Frequently asked questions

For a clean car that runs well, a private sale usually pays the most because you sell at retail, but it takes weeks and carries scam risk. For damaged, high-mileage or non-running cars, an instant cash buyer that values parts often beats both dealers and junkyards. Compare at least two offers.

It depends on the car. Private buyers pay the most for desirable, running cars. Dealers pay wholesale and fold it into a trade. For cars with problems, buyers that pay for parts and include free towing, like Car Emptor, usually pay more than scrap yards that price by weight alone.

There's no legal $3,000 rule for cars. People use the phrase for rules of thumb, such as not putting more than about $3,000 into repairs on an older car, or selling once repairs would cost more than the car is worth. When you're deciding, compare the repair estimate with what the car would sell for afterward.

An online cash buyer is the fastest route. You describe the car online, get an offer, and schedule a free pickup, usually within 24 to 48 hours. You're paid when the car is collected, so there's no waiting on a check to clear from a stranger.

A private sale of a clean, popular car usually nets the most money, as long as you price it from real local listings and accept only verified payment. If the car needs major repairs, selling it as is to a cash buyer is usually more profitable than fixing it first.

Don't sign the title before you're paid, don't accept a check for more than the price, don't let a buyer test-drive alone without seeing their license, and don't cancel insurance until the car is gone. After the sale, file your state's release of liability.

Most cash for cars companies are legitimate businesses that resell cars at auction or sell their parts and metal. Look for a written offer, free towing or a fee stated up front, payment before the car leaves, and a bill of sale. A big price drop at pickup is the main warning sign.

We look at the year, make, model and trim, the mileage, whether the car runs, any damage, and the title status. Running cars are priced on resale value. Cars that don't run are priced on their parts and metal. Accurate answers get you an offer that holds at pickup.

Seven days. If you need longer, call us and we'll refresh it based on the current market.

Only if the car's condition is different from what you described. If it matches, the price you accepted is the price you're paid.

No. There are no towing, title or processing fees. The offer is what you get.

Our first offer is our best estimate for the details you gave us. If something we didn't know adds value, like new tires or a recent engine, tell us and we'll take another look.

Cars, trucks, SUVs and vans from any year, running or not. That includes damaged, wrecked, flooded, totaled, high-mileage and junk vehicles.

Yes. We price them on their parts, metal and model, and towing is free, so it doesn't matter whether the car starts.

Yes. Car Emptor buys cars with salvage, rebuilt, flood and junk brands on the title. Choose the title status in the offer form so the price reflects it from the start. A branded title lowers resale value, so the offer is usually lower than for a clean-title car of the same model, but the car still sells.

Yes. We pay your lender directly and you get any amount above the payoff at pickup. See our page on selling a car with a loan.

Usually, after a quick fix. Most states require a title to sell or junk a car, but a missing title rarely ends the sale. Order a duplicate from your state's motor vehicle agency, have your lender release the title after payoff, or, in states that don't title older vehicles, use the registration and a bill of sale. Your state page lists the local rule.

Yes. Car Emptor buys cars with lost or broken keys, and the tow truck can load a car that won't start or unlock. Missing keys lower the offer a little, because the next owner has to replace them, but they don't stop the sale. Say so in the offer form so the price reflects it.

Yes, if you have legal authority to sign for the estate. That usually means the executor's letters testamentary, or a small-estate affidavit where your state allows one, plus the death certificate and the title. Call us before pickup and we'll tell you what your state's motor vehicle agency accepts.

Not until it's legally yours. A car you don't hold the title to can't be sold, even on your land. Most states have an abandoned-vehicle process that runs through the police or the motor vehicle agency, and it can end with a title in your name or the car being towed away.

Pickup is usually within 24 to 48 hours of accepting the offer. You choose the time and the place, such as your driveway, workplace or a repair shop, and the tow is free. If you need a specific day, pick it when you schedule and the driver will confirm it.

Anywhere in the United States: your home, work, a repair shop, a storage lot or the street, as long as the tow truck can reach the car.

At pickup, by cash or check depending on the amount and your area. The car stays with you until you're paid.

Usually, yes. Someone needs to meet the driver to accept payment and then sign the title over. If you can't be there, call us before pickup. A family member with the signed paperwork can often stand in, and we'll tell you what your state accepts.

The title, a photo ID that matches the name on it, and the keys if you have them. You sign the title over in front of the driver once you're paid. If there's a loan, the payoff is arranged with your lender before pickup day.

Usually, yes, the seller takes them off. In 41 of the 44 states and DC we've checked against official sources, the plates come off the car: you keep them in 30 and turn them in or transfer them in 11. They stay on the car in Alaska, California and Minnesota, and in Texas it's your choice. Your state page lists the rule.

After the car has been picked up and you've been paid. You're responsible for the car until it leaves, so keep coverage in place until then. If your state has you turn in the plates, such as North Carolina, return them first and cancel the policy after.

A form you file with your DMV that records when you sold the car. It protects you from tickets, tolls and accidents after the sale. Most states let you file it online.

Usually not. A car you drove for personal use is a capital asset, so tax only applies if you sell it for more than you paid, and that profit is a capital gain. Most cars sell for less than they cost, and the IRS doesn't let you deduct that loss (IRS Topic 409). Business vehicles follow different rules.

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