How To Sell A Car With An Expired Registration

Having to junk your car can be a hassle. Having to junk your car with its expired registration can be an even bigger hassle, IF you don’t know what you’re getting into ahead of time.

To answer your biggest question: Yes, you can junk a car with an expired registration. There are, however, a few items you should know about beforehand.

vehicle paperwork

Registration

Vehicle registration is, technically speaking, only for vehicles that are being driven on the streets and highways of a particular state. If your car has been broken down for quite some time and you elected to sell it to a junkyard, you’re not obligated to register it prior to that sale.

That said, the unregistered vehicle will need to be towed to the junkyard because it is not legally allowed to be driven on the roads.

Title

When selling your junk car to a junkyard, the standard method involves signing over the title. Signing over the title requires complete and total ownership of the car.

Should the bank have a lien on the vehicle or you’re still making payments, then you will still have to make those payments until the vehicle is entirely paid off. Also, the lienholder is required to approve the sale of the vehicle to the junkyard and sign off on the title.

Lost Title

Suppose you want to junk a car with expired registration, only to find out that you can’t find the title either! Fortunately, there are a few ways to get over that speed bump in your junkyard journey.

get your car towed to a junk yard

Request a duplicate copy of the title from the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles or provide a bill of sale directly to the junkyard. Most title issues are resolved rather easily when selling your junk car to a junkyard, as long as the car is being used for parts or scrap, of course.

Bill of Sale

Regardless of the registration status, you must provide a bill of sale and file a copy with your state’s department of motor vehicles when selling your junk car to a junkyard. What this does is absolve you of any responsibility regarding the vehicle.

Any and all issues, from that point, go directly to the new owner. Most states have specific forms for you to fill out within an allotted period of time to certify the Bill of Sale. Some even have particular forms for reporting a sale to a junkyard, so it’s in your best interest to double check with your Department of Motor Vehicles for the utmost clarity.

DamagedCars & Your Junk Car’s Expired Registration

get a check for your junk car

Now, as you read above, junk cars with expired registration have to be 100% in your ownership and they can’t be driven to the junkyard. We all know that towing comes with a cost and costs cut into your profits. That’s why DamagedCars.com provides free towing and title transfers once you accept our offer.

After contacting us, one of our associate buyers can provide you with a quote for your vehicle within 90 seconds. From that point, should you accept it, a tow can be scheduled within the next 24-48 hours, completely free of charge.

Upon arrival, the driver will hand over a check to the quoted amount and take the vehicle off your hands.

A quick and easy way to get that junk car to the junkyard, expired registration or not!

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does An Expired Registration Affect The Value Of My Junk Car?

Having an expired registration does not affect the value of your junk car. Junkyards will still give your vehicle proper valuation, because its parts are still worth money regardless of registration.

If My Registration Is Expired Can I Still Scrap My Car?

You will have to provide proof of ownership of the vehicle; a title is the best alternate proof of ownership. Also, depending on the state you’re in, a bill of sale can qualify as a proof of ownership as well.

Do I Need To Notify The DMV If I Junk My Car?

Yes. You must notify your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles whether you sell, trade, or donate your vehicle within however many days are allotted by the state. You can do this by going online, via phone, or visiting one of your local DMV centers.
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