I bought a salvage jeep from a friend that had it totaled through insurance.
Okay.
The vehicle has not been titled yet since it got totaled. It is not a salvage vehicle yet.
Except, it already is. When an insurance company totals a vehicle, they have declared it a total loss. They have classified that it is damaged past the point of fiscally reasonable repair, they have written off its value (and paid their insured accordingly), and they have reported these facts to the state motor vehicle department. This classification--along with the date it was reported to the DMV--will then be linked to that VIN on that date,
even before another title is issued (if one is issued at all).
Issuing a salvage title is not what makes a damaged vehicle a salvaged vehicle. An insurance company declaring the vehicle a total loss does that. Issuing a branded title is merely a
reaction to the salvage process.
I don't remember the details but if it's never been titled/registered as branded title, I believe there is a way to get it "unbranded". Once it's branded and registered as such, there's no turning back.
There are some states in the Union that can 'launder' a title. They have a process wherein you start with a salvage/rebuilt/branded title, but after you jump through the proper hoops that state will issue a new 'clean' title. But even when that happens, any title search will quickly reveal the shenanigans (which is why we title check every vehicle during the appraisal process).