We’re happy to hear you got your dream car! But you’ll definitely want to get it fixed up regardless of how driveable it looks. You’ll need to restore it in order to drive it legally or get it insured.

It’s illegal in most states to drive a car with a salvage title until the vehicle has a rebuilt title. You can’t get car insurance without a rebuilt title, either from Liberty Mutual or any other reputable insurance provider.

You’ll need to research the process in your home state, but the basic concept of a salvage-to-rebuilt title is fairly straightforward: you need to restore the car back to a safe condition and have it inspected by state officials (usually State Police or Highway Patrol). If it passes this inspection, you’ll get a “rebuilt” certification.

Liberty Mutual will offer minimal liability coverage on a vehicle with a rebuilt title. Full coverage may also be available in some (but not all) cases, provided you can get a statement in writing from a certified mechanic that verifies the car’s roadworthiness.

You may want to read our guide explaining how to insure a car with a salvage title before proceeding. Good luck!

MORE: Insuring a car with a rebuilt title, explained