How to sell a junk car: five steps from quote to pickup

Selling a junk car comes down to two things: the paperwork, and knowing exactly what you’ve been promised on the phone. The car’s condition matters far less. Below are the five steps as they actually run with Junk My Car Inc, the junk car buyer for Chicago’s west, southwest and south suburbs, plus the questions worth asking any buyer before you agree to anything.

Step 1: Find the papers

Before you ask anyone for a price, find out what you hold. Look for:

• The title. Check whose name is on it and whether a lender is still listed.
• The registration card, current or expired.
• A bill of sale, if you bought the car that way.
• An insurance card for the car.

You don’t need all of them. You do need to know which ones you have, because the papers decide whether the sale can go ahead. If the title is missing, read our guide on selling a car without its title before you call anyone. Illinois rules decide which papers work for a scrap sale; Indiana requires a title or a BMV certificate of authority.

Step 2: Describe the car honestly

A buyer can only quote what they’re told about. Give the year, make and model, say whether you have the title, and describe the condition plainly. Does it start? Is it wrecked, burned, flooded or missing parts? Are the keys there? Where exactly is it sitting, and can a truck reach it?

Being straight here protects you. An offer built on a rosy description can change when the driver sees the car. One built on the real condition shouldn’t.

Step 3: Get the offer, and ask these questions

With us, you fill in a two-part form (car first, then your contact details) and we call back within 15 minutes with an offer. Whoever you sell to, these are the questions that tell you what you’re agreeing to:

Ask	A clear answer sounds like
Is the tow free?	“Yes, nothing comes off the offer for towing.”
Does the offer expire?	A plain yes or no. Ours doesn’t.
How and when am I paid?	A method and a moment, such as “cash or Zelle when the car is loaded”.
What do I sign?	The specific papers your state calls for.
Can you take more than one car?	Yes or no, before the truck is booked.
Can you collect from where it is?	A yes for garages, driveways, apartment lots or a repair shop, with any conditions spelled out.

If an answer is vague, ask again. That’s the whole test.

Step 4: Get the car ready

Preparing a junk car takes less than people think. You don’t need to clean it, fix it or strip it.

• Empty it. Glove box, console, door pockets, under the seats, the trunk and the spare-tire well. Garage remotes and toll transponders are easy to miss.
• Wipe your data. Delete paired phones and saved addresses, erase built-in garage door buttons, and take the car off the maker’s app. Our data-clearing checklist has the steps in order.
• Leave the parts on. The battery, wheels and catalytic converter are part of what the car is worth to the buyer. Pulling them can change the offer.
• Deal with the plates. In Illinois and Indiana the plates go with you, not with the car, so plan to take them off. The state’s motor vehicle office explains what to do with them next.
• Clear the path. Move other cars, open the garage, and if it’s a shared lot, tell the building manager a tow truck is coming.

Step 5: Pickup and payment

The driver checks that the car matches the description and the papers match the seller, you sign what the state requires, and the car goes on the truck. You’re paid at pickup: cash, Zelle, Cash App or another app payment. Same-day pickup is often possible, and if you have more than one car, one visit can take them all.

That’s the sale. If you’d like to see how the rules on dead cars play out in one town, our Plainfield page is a good example of a village that puts a seven-day clock on them.

Four things people believe about junk cars

“It has to run.” It doesn’t. We buy cars that are wrecked, burned, flooded, stripped or simply dead.

“No keys means no sale.” Keys help, but a car can be sold and loaded without them.

“I’ll have to get it to the yard myself.” Not when the buyer tows. Ours is free.

“It’s worth more in pieces.” Possibly, if you have the time, tools and space to part it out and sell each piece. Most people don’t, and our guide to what happens to a junk car’s parts shows where those pieces end up anyway.

Still weighing whether to sell, scrap or keep it? Read your options for getting rid of a junk car, or browse all our selling advice.