer; rebuilt vehicles also need a West Virginia inspector for DMV-202-TR and a WV DMV reconstructed vehicle inspector for the reconstructed examination.
- Official form
- DMV-1B Verification of Vehicle Identification No.; rebuilt salvage process also uses DMV-202-TR Certificate of Inspection and DMV-SV-3 Reconstructed Vehicle Examination.
- Fee
- $35.00 inspection fee for the reconstructed title process; DMV-1B Section B shows $5.00 only if a replacement VIN/serial/hull plate is required.
Key facts for West Virginia
- DMV-1B says it must be completed by any law enforcement officer.
- DMV-1B Section B shows a $5.00 fee only when a replacement VIN/serial/hull plate is required.
- Reconstructed vehicles must first pass the state safety inspection before WV DMV will examine them.
- The reconstructed-title brochure says the owner submits DMV-SV-3, DMV-202-TR, and a $35.00 inspection fee.
- The WV reconstructed inspection brochure publishes recurring inspection dates at Beckley, Charleston, Clarksburg, Elkins, Huntington, Lewisburg, Martinsburg, Morgantown, Moundsville, Parkersburg, Princeton, Summersville, Weirton, and Williamson.
- WV State Police says official inspection stations must be open for inspections at least eight hours of each normal business day.
What to do next
- If you are rebuilding a salvage vehicle, keep before-photos, parts receipts, and any donor-vehicle VIN information from the start.
- Get the state safety inspection done before scheduling the WV DMV reconstructed vehicle examination.
- Call ahead before traveling to a reconstructed vehicle inspection site, because the DMV brochure says schedules are typical inspection times.
Looking for your city or county in West Virginia?
No location-level official pages for West Virginia yet. Try these, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above.
- Closest verified Nearest places where we have verified local data (distance from West Virginia's population center, for comparison only):
- Courtney Service Center Inc, Pennsylvania · about 117 miles
- D-Maxx Automotive Llc, Pennsylvania · about 117 miles
- Gordon'S Auto Svc Inc, Pennsylvania · about 133 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.Your city or county office: County Commissioners' Association of West Virginia →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the West Virginia page on USA.gov can point you to the right office.
- Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.