# How to junk a car, step by step

> To junk a car, find your title (or your state's alternative), get offers from several licensed buyers, and compare what each includes: towing, payment method and paperwork. At pickup, sign the title exactly as your state requires, keep a bill of sale, take your plates if your state says so, and file a release of liability. Cancel insurance and registration only after that.

Reviewed 2026-10-12 by the Junk Cars Nation editorial team. Canonical: https://junkcarsnation.com/guides/how-to-junk-a-car/

Junking a car comes down to four things: prove you own it, get a fair written offer, transfer it properly, and tell the state it's no longer yours. Each step below covers one part of that, in the order you'll do it.

## Step 1: Decide that junking is the right move

"Junking" means selling a car for its parts and scrap value, usually to a junkyard, auto recycler, scrap processor or a buyer that resells to them. It makes the most sense when one of these is true:

- Repairs would cost more than the car is worth to you (see [junk or repair your car](/guides/junk-or-repair-car/)).
- The car doesn't run and you have no plan to fix it (see [selling a car that doesn't run](/guides/sell-car-that-doesnt-run/)).
- It has a major failure such as a [blown engine](/guides/sell-car-with-blown-engine/) or a [bad transmission](/guides/sell-car-with-bad-transmission/).
- It's been totaled, flooded or burned (see [selling a totaled car](/guides/sell-totaled-car/)).

If the car still runs well, a private sale or trade-in may pay more. If you want a tax deduction more than cash, compare [junking against donating](/guides/junk-vs-donate-car/). And if you're handy and patient, [selling it for parts](/guides/sell-car-for-parts-or-whole/) can beat selling it whole, at the cost of a lot more time.

## Step 2: Gather your documents

Licensed buyers have to prove where each car came from, so paperwork decides how quickly you can sell. Gather these before you ask for offers.

### The certificate of title

The title is the main proof of ownership. Check three things on it:

1. **Your name is on it as owner.** If the car is still titled to someone else, such as a relative who passed away, see [selling an inherited car](/guides/sell-inherited-car/).
2. **No lien is listed, or you have the lien release.** New York tells owners who have paid off a loan to keep the lien release, because they must give it to the buyer along with the title.[^1] If a loan is still open, see [selling a car with a lien](/guides/sell-car-with-lien/).
3. **It isn't damaged or altered.** Some states reject titles with cross-outs. New York won't accept a title with "cross-outs, alterations, or erasures of any kind".[^1] Don't write on it until the sale.

Lost the title? You can usually order a duplicate from your state (see [how to get a duplicate title](/guides/how-to-get-a-duplicate-title/)). Some states also have a no-title route for old, low-value cars sold for scrap:

- **New York:** an owner without a valid title may use Form MV-35 to transfer a car to a registered dismantler, itinerant vehicle collector or certified scrap processor. The car must be worth $1,250 or less and at least eight model years old, and it can never be titled again.[^2]
- **Florida:** a "derelict motor vehicle" (valued under $1,000 and at least 10 model years old) can go to a licensed salvage motor vehicle dealer or registered secondary metals recycler using a derelict motor vehicle certificate application, completed with a copy of the seller's ID at the time of sale.[^3]

The rules differ a lot by state. Our guide to [selling a car without a title](/guides/sell-car-without-title/) and the [state junk car laws](/junk-car-laws/) cover the rest.

### Photo ID

Bring a valid driver's license or state ID. Buyers often copy it for their records. In Florida's no-title process the ID copy is required by law,[^3] and New York's MV-35 needs copies of the IDs of both the owner and whoever delivers the car.[^2]

### Registration and keys

The current registration helps confirm the VIN and your name. Keys aren't always required, but tell buyers if you don't have them (see [selling a car without keys](/guides/sell-car-without-keys/)).

## Step 3: Get several offers

Junk car prices aren't fixed. Each buyer prices the car on its weight, its parts, the current scrap market and the cost of getting it to their yard. That's why offers for the same car can differ (our [junk car value guide](/guides/junk-car-value/) explains how).

To get comparable quotes, give every buyer the same facts:

- Year, make, model and the VIN (our [VIN decoder](/vin-decoder/) confirms the details)
- Whether it starts and drives
- Missing parts: catalytic converter, wheels, battery, engine or transmission
- Major damage: flood, fire, collision
- Title status: clean, salvage, lost or with a lien
- Where the car is, and whether a tow truck can reach it

Be honest. A buyer who finds a missing catalytic converter or an undisclosed lien at pickup will usually lower the offer or walk away. You can [get an offer for your car](/cash-for-junk-cars/) here, and the [junkyard directory](/junkyards/) lists yards in your area to call directly.

## Step 4: Compare offers on more than the price

The highest number isn't always the best deal. Before you accept, ask every buyer the same questions and get the answers in writing (a text or email works).

| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Is towing included, or deducted from the price? | Many buyers include towing, but not all. A "free tow" offer can be lower than a higher offer with a tow fee. |
| Is the offer guaranteed if the car matches my description? | Some quotes are estimates that change at pickup. |
| How and when do I get paid? | Cash, check or electronic payment, and whether you're paid before the car leaves. |
| Which documents do you need from me? | Confirms they can legally take the car in your situation. |
| Do you handle the state paperwork? | Some buyers file salvage or junk reports. You still file your own release of liability. |
| Are you licensed in this state? | Licensed dismantlers and scrap processors are the ones allowed to use no-title forms like New York's MV-35.[^2] |

Watch out for offers that drop sharply once the truck arrives, requests to leave the buyer's name blank on the title, and pressure to sign before you've been paid. Our guide to [junk car scams](/guides/junk-car-scams/) covers these in detail, and [junk car towing](/guides/junk-car-towing/) explains what to expect from pickup.

## Step 5: Prepare the car

Do this before pickup day:

1. **Remove personal belongings.** Check the glovebox, console, trunk, under the seats and the spare-tire well.
2. **Remove toll tags and parking permits** so you aren't billed for someone else's trips.
3. **Wipe your data** from the infotainment system and unpair your phone.
4. **Leave the parts you were quoted for.** If the offer assumed a catalytic converter, battery or wheels, removing them can lower the price. See [catalytic converters and junk cars](/guides/catalytic-converter-and-junk-cars/).
5. **Make it reachable.** Tell the buyer about flat tires, tight driveways or a car without wheels.

Our [checklist for preparing a car for the junkyard](/guides/prepare-car-for-junkyard/) goes further.

## Step 6: Hand over the car and the paperwork

This is where most problems start, so take your time.

### Sign the title correctly

Fill in the seller's section only at the moment of sale, with the buyer's details written in. New York warns that once you sign the seller's line, "the vehicle will immediately belong to the new owner."[^1] Common requirements:

- **Signature and printed name** exactly as they appear on the front of the title.
- **Buyer's name and address.** Never hand over a title "open", with the buyer left blank.
- **Date of sale and price.** Texas expects a properly signed title showing the date of sale and the odometer reading.[^4]
- **Odometer reading.** Under federal rules, vehicles from model year 2010 or earlier are exempt once they're 10 years old. Vehicles from model year 2011 on need a mileage disclosure until 20 years after January 1 of their model year.[^5] Many states still have a mileage field, so fill it in.
- **Damage disclosure, where required.** New York requires its damage disclosure statement for every vehicle, whatever its age.[^1]
- **Notarization, in some states.** Pennsylvania requires the seller's signature on the title to be notarized or verified.[^6]

Step-by-step help is in [how to sign over a car title](/guides/how-to-sign-over-a-car-title/).

### Get a bill of sale

Even when your state doesn't require one, a bill of sale is your proof of when the car left your hands and for how much. List the date, price, VIN, year and make, and both names and signatures. A template is in our [bill of sale for a junk car](/guides/bill-of-sale-for-junk-car/) guide.

### Take care of the plates

Plate rules vary:

- **New York:** remove the plates and registration sticker before the sale, then transfer them to another car or turn them in.[^1]
- **Pennsylvania:** remove the plate after the title transfers, then return it to PennDOT unless you're transferring it to another vehicle.[^6]
- **Texas:** the seller may remove the plates and sticker, and must deface the plates if they won't be transferred or kept.[^4]

Check your state on our [junk car laws by state](/junk-car-laws/) pages.

### Get paid before the car leaves

Count cash or confirm the payment before you sign and hand over the keys. Take photos of the signed title, the bill of sale and the car on the truck, and keep them.

## Step 7: After the sale

### File a release of liability (or notice of sale)

This tells the state you no longer own the car, so tickets, tolls or crimes involving it aren't traced back to you. Deadlines are short and vary:

- **California:** notify the DMV within 5 calendar days of the sale. After the DMV gets the notice, responsibility for parking and traffic violations and civil litigation after the sale date moves to the buyer.[^7]
- **Texas:** file a Vehicle Transfer Notification. If you file it within 30 days of the sale, you can't be held responsible for parking tickets and toll violations the buyer commits.[^4]
- **New York:** the DMV tells sellers to take the plates and registration sticker off before the sale, then transfer or surrender the plates.[^1][^8]

See [release of liability](/guides/release-of-liability/) for how it works elsewhere.

### Surrender or transfer plates and registration

If your state required you to keep the plates, transfer them to another car or return them. In New York you get a receipt (FS-6T) when you surrender plates, and you may get a refund.[^8]

### Cancel insurance, in the right order

Cancel insurance only after the car is gone and the plates are handled. New York says to surrender your plates and registration *before* canceling liability insurance. If you don't, the DMV will suspend your registration and can suspend your driver's license.[^8] Our guide to [canceling insurance and registration after selling](/guides/cancel-insurance-and-registration-after-selling/) covers the order for other states.

### Keep your records

Keep copies of the signed title, bill of sale, release-of-liability confirmation, plate receipt and payment record for at least a few years. If you're unsure whether you owe tax on the sale, see [taxes on selling a junk car](/guides/taxes-on-selling-a-junk-car/).

## What happens to the car next

Once the car is sold for scrap, it's usually finished as a road vehicle. In New York, a car sold on an MV-35 "may never be titled again" and must be dismantled or scrapped.[^2] Depending on the state, the car may get a junk or nonrepairable brand or a [certificate of destruction](/guides/certificate-of-destruction/), and it may show up in the national title database (see [NMVTIS junk and salvage reporting](/guides/nmvtis-junk-and-salvage-reporting/)). The full process is in [how car recycling works](/guides/how-car-recycling-works/).

[^1]: New York State DMV, "Information and instructions about your certificate of title", https://dmv.ny.gov/brochure/information-and-instructions-about-your-certificate-of-title
[^2]: New York State DMV, Form MV-35, "Statement of vehicle owner who does not have a valid title" (6/22), https://dmv.ny.gov/forms/mv35.pdf
[^3]: Florida Statutes § 319.30, "Definitions; dismantler; salvage motor vehicle dealer; …", http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0300-0399/0319/Sections/0319.30.html
[^4]: Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, "Buying or selling a vehicle", https://www.txdmv.gov/motorists/buying-or-selling-a-vehicle
[^5]: 49 CFR § 580.17, "Exemptions" (odometer disclosure), via Cornell Legal Information Institute, https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/580.17
[^6]: Pennsylvania DMV (PennDOT), "Buying or selling a vehicle", https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dmv/vehicle-services/title-and-registration/buying-or-selling-a-vehicle
[^7]: California DMV, "Notice of transfer and release of liability (NRL)", https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/vehicle-registration/titles/title-transfers-and-changes/notice-of-transfer-and-release-of-liability-nrl/
[^8]: New York State DMV, "Surrender (return or turn-in) your vehicle plates and registration", https://dmv.ny.gov/registration/surrender-return-or-turn-in-your-vehicle-plates-and-registration

## Questions people ask

**Can I junk a car without a title?**

Sometimes. Some states let you sell an old, low-value car only to a licensed dismantler or scrap processor using a special form. New York's MV-35 is one example, and Florida's derelict vehicle certificate is another. In many other states you need a duplicate title first.

**Do I need to be there when the tow truck comes?**

Usually yes, because someone has to sign the title and hand over the keys. Ask the buyer before you book. Some will collect a pre-signed title, but that leaves you less control over how the title is filled in.

**Should I take the license plates off before the car is towed?**

In many states, yes. New York and Pennsylvania both tell sellers to remove the plates and transfer or return them, while Texas lets the seller choose. Rules differ, so check your state's page.

**When should I cancel my car insurance?**

After the car has changed hands and you have handled the plates the way your state requires. New York, for example, says to surrender your plates before you cancel liability insurance, or your registration can be suspended.

**How do junk car buyers pay?**

It varies by buyer: cash, check, or electronic payment at pickup. Ask before you agree, and get the amount in writing so it can't change when the truck arrives.