Step 1: Get more than one quote
Scrap yards usually price by weight. Junk car buyers like us also price the parts, which can add a lot on newer or popular models. Get one of each and compare them after any towing fees. Our junk car value guide shows the math.
No obligation.
Step 2: Sort out the paperwork
Have the title ready. If it's lost, check your state's rule first: many states let a licensed recycler take an older or low-value car with a signed ownership statement or a state form, and the rest need a duplicate title, which can take days or weeks. If the car was inherited, you'll need the estate paperwork too. See junking without a title.
Step 3: Prepare the car
- Clean out the glovebox, trunk and under the seats.
- Take the toll tag and garage remote.
- Remove the plates if your state requires it.
- Leave the catalytic converter, battery and wheels on. Removing them usually lowers the offer by more than they're worth to you.
Step 4: Pickup and payment
The driver confirms the car matches the description and pays you. Then you sign the title over. Don't sign until the payment is in your hand.
Step 5: Close it out
Cancel insurance, cancel or transfer the registration, and file a release of liability with your DMV. Keep the bill of sale or receipt in case a ticket or toll shows up later.
Junking versus selling for parts yourself
Parting a car out can bring in more money than selling it whole, but only if you have the tools, the space, the time to list each part and somewhere to take the shell afterward. Most people who start parting out a car end up with a half-stripped shell that's worth less than the complete car was. Unless you already sell parts, junking the car whole is the better use of your time.
What a junk car buyer checks at pickup
- That the VIN on the car matches the VIN on the title and isn't reported stolen
- That the person signing the title is the owner, or has legal authority to sell
- That the catalytic converter, engine and transmission are still there if you said they were
- That the damage matches what you described
If everything matches, the price stands. That's why it pays to be specific in the form, including problems a buyer might not spot right away.
Common junk car mistakes
- Removing the catalytic converter or battery first. Buyers deduct more than those parts are worth to you.
- Letting the car sit until the title is lost or the registration lapses into fines.
- Paying a tow company to haul the car to a yard that then pays by weight.
- Forgetting to file the release of liability, which leaves you linked to the car.
Do junkyards report the cars they buy?
Yes. Federal rules require junk yards, salvage yards and auto recyclers to report every junk or salvage vehicle they obtain to the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) each month, including the VIN, the date and who they bought it from (28 CFR 25.56). That's one reason legitimate buyers ask for the title and your ID: the sale is on record.
Want a rough number before you call anyone? Our junk car value guide shows how weight and the local price per ton set a car's scrap value, with worked examples.
Frequently asked questions
Do scrap yards check for liens?
Licensed buyers do. When there's no title, states that allow a sale on a signed statement usually make the seller swear the car is lien-free, as Georgia's MV-1SP and New York's MV-35 do, and yards report every vehicle they buy to the federal NMVTIS database. If there's a loan, the lender has to be paid off and release the lien first.
Can I junk a car that isn't in my name?
Only if you have legal authority to sell it, such as being the executor of an estate. Otherwise the person on the title has to sign it over.
Should I remove parts before junking a car?
Usually not. A complete car is worth more to a buyer, and selling parts separately takes time.