Call Us: 1-855-928-2611Selling a junk car is straightforward, but a handful of things are much easier to sort out before the tow truck arrives than after it has gone. Here are the six worth doing.
1. Empty the car properly
Not a quick glance — an actual search. Glovebox, center console, door pockets, under and between the seats, sun visors, the trunk, and the spare wheel well. Garage remotes, toll transponders, phone chargers, sunglasses and paperwork all turn up at this stage.
Once the car is collected it goes into a processing chain quickly, and anything left inside is effectively gone. Check the trunk twice; it is where people keep the things they forget they own.
2. Find the title, or find out what to do without one
In most states the title is what transfers ownership, and having it in your name makes the sale simple. Check that the name on it matches your ID, because a title still in a previous owner’s name will hold things up.
If it has been lost, your state DMV can usually issue a duplicate for a modest fee. If getting a duplicate is not practical, say so up front — plenty of junk cars are bought without a title, but the rules vary by state and the buyer needs to know before they dispatch a truck. We list DMV offices by county on each of our state pages.
3. Get more than one quote
Prices vary between buyers, and the only cost of checking is a few minutes. When you compare, make sure you are comparing the same thing:
- Is towing included, or deducted from the price?
- Is the quote firm, or “up to” a figure?
- When exactly do you get paid — at pickup, or later?
- How are you paid: cash, check, or transfer?
A slightly lower number that is firm, includes towing and pays at pickup is usually better than a higher one with conditions attached.
4. Describe the car honestly
Tell the buyer what is actually wrong with it. Does it run? Does it roll and steer, so it can be winched onto a truck? Are the wheels still on it? Is the catalytic converter still fitted? Has it been in a flood?
This is not about being generous — it is about the quote holding. Offers are made on the description you give. If the driver arrives to find a car with no engine and no converter when the quote assumed both, the price changes on your driveway, and that is an unpleasant conversation nobody needs.
5. Take the plates off
In most states the plates stay with you rather than the vehicle. Remove them before the car is loaded, then transfer, surrender or destroy them according to your state’s rules.
Plates left on a scrapped car are a reliable way to receive citations for a vehicle you no longer own.
6. Handle the paperwork on the day
Three things, in this order:
- Get a signed receipt showing the date, the buyer’s details, the VIN and the price
- File your state’s release of liability — often available online and usually your responsibility rather than the buyer’s
- Cancel the insurance, but only once the car has physically left
Cancelling insurance early can leave a registered but uninsured vehicle in your name, which some states treat as a violation on its own.
Then it is just a pickup time
With those six done, the sale itself is short: the driver checks the car matches the description, hands you the agreed amount, loads it and goes.
Get a quote on your junk car in any condition — free towing anywhere in the US, and you are paid when the car is collected.
