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The bottom line: To sell a junk car in Hawaii, get quotes online, then sign the title over when the tow truck shows up. If your title is missing, a replacement costs $5 to $10 depending on county and takes 2 to 3 weeks.
That wait is the thing to plan around. The fee is one of the lowest in the country, but you can’t apply online, so a lost title turns a two day sale into a month long one.
Most Hawaii junk cars bring $200 to $2,000. In our 2026 tests, Peddle, Wheelzy, and CashForCars landed close together on old cars and spread further apart on newer ones.
On pickup day you need the signed title and a photo ID. You don’t need the car to run, and you don’t need to clean it up.
Hawaii has no state DMV, so titles and forms run through your county office. Forms and fees differ between Oahu, Hawaii Island, Maui, and Kauai.
Start by getting a few numbers so you know what the car is worth: compare offers from multiple buyers.
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How to Sell a Junk Car in Hawaii, Step by Step
Six steps, and most of them take minutes. The whole thing usually runs two to three days from first quote to empty driveway.
Step 1: Get quotes from several buyers
Every quote form asks the same handful of things. Year, make, model, mileage, your ZIP code, and what’s wrong with the car.
Some forms ask for the VIN instead of the model details. It’s on a small plate at the base of the windshield on the driver’s side, and on your registration card.
Answer the condition questions honestly. If you say the car runs and it doesn’t, the number changes when the driver gets there.
You’ll have a number back in about two minutes. Peddle and CashForCars hold their offers for seven days, and Wheelzy keeps your price locked at pickup when the car matches what you described.
You want more than one number, but you don’t have to fill in three forms to get them. Enter your details once and compare offers from multiple buyers side by side.
Top junk car buyers in Hawaii. All three buy across Hawaii’s main population centers, though pickup in remote areas and on the smaller islands isn’t guaranteed.
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Offer amount 30% 5/5
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Quote speed 20% 5/5
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Pickup speed 20% 4/5
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Vehicle acceptance 15% 5/5
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Process ease 15% 5/5
- Quote stays valid for 7 days
- Handles all the paperwork too
- Buys cars that are missing keys
- Pays cash or check at pickup
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Offer amount 30% 5/5
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Quote speed 20% 5/5
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Pickup speed 20% 5/5
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Vehicle acceptance 15% 4/5
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Process ease 15% 4/5
- Assists with replacement titles
- Buys cars stripped for parts
- Driver pays you before loading
- Quote often needs a phone call
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Offer amount 30% 4.5/5
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Quote speed 20% 5/5
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Pickup speed 20% 4/5
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Vehicle acceptance 15% 4/5
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Process ease 15% 2/5
- Over 200 locations nationwide
- Drop off your car at any yard
- Backed by Copart auction yards
- Pays a check right at pickup
Step 2: Check your paperwork
Find the title before you accept anything. Check that your name is spelled right and that no lender is listed on it.
Title needed to sell: yes
Odometer disclosure: required for model year 2011 and newer vehicles, with model year 2010 and older, trailers, and vehicles over 16,000 lbs GVWR exempt
Most junk cars are old enough to be exempt, so this rarely comes up.
A bill of sale is recommended. It’s a one page receipt proving when the car stopped being yours, and our bill of sale generator makes one free.
Expired registration doesn’t stop a junk sale. Buyers are towing the car away rather than driving it, so a lapsed sticker isn’t their problem or yours.
If the title is missing, start the replacement now and get quotes at the same time.
Every form you might need
Most junk sales need no forms at all. These come up when something is missing or the car isn’t straightforwardly yours.
Form names and fees are set by each county, so confirm yours before printing anything. The names below are the ones Honolulu and Hawaii County use.
Lost title
Form: Form CS-L (MVR) 10 in Honolulu County; other counties use their own forms
You apply at the counter, not online. How to apply.
Telling the county you sold it
Form: Form CS-L(MVR)53 (Notice of Transfer)
This is the one form you actually have to send. When and how.
Odometer reading
Separate form: not required, odometer disclosure is recorded directly on the certificate of title
Only applies to newer vehicles. What it covers.
Bill of sale
Form: optional; Hawaii County provides Form CS-L (MVR) 40, other counties accept a generic bill of sale
Worth having even though it isn’t mandatory. Make one free.
Car belonged to someone who died
Form: Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property (Automobile) of the Decedent, Form 3C-E-312
What you take with it depends on the estate. What’s needed.
Car was a gift
Covers the use tax exemption. How it works.
Step 3: Accept an offer and book the pickup
Once you accept, the buyer hands your car to a local tow company. Someone calls you within a day to set a time.
You’ll get a window rather than an exact minute. Plan to be there, because the driver collects the signed title and hands over the money in person.
If you’re outside the main towns, confirm pickup is possible before you turn down another offer. Coverage on the neighbor islands varies by tow company.
Step 4: Get the car ready for the tow truck
A flatbed needs room to back in and winch the car on. If yours is behind a gate, up a narrow drive, or boxed in, say so when you book.
Empty it out. Check the glovebox, under the seats, the trunk, the sun visors, and the door pockets.
Lost keys are fine. The driver winches the car on rather than driving it, though tell the buyer up front so it’s in the quote.
Leave the car as it is. Removing the battery, catalytic converter, or wheels lowers what you get.
Step 5: Sign the title and take payment
Notarization is not required. Sign in pen, in front of the driver, and don’t sign anything before pickup day.
Fill in the buyer’s details where the title asks for them. The driver knows which company name goes there, so ask rather than guessing.
For the full walkthrough of which line goes where, and what to do when two names are on the title, see our guide to selling a car in Hawaii.
Payment is usually cash or check. It depends on the tow company.
Take a photo of the signed title before it leaves your hands. Photograph the car and the odometer too, and it takes ten seconds.
Step 6: Close it out
Plates are the part people get wrong in Hawaii, because scrapping a car isn’t the same as selling it on.
Rule when a car is being resold: leave your plates on the vehicle for the buyer; personalized plates stay with you and must be transferred or surrendered through your county
A junk car is different. Take both plates off before the truck arrives, then hand them to the driver if they ask for them and turn them in with your county paperwork if they don’t.
Then file the notice that tells the county the car isn’t yours. You have 10 days, and missing it can mean a fine of up to $100.
Cancel the insurance last, after the car is gone. If you cancel early and the pickup slips a day, the car sits uninsured on your property.
Your Hawaii Junk Car Checklist
Before the Sale
At Pickup
After the Sale
What Your Junk Car Is Worth in Hawaii
Most junk cars bring $200 to $2,000. The bulk of them land between $300 and $600.
Scrap weight sets the floor. Above that, buyers are paying for parts they can resell, which is why two cars of the same size can be $200 apart.
Common models raise offers. Yards want parts they can move, so a Civic or a Tacoma beats a model nobody around here drives.
A complete car is worth more. The catalytic converter, battery, wheels, and engine carry real value, and pulling them before pickup lowers the number.
Newer damaged cars beat old running ones. A five year old car with a wrecked front end usually beats a twenty year old car that still starts.
Rust lowers offers. Salt air is hard on cars here, and heavy corrosion on the frame and underbody cuts what a yard can use.
No title means less money. Some buyers won’t quote at all without one, and those that do offer less, which is the main argument for getting the replacement.
Location moves the number. Offers are usually strongest around Honolulu, where more yards compete for the same car.
For a fuller breakdown of which buyers tend to come in highest, see who gives the most cash for junk cars.
Companies That Buy Junk Cars in Hawaii
All three of these buy cars that don’t run. A dead engine, a bad transmission, crash damage, or no keys at all won’t stop any of them from quoting.
Peddle
Peddle buys junk, salvage, and non-running cars
- Quote stays valid for 7 days
- Handles all the paperwork too
- Buys cars that are missing keys
- Pays cash or check at pickup
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Offer amount 30% 5/5
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Quote speed 20% 5/5
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Pickup speed 20% 4/5
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Vehicle acceptance 15% 5/5
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Process ease 15% 5/5
Peddle quotes across Honolulu, Pearl City, Kapolei, Hilo, Kahului, and Lihue, with pickup handled by local tow operators.
You answer a short set of condition questions and get a number in about two minutes. Offers hold for seven days, which is long enough to shop the other two.
Wheelzy
Wheelzy is best for older, junk or damaged cars
- Assists with replacement titles
- Buys cars stripped for parts
- Driver pays you before loading
- Quote often needs a phone call
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Offer amount 30% 5/5
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Quote speed 20% 5/5
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Pickup speed 20% 5/5
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Vehicle acceptance 15% 4/5
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Process ease 15% 4/5
Wheelzy covers Honolulu, Waipahu, Kailua, Hilo, and Kahului, and takes cars other buyers turn down.
The quote takes about two minutes and needs only basic details. Your price stays locked at pickup as long as the car matches how you described it.
CashForCars
CashForCars runs on Copart's nationwide auction yards
- Over 200 locations nationwide
- Drop off your car at any yard
- Backed by Copart auction yards
- Pays a check right at pickup
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Offer amount 30% 4.5/5
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Quote speed 20% 5/5
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Pickup speed 20% 4/5
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Vehicle acceptance 15% 4/5
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Process ease 15% 2/5
CashForCars runs a Honolulu operation and quotes across Oahu, Hawaii Island, Maui, and Kauai.
They’re owned by Copart, so the car usually goes to auction rather than straight to scrap. Quotes stay good for seven days and they handle the transfer paperwork.
Wheelzy is the one to try first if the car is genuinely wrecked or hasn’t moved in years. Peddle suits an older car that still runs, and CashForCars often comes in strongest on newer damaged vehicles.
Get all three anyway. On the old cars we tested they came back close together, but on a newer salvage vehicle the highest and lowest were nearly $200 apart.
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Selling a Junk Car Without a Title in Hawaii
Hawaii has no shortcut here. Some states let you sign an affidavit instead of a title on an old car, and this isn’t one of them.
So you have two routes. Apply for a replacement title, or strip the car and sell it for parts, which needs no title because you’re selling components rather than a vehicle.
The replacement is usually worth it. Against a typical $400 offer the fee is trivial, so the wait is the only real cost.
If the car is worth under about $150 and you need the space now, parting it out or paying for removal can make more sense than waiting a month.
Learn more: How to Sell a Car Without a Title
Getting a Replacement Title in Hawaii
Bring photo ID and either the plate number or the VIN. Processing runs 2 to 3 weeks, so get your quotes while you wait rather than after.
There’s no faster option to pay for. If you’re on a deadline, a buyer that accepts alternate ownership documents is worth asking about, and CashForCars handles more of the paperwork than most.
When a lender still holds the title
You can’t sell until the lien is cleared, even on a car that’s worthless. Look at the title and see whether a bank is named on it.
How the lender clears it: the lender endorses the title in the lien release section or provides a separate lien release document
Call the lender and ask what they need. On a paid off loan it’s usually a document they’ve already sent you.
If money is still owed, you’ll have to settle it, and our guide to selling a financed car covers the options.
Electronic titles
Hawaii titles are paper documents, and you’ll be handing a physical certificate to the driver. If you can’t find yours, treat it as a lost title rather than assuming it’s held electronically somewhere.
One exception is a car with an active loan. In that case the lender usually holds the certificate, and only they can request a duplicate.
Cars titled in another state
Plenty of cars here arrived with someone stationed on the islands and were never retitled. You can sell one on its out of state title.
Sign it the way that state’s title asks you to, since the rules follow the document rather than where the car is parked. Tell the buyer up front so the right paperwork comes with the driver.
If that title is lost, you apply to the state that issued it. Hawaii can’t replace a title it never issued.
Selling a Car That Isn’t in Your Name
A car left behind by a relative is the most common version of this. Hawaii has a specific form for it.
Inherited vehicle form: Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property (Automobile) of the Decedent, Form 3C-E-312
Take it to your county motor vehicle office along with the supporting documents.
What to bring with it: For estates under $100,000: Form 3C-E-312 plus death certificate. For larger estates: Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the probate court.
For a car that was given to you, the transfer runs like any other, with an extra form for the tax side.
A car someone dumped on your property is a different problem, and you can’t sell it just because it’s sitting there. Our guide on selling an abandoned vehicle covers what has to happen first.
What Counts as a Junk Car in Hawaii
There’s no single legal line where a car becomes junk. In practice it means the repair bill has passed what the car is worth.
Each county does have a formal process for retiring a vehicle permanently, and once a car goes through it, it can never be registered again. Ask your county office if that’s the route you want.
Here’s what different conditions brought in our 2026 tests.
| Condition | Example we tested | Offer range |
|---|---|---|
| Old with salvage title | 2003 Accord, 199,827 miles | $350 to $387 |
| Doesn’t drive, body damage | 2007 Trailblazer, 257,690 miles | $345 to $375 |
| Rear end damage, runs | 2008 Outback, 168,000 miles | $375 to $385 |
| Newer with salvage title | 2011 Compass, 120,231 miles | $395 to $578 |
Local Yards vs Online Buyers
A local yard can sometimes beat an online quote, especially if you drive the car in yourself and skip the tow. The catch is you have to call around and each yard quotes differently.
Online buyers give you a firm number in two minutes and arrange the tow. That’s the trade, a bit of money against a lot of phone calls.
Geography matters more here than almost anywhere. On Oahu you have real choice, and on Molokai, Lanai, or the rural parts of Hawaii Island there may be one operator or none.
So confirm the pickup before you commit. Ask the buyer whether a truck actually serves your address, because an online quote isn’t much use if nobody can reach you.
Shipping a junk car between islands almost never works out. The freight costs more than the car is worth, so sell it where it sits.
Storing a Junk Car Until You Sell It
If you’re waiting on a replacement title, the car has to sit somewhere for a few weeks. Keep it on private property and off the street.
Cars parked on public roads here get tagged and towed as abandoned, and then you’re paying storage fees on something you were trying to sell.
Keep the insurance running until the car leaves. Our guide on storing a junk car has more on the practical side.
Hawaii Motor Vehicle Resources
There’s no statewide DMV counter to visit. Titles, transfers, and plates run through the county you live in, and the state agency sits above them.
State agency: Hawaii Department of Transportation, Highways Division
Call your county office before driving over. Forms, fees, and opening hours differ between the four of them.
Hawaii Junk Car FAQ
How long does it take to sell a junk car in Hawaii?
Two to three days if you have the title. Quotes take minutes, and pickup is usually scheduled within one to two business days of accepting.
Without the title it’s a different story. The replacement has to be applied for at the counter and takes weeks, so budget close to a month.
Do I need a title to sell my junk car in Hawaii?
Yes, and there’s no affidavit route for older or low value cars the way some states have.
Form to sell without a title: none, apply for a duplicate title using Form CS-L (MVR) 10 before selling
Learn more: How to Scrap a Car Without a Title
How much does a replacement title cost in Hawaii?
It costs $5 to $10 depending on county, which is among the cheapest in the country. There’s no expedited option to pay extra for.
Does the title have to be notarized in Hawaii?
Notarization is not required. You sign in pen when the driver arrives.
Does my junk car need a safety inspection or emissions test in Hawaii?
Emissions testing is not required.
Safety inspection is a different matter. A current certificate is required for a standard ownership transfer, where someone is registering the car in their own name.
A junk car being towed to a scrap yard isn’t going to be registered again, and the counties handle that differently. Check with your county office before you pay for an inspection you may not need.
Is a bill of sale required to sell a junk car in Hawaii?
No, though it’s a good idea. Notarizing it is not required either.
It’s your proof of the date the car stopped being your responsibility, which matters if a ticket turns up later.
What paperwork do I file after selling a junk car in Hawaii?
One form, and it matters. File: Form CS-L(MVR)53 (Notice of Transfer)
File it late and you can be fined. Until it’s in, the county still has the car down as yours.
Do I remove my license plates before pickup in Hawaii?
For a junk car, yes. Take both plates off before the truck arrives, then give them to the driver if they ask or turn them in with your county paperwork.
That’s the opposite of a normal Hawaii sale, where plates stay with the car for the new owner. Some buyers resell at auction rather than scrapping, which is why the driver may want them left on.
Can I sell a junk car with a loan on it in Hawaii?
Not until the lien is cleared. The lender holds the title, and a buyer can’t take the car without it.
If the loan is paid off, ask the lender for the release. If it isn’t, you’ll need to cover the balance to free the title.
Can I sell a junk car with expired registration in Hawaii?
Yes. Registration proves the car was road legal, and a junk buyer isn’t putting it back on the road.
The title is what they need. Don’t renew registration on a car you’re about to sell for scrap.
What if the offer changes when the driver arrives?
Offers are based on what you described, so a difference usually traces back to something in the form. Missing wheels, a stripped engine, or flood damage all change the number.
You can turn down a revised offer. Nothing obliges you to hand over the car, and you can call your second choice buyer instead.
The way to avoid it is a blunt description at the quote stage. Overstating the condition is what creates the surprise.
Article Update History
Originally posted and shared with our readers.
Sources
"$5 to $10 depending on county" Accessed May 22, 2026
Replacement Title Processing Time
"2 to 3 weeks" Accessed May 22, 2026
"yes" Accessed May 22, 2026
"required for model year 2011 and newer vehicles, with model year 2010 and older, trailers, and vehicles over 16,000 lbs GVWR exempt" Accessed May 22, 2026
"recommended" Accessed May 22, 2026
Release of Liability Form Name
"Form CS-L(MVR)53 (Notice of Transfer)" Accessed May 22, 2026
Separate Odometer Disclosure Form
"not required, odometer disclosure is recorded directly on the certificate of title" Accessed May 22, 2026
Inherited Vehicle Title Transfer Form
"Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property (Automobile) of the Decedent, Form 3C-E-312" Accessed May 22, 2026
"Form G-27 (Motor Vehicle Use Tax Certification) with Form G-27A (Affidavit in Support of a Claim for Exemption from Use Tax for a Motor Vehicle Transferred as a Gift)" Accessed May 22, 2026
Inherited Vehicle Form Requirements
"For estates under $100,000: Form 3C-E-312 plus death certificate. For larger estates: Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the probate court." Accessed May 22, 2026
"Hawaii Department of Transportation, Highways Division" Accessed May 22, 2026