How to Sell a Junk Car by State

Selling a junk car involves choosing between scrap weight value and parts value, verifying the buyer holds a licensed salvage dealer permit, and completing a title transfer. Title requirements, plate rules, and licensed buyer verification vary by state. Select yours below.

Featured States

California Texas Florida New York Ohio

Find Your State

What Every Junk Car State Page Covers

Title requirements and what to do if your title is lost
License plate removal and surrender rules in your state
How to verify your buyer holds a valid salvage dealer license
Scrap value vs parts value comparison and buyer type breakdown
Step-by-step sale process from gathering documents to signing the title
Environmental rules on fluid disposal for licensed salvage dealers

Trusted by private vehicle sellers nationwide

45% faster sale

Vehicles whose listings include a history report spend ~45% less time on site before selling, and report-viewers are 5x more likely to become a lead.

Source: Experian / AutoCheck

$4,000 avg loss

NHTSA estimates 450,000+ vehicles per year are sold with rolled-back odometers — the average victim loses about $4,000 in downstream repair costs.

Source: NHTSA

17.5M private sales/yr

About 17.5 million private-party vehicle transactions happen in the U.S. each year — roughly 47% of the used market.

Source: Cox Automotive 2024

1 in 3 buyers

Roughly 1 in 3 used-car buyers say they suspect private sellers are hiding mechanical problems — documentation closes that trust gap.

Source: JW Surety Bonds (n=3,000)

$60–$85 mobile notary

Mobile notary visit minimums run $60–$85 — higher on weekends, plus per-mile travel fees. State-formatted documents skip the trip.

Source: Thumbtack / NNA