How to Get Rid of a Car: 8 Options Compared by Payout and Speed

You can get rid of a car eight ways. The right one depends on whether it runs, whether you hold the title, and how fast you need it gone.

Most people asking this have a car that stopped being worth the trouble. It broke down, failed inspection, got replaced, or has been sitting since the last repair quote. Below is every realistic way to get rid of it, what each one pays, how long it takes, and the paperwork that keeps the car from following you after it leaves.

The eight options at a glance

Three questions that decide it

Does it run and drive safely? If it does, every option is open, and a private sale or an instant-offer retailer will usually beat a junk price. If it doesn't, you're down to the buyers who tow: junk car buyers, some junkyards, private buyers who want a project, and some charities.

Is the title in your name and in your hand? A clean title in your name makes every route simple. Without one, private buyers and retailers are mostly off the table. Junk car buyers can often still work with you, depending on the state. Our guide to selling a junk car without a title covers what works where.

How fast does it need to go? If the car has to be gone this week because of an HOA notice, a move, a landlord or a tow yard's storage clock, pick an option where the buyer comes to the car and pays at pickup.

Each option in plain terms

1. Sell it to a junk car buyer

This is our business, so here is exactly how it works with us and what to ask anyone else.

You describe the car: year, make, model, mileage, what's wrong with it, and whether you have the title. You get an offer in about 90 seconds, and it holds for 7 days. If you accept, a tow truck comes to the car. That's same day or next day in most metro areas, and 1 to 3 business days in rural ones. You're paid by cash or check before the car leaves, and the tow is included in the offer.

The car doesn't need to run. Of the cars we bought between March 2023 and May 2026, only 36% ran and drove, and about 40% wouldn't start at all. The average one was a 2006.

As for what it pays, the median payout across our purchase ledger is $400, and the top 10% of cars pay more than $1,090. The junk car value calculator gives a ballpark for your make and year, and a real offer takes about 90 seconds.

With any buyer, ask three things before you agree. Is towing included in the number? Is the number firm if the car matches your description? How and when are you paid? Our guide to choosing a junk car buyer covers the rest.

2. Sell it to a local junkyard or scrap yard

A yard that crushes cars pays for weight. A yard that sells used parts off its lot may pay somewhat more for a common model it can strip. Either way, call two or three, give each one the same description, and ask whether the price includes pickup. Some yards quote one number for a car you deliver and a lower one if they have to send a truck.

Most yards will want the title, and what they can accept without one depends on your state. Look at current scrap car prices before you call, so you can tell a fair quote from a low one.

3. Sell it privately, as-is

If the car runs, a private buyer will usually pay the most, because they're buying transportation instead of parts. If it doesn't run, there's still a market. Mechanics, hobbyists and flippers buy mechanic's specials all the time, but they subtract the repair and the risk from what they'll pay.

To do it cleanly:

• Say what's wrong in the listing. It saves you wasted showings now and an angry buyer later.
• Write "sold as-is" on a bill of sale that both of you sign, with the date, price and VIN.
• Take cash, or a cashier's check that you confirm with the issuing bank before the car leaves.
• Sign the title correctly and file your state's notice of sale, so tickets and tolls stop being yours.

The cost is time. Expect messages from people who never show up, and offers well below your asking price.

4. Trade it in at a dealer

This only applies if you're buying another car. The appeal is convenience, and in many states the trade-in value comes off the taxable price of the next car, which lowers the sales tax. The weakness is price. A dealer usually sends an old or broken car to wholesale auction, so the allowance reflects auction value less the dealer's margin. Get a cash offer first so you know your floor. If the car doesn't run, you'll also have to pay to tow it to the lot.

5. Sell it to CarMax or Carvana

Both work well for a newer car that drives, and both give an online offer that is good for 7 days.

Carvana publishes its requirements: the vehicle has to be newer than 1992, have a working odometer, and be safe to drive. A car that won't start doesn't qualify.

CarMax says it wants to make an offer on nearly any car, and that the ones it won't retail go to its wholesale auction. The offer is verified in person before you're paid. Most locations offer pickup, with distance limits and a possible fee. If the car doesn't run, call the store before you pay for a tow.

6. Part it out yourself

On paper this pays the most. An engine, a transmission, wheels, seats and body panels sold one at a time add up to more than any single buyer will pay for the whole car. In practice you need tools, a place to work for weeks or months, a listing for every part, and a plan for the stripped shell, which is worth much less once the valuable parts are gone. We compare the two in selling a car for parts versus selling it whole, and we list the parts that are worth the most.

7. Donate it

A donation is simple to arrange. The charity picks up the car and sends a receipt. Whether it saves you money is a separate question, and the IRS rules are tighter than most people expect:

• A donated car is a non-cash gift, so it lowers your tax bill only if you itemize deductions. The deduction for non-itemizers that starts with the 2026 tax year covers cash gifts only.
• If the charity sells the car, which is the usual outcome, your deduction is generally limited to what the car sold for, not its book value.
• If it sells for $500 or less, you can deduct the lesser of the car's fair market value or $500.
• To claim more than $500, you need the charity's written acknowledgment, usually Form 1098-C, and you file Form 8283 with your return.

The details are in IRS Publication 4303. For a low-value car and a taxpayer who takes the standard deduction, the tax benefit is zero. Donate because you want that charity to have the car. If what you want is money, sell the car and give whatever you like. This is general information, not tax advice. We compare the three paths in junk it, trade it or donate it.

8. Check for a state vehicle retirement program

A few states pay owners to take older, higher-polluting cars off the road. California's Consumer Assistance Program is the best known. Eligibility usually depends on income, the car's emissions history and its registration, and the amounts change. There is no federal program. The original Cash for Clunkers ended in 2009.

What not to do

• Don't abandon it. Leaving a car on a street, in a parking lot or on someone else's land doesn't end your ownership. The registered owner is usually who the city and the tow yard bill, and storage fees grow by the day. If it died on the road, see how long you have to move it.
• Don't hand it over without paperwork. A buyer who says "just give me the keys" leaves the car in your name, along with whatever happens to it next.
• Don't let it sit. A parked car keeps losing value, and many cities and homeowner associations fine inoperable vehicles kept in view. More on that in why stored cars become a problem and removing a junk car from your property.

If the car is broken down or doesn't run

Four of the eight options still work: a junk car buyer, a junkyard, a private sale as a project car, and parting it out. Some charities also take cars that don't run, so ask. Carvana is out. A trade-in or CarMax only makes sense if you're willing to pay for a tow and you've called ahead.

Before you write the car off, get one written repair estimate. Compare the cost of the repair with what the car would be worth once it's fixed. If the repair costs more than the value it adds, sell the car as it sits. Our guide to what to do when a car isn't worth fixing walks through that math, and how to sell a broken or non-running car covers who buys them and what they pay.

No title, not in your name, or money still owed

• Lost title. Order a duplicate from your state's motor vehicle agency. It's usually the cleanest fix.
• No title at all, or not in your name. This is harder, and the options depend on the state. See selling a junk car without a title and what a no-title car pays.
• A loan on the car. The lender holds a lien and has to be paid before the title can transfer. Ask for a payoff amount before you take offers.
• Expired registration. This rarely stops a sale to a junk car buyer. Details are in junking a car with expired registration.

The paperwork that ends your responsibility

Whichever route you choose, do these six things:

1. Sign the title over correctly: your signature, the buyer's name, the date and the odometer reading. Cross-outs can void a title, so check your state's instructions first.
2. Get a bill of sale with the date, price, VIN and both names. Keep a copy.
3. File your state's notice of sale or release of liability, if it has one. This is what stops tickets, tolls and impound fees from reaching you.
4. Remove the license plates if your state has sellers keep or return them.
5. Cancel the insurance after the car is gone, not before.
6. Empty the car. Check for the toll transponder, the garage door opener, registration and insurance cards, and anything in the trunk.

Common questions

What is the fastest way to get rid of a car?

Sell it to a buyer who tows it and pays at pickup. With us that's same day or next day in most metro areas.

How do I get rid of a car that doesn't run?

Sell it to a buyer who includes the tow. A junk car buyer or a local yard will take it as it sits. About two out of three cars we buy can't be driven.

Does it cost money to get rid of a junk car?

It shouldn't. A complete car has value even when it's dead, and a legitimate buyer includes towing in the offer. The number gets small when the engine, transmission or catalytic converter has already been removed.

Can I get rid of a car without a title?

Often, but it depends on the state and on whether the car is in your name. A duplicate title from your state is the simplest route.

Can I get rid of an old car for free?

Yes. A junk car buyer or a charity will tow it at no charge, and a buyer pays you on top of that.

If you want a number to measure the other options against, get an offer. It takes about 90 seconds and it's good for 7 days.