Junk a Car in New Jersey: Title, No-Title & Plate Rules

How do I sign over a car title in New Jersey?

Sign the seller's section on the back of the title and give it to the buyer. Also give the buyer a bill of sale showing the buyer's name and address, the date of sale, the odometer reading and the sale price. You must give an accurate odometer reading at the time of sale; if the odometer is wrong, estimate the actual mileage. If someone signs for you, they need a notarized Power of Attorney. The buyer must transfer a New Jersey title within 10 working days of the sale to avoid a $25 penalty.

Can I sell or junk a car without a title in New Jersey?

To transfer ownership, the buyer needs a properly assigned title with the seller's and buyer's names, addresses and signatures and the date of sale. If your title is lost, get a duplicate (Form OS/SS-UTA) before you sell. MVC issues junk titles only through its abandoned-vehicle procedures for public agencies and repair facilities, not to private owners.

How do I get a duplicate title in New Jersey?

Use Form OS/SS-UTA (Universal Title Application). The fee is $60. Apply in person at a Vehicle Center by appointment, bringing a current or expired registration, proof of insurance or a certified registration record. Or, with no proof of ownership, mail the packet (OS/SS-130 plus OS/SS-UTA) with a $60 check or money order payable to NJMVC to the Special Titles Section in Trenton. Mail requests can take 8 to 12 weeks.

Do I need to file a release of liability in New Jersey?

MVC has no separate notice-of-sale form. Protect yourself by removing and surrendering the plates and keeping the surrender receipt MVC mails to you, in case any charges are later linked to those plates.

What do I do with the plates after selling a car in New Jersey?

Plates can move to another vehicle, but not to another owner. You can transfer them at an MVC agency to another vehicle registered in your name in the same class. If you don't transfer them, you must surrender them at any MVC agency (or its outside plate drop box) or by mail with a self-addressed stamped envelope for the receipt. Inspection stations don't accept plates. Keep the receipt.

What happens to the title when a car is junked or salvaged in New Jersey?

All salvage vehicles must be titled in New Jersey, whether or not they are restored. When a vehicle is stolen or damaged so badly that repair is economically impractical, the owner, insurer or title holder must surrender the title to MVC within 10 working days of the theft or damage report, or of settling a total-loss claim (N.J.A.C. 13:21-22.4). MVC's salvage page lists a $60 title fee. A salvage vehicle can only be sold or disposed of by assigning and delivering its salvage title.

What can I do about an abandoned vehicle on my property in New Jersey?

Under N.J.S.A. 39:4-56.6, vehicles abandoned on private property must be put up for public sale or auction. If no sale can be completed, the property owner may apply for a title in their own name. The paperwork (forms OS/SS-138, SS-58, DO-22, OS/SS-135, 136, 139 and 140) and fees must be mailed to NJMVC Special Titles, PO Box 017, Trenton, NJ 08666-0017. A repair facility may treat a vehicle as abandoned if it was left more than 60 days without consent or after the owner was told repairs were done, and may sell it or have a junk title issued (N.J.S.A. 39:10A-9 et seq.).