Selling a car in Los Angeles
Freeway miles add up fast in LA, and we buy high-mileage commuters and cars that failed smog.
Sellers in Van Nuys, Boyle Heights, Echo Park and every other part of Los Angeles get the same free pickup. Pickup is usually within 24 to 48 hours after you accept an offer.
Lots of miles, still worth money
Traffic-heavy commutes and long freeway runs mean many cars here pass 150,000 or even 200,000 miles. Private buyers get nervous at those numbers, but a high-mileage car still has value in its parts and its resale at auction.
Areas we cover around Los Angeles
Outside the city limits, we cover Long Beach, Glendale, Pasadena, Torrance, Burbank and Inglewood. The tow is just as free in the suburbs as it is downtown.
- Long Beach
- Glendale
- Pasadena
- Torrance
- Burbank
- Inglewood
Local rules in Los Angeles
Title transfers and duplicate titles for Los Angeles residents are handled by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Title transfer fees and replacement title applications can be submitted at a DMV office or by mail.
Paperwork for California sellers
- License plates: Stay with the car
- Report the sale: Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (NRL), form REG 138, within 5 days, online
- Duplicate title: REG 227 (Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title); $28
- Junk without a title: Title required (REG 227, Application for Duplicate Title (if the title is lost))
The full list of California rules is on our California page. For duplicate titles and release of liability forms, contact the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
No obligation.
How it works in Los Angeles
Start with the year, make and model or your VIN. Once you have a number you like, choose a pickup slot, and a local driver collects the car from your home, work or a shop in Los Angeles. Payment changes hands before the car is loaded. The full process covers what to have ready.
Get your offer
Tell us the year, make, model and condition, or start with your VIN. Your cash offer is good for 7 days.
Pick a pickup time
Choose when and where. Towing is free anywhere in Los Angeles, and pickup is usually within 24 to 48 hours.
Get paid on the spot
The driver checks the car and pays you. Then you sign the title, hand over the keys and the car is loaded.
Questions from Los Angeles sellers
Do you buy cars in Van Nuys and San Pedro?
Yes. We buy cars in Van Nuys, San Pedro and every other neighborhood in Los Angeles, plus nearby areas like Long Beach and Glendale. Pickup is free wherever the car is parked.
How fast can you pick up my car in Los Angeles?
Pickup is usually within 24 to 48 hours of accepting your offer, at a time you choose. The timing is the same in Long Beach and Glendale.
Do you buy junk cars in Los Angeles?
We do, and they don't need to run. A junk car in Los Angeles is priced on its weight, its working parts and the model, and the tow truck brings a winch if the wheels won't roll.
What paperwork do I need to sell a car in Los Angeles, CA?
The title and a photo ID that matches it. In California, the license plates stay with the car when you sell it. Personalized, special recognition, and special interest plates can be reassigned to another vehicle for a fee. File the Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (NRL), form REG 138, with the state within 5 days of the sale, and you can file it online. It records that the car is no longer yours. For a duplicate title, Los Angeles residents can go to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
Can I sell a junk car without a title in Los Angeles?
No. To get junk status a dismantler must submit the California title or, if lost, an Application for Duplicate Title (REG 227), with the Report of Vehicle To Be Dismantled (REG 42). To replace a lost California title, apply to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) with REG 227 (Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title). The fee is $28.
Do you charge for towing in Los Angeles?
No. Towing is free in Los Angeles and everywhere else we buy. The offer you accept is the amount you're paid.
Sources
- California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV): vehicle titles
- California DMV: License Plates
- California DMV: Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability
- California DMV: Title Transfers and Changes
- California DMV: Registering a vehicle purchased from a private party
- California DMV: Registration Fees (replacement title)
- California DMV, Dismantler's Handbook of Registration Procedures, 6.010 California-Titled Vehicles
Checked against these sources on November 6, 2026.
Last updated November 6, 2026.