Total loss thresholds by state

Every state decides a total loss one of two ways. In 24 states (counting DC), a car is generally totaled when repairs reach a set percentage of its actual cash value. In the rest, insurers generally use the Total Loss Formula: repair cost plus salvage value against the car's value. Pick a state for the details and a worked example.

StateWhen a car is generally totaled
Alabama75% of the car's value
AlaskaTotal Loss Formula (repairs + salvage ≥ value)
ArizonaTotal Loss Formula (repairs + salvage ≥ value)
Arkansas70% of the car's value
CaliforniaTotal Loss Formula (repairs + salvage ≥ value)
ColoradoTotal Loss Formula (repairs + salvage ≥ value)
ConnecticutTotal Loss Formula (repairs + salvage ≥ value)
DelawareTotal Loss Formula (repairs + salvage ≥ value)
District of Columbia75% of the car's value
FloridaTotal Loss Formula (repairs + salvage ≥ value)
GeorgiaTotal Loss Formula (repairs + salvage ≥ value)
HawaiiTotal Loss Formula (repairs + salvage ≥ value)
IdahoTotal Loss Formula (repairs + salvage ≥ value)
IllinoisTotal Loss Formula (repairs + salvage ≥ value)
IndianaTotal Loss Formula (repairs + salvage ≥ value)
Iowa70% of the car's value
Kansas75% of the car's value
Kentucky75% of the car's value
Louisiana75% of the car's value
MaineTotal Loss Formula (repairs + salvage ≥ value)
Maryland75% of the car's value
MassachusettsTotal Loss Formula (repairs + salvage ≥ value)
Michigan75% of the car's value
MinnesotaTotal Loss Formula (repairs + salvage ≥ value)
MississippiTotal Loss Formula (repairs + salvage ≥ value)
Missouri80% of the car's value
MontanaTotal Loss Formula (repairs + salvage ≥ value)
Nebraska75% of the car's value
Nevada65% of the car's value
New Hampshire75% of the car's value
New JerseyTotal Loss Formula (repairs + salvage ≥ value)
New MexicoTotal Loss Formula (repairs + salvage ≥ value)
New York75% of the car's value
North Carolina75% of the car's value
North Dakota75% of the car's value
OhioTotal Loss Formula (repairs + salvage ≥ value)
Oklahoma70% of the car's value
OregonTotal Loss Formula (repairs + salvage ≥ value)
PennsylvaniaTotal Loss Formula (repairs + salvage ≥ value)
Rhode Island85% of the car's value
South Carolina75% of the car's value
South DakotaTotal Loss Formula (repairs + salvage ≥ value)
Tennessee75% of the car's value
TexasTotal Loss Formula (repairs + salvage ≥ value)
UtahTotal Loss Formula (repairs + salvage ≥ value)
VermontTotal Loss Formula (repairs + salvage ≥ value)
Virginia75% of the car's value
WashingtonTotal Loss Formula (repairs + salvage ≥ value)
West Virginia75% of the car's value
Wisconsin70% of the car's value
Wyoming75% of the car's value

General information, not legal advice. Some percentage lines only apply to newer vehicles; see each state's page.