The bottom line: To sell a junk car in Illinois, sign the title over in blue or black ink, exactly as your name appears on it. No notary is needed.
Without a title, you can still sell to a licensed scrapyard or parts recycler if the car won’t go back on the road. Bring other proof of ownership, such as the registration and a photo ID.
Keep the plates and move them to another car you own, or destroy them.
Right after the sale, mail Form VSD 703 (Seller's Report of Sale), or the Notice of Sale from the bottom of the title. Until you do, you stay liable for tickets, tolls and accidents involving the car.
In Illinois, buyers typically offer $500 for a junk car 10 years or older in our data.
What would buyers pay for your junk car in Illinois?Fill in one form, including whether you have the title, and see which buyers make an offer.
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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
- Buys any car in any condition, running or not
- Free towing, with no fees taken off the offer
- You can cancel before pickup at no cost
- Pays by check on the spot 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
- Buys damaged cars, even ones that can't be driven
- The engine and transmission must still be in
- Free towing, included with every offer
- Picks up within 48 hours, sometimes the same day
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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
- Owned by Copart, the salvage auction company
- Buys almost any vehicle with a motor, running or not
- Free towing, and it handles the title transfer
- Hands you a check at pickup, or mails it
Automated assistant: general info, not legal advice
Answers come from our state paperwork data and published guides. Confirm anything binding with your state DMV.
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How Do You Sell a Junk Car in Illinois?
Step 1: Get quotes from several buyers
A quote form asks for the year, make, model and mileage, and the ZIP code where the car sits. It also asks whether the car starts.
If a buyer wants the VIN, look through the windshield at the driver’s side of the dashboard, or read it off the title.
In our offer data, nothing moves the offer more than a missing catalytic converter. So be exact about damage and missing parts, the converter above all.
When two or more buyers quote the same car on the same day through our own quote form, the highest and lowest offers are typically $314 apart. So get at least three quotes.
Step 2: Check your paperwork
Get the title and a photo ID out before you accept anything. The name on the title has to be yours, and no lender can still be listed on it.
Odometer reading: required for model year 2011 and newer vehicles, with model year 2010 and older, trailers, and vehicles rated over 16,000 lbs exempt.
Every form you might need
The first is for after the sale. The other two are only for a lost title or a car whose owner has died.
Replacement title
For a title that is lost, stolen or damaged. Fee and processing time.
Step 3: Accept an offer and book the pickup
Accept the offer you want. Peddle’s tow company then contacts you within one business day to schedule the pickup, and CashForCars has one of its towing partners call you to set a time.
Be there to meet the driver and sign the title. If someone else will do that for you, tell the buyer when you book.
Step 4: Get the car ready for the tow truck
The tow truck needs a clear path to the car. If it’s behind another vehicle, in a garage or in a narrow alley, say so when you book.
Take everything out of the car before the truck comes: glove box, trunk, door pockets, under the seats and the spare tire well. Take off any toll pass or parking permit.
Take the plates off before the car goes on the truck.
What to do with them: transfer your plates to another vehicle you own, or destroy them
Wheelzy buys cars without keys regularly, so lost keys don’t have to stop the sale. Mention them on the quote form.
Step 5: Sign the title and take payment
The driver looks the car over and you sign the back of the title.
Peddle, Wheelzy and CashForCars all pay at pickup, so count the cash or read the check before the driver leaves.
Keep any paper the driver leaves with you, and your offer confirmation. Where the report of sale asks for the buyer’s name and address, put the company’s details from your offer confirmation, not the driver’s.
Step 6: Report the sale and deal with the plates
- Plates: transfer your plates to another vehicle you own, or destroy them.
- Cost to move them to another car: $25.
How to report the sale: Mail Form VSD 703 to the Secretary of State Vehicle Services Department, or mail in the Notice of Sale section detached from the bottom of the title.
- Deadline: immediately after the sale.
- If you don’t file it: no fixed dollar penalty, but you stay liable for parking tickets, tolls, abandonment, or accidents until you file the sale.
Keep a copy of the report you send.
Cancel the insurance last, after the car has gone and the report is filed. If the pickup is late, the car is still yours, and it still needs insurance.
Illinois Junk Car Checklist
Before the Sale
At Pickup
After the Sale
What Is Your Junk Car Worth in Illinois?
Buyers in Illinois typically offer $500 for a junk car (cars 10 years and older, 440 offers, ranked 23 of 44 states). Across the country, half of all offers on old cars fall between $375 and $1,075.
Of the junk cars quoted in Illinois, 42% are sedans, coupes and hatchbacks, typically offered $470. Buyers typically offer $460 for a car 15 years or older in Illinois. Of all the offers here, 21% are under $400 and 22% are $1,000 or more, from our own quote data.
An Illinois car 10 to 12 years old is offered about the same as the national figure, and so is one 18 to 19 years old. At 13 to 17 years an Illinois car is offered less, and from 20 years on it’s offered more. The chart sets our Illinois offers against every offer nationally at each age.
Typical offer on old cars in Illinois 440 Illinois offers · 12,312 nationally · Age of car when the offer was made (years)Show the numbers
Age (years) Illinois Offers All cars nationally Offers 10-12 $1,243 94 $1,235 2,808 13-14 $605 63 $720 1,746 15-17 $525 98 $555 2,735 18-19 $465 57 $465 1,527 20-24 $430 96 $410 2,331 25+ $400 32 $350 1,165 
SUVs and crossovers are offered the most in Illinois. Minivans and cars (sedans, coupes and hatchbacks) are offered about the same, and all three body types are offered less here than across the country.
Typical offer on old cars in Illinois by body type 347 Illinois offers, cars 10 years and olderShow the numbers
Body type Illinois Offers All cars nationally Offers SUV / crossover $615 131 $665 3,437 Car (sedan, coupe, hatch) $470 183 $505 5,115 Minivan / van $465 33 $495 583
Nothing moves the offer more than the catalytic converter. With the converter gone, buyers offer about 57% less than for a comparable car with it, once age and mileage are matched. If it’s missing, say so on the form.
Whether the engine starts is the next thing. Buyers offer about 46% less for a car that won’t start than for a comparable car that drives, once age and mileage are matched. Our guide to selling a non-running car says what to tell the buyer.
Companies That Buy Junk Cars in Illinois
Peddle
Peddle buys junk, salvage, and non-running cars
- Buys anywhere in Illinois, in any condition
- Takes damaged, wrecked and non-running cars
- Instant offer online, no account needed
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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 makes offers on cars in all conditions, including damaged cars and cars with missing parts.
Wheelzy
Wheelzy buys cars in any condition, running or not
- Free removal in 86 Illinois cities, Addison to Woodridge
- Guaranteed offer, confirmed by phone with a real person
- Never a fee: no title-transfer or removal charge in Illinois
- Cashier's check at pickup, cash in some areas
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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 buys cars with any amount of damage, including totaled cars that can’t be driven.
CashForCars
CashForCars is owned by Copart and buys cars in any condition
- Yards in Chicago, Elgin, Peoria and two other towns
- Offer in 60 seconds, from the form or one phone call
- Free towing when it comes for the car
- Takes cars, trucks, SUVs, motorcycles, RVs and boats
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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 is owned by Copart, and it buys everything from used cars to damaged and total-loss ones.
If the car still starts and drives and has a clean title, a private sale usually pays more than a junk buyer. Our guide to selling a car privately in Illinois covers the paperwork.
Can You Sell a Junk Car Without a Title in Illinois?
Illinois allows a sale without a title on these terms: sale must be to a licensed scrap processor or automotive parts recycler, the vehicle cannot return to the road, and the seller must furnish documentary proof of ownership such as registration plus photo ID.
The statute is 625 ILCS 5/5-401.3.
Form to file: none; statute allows other similar documentary proof of ownership instead of a title.
Say on the quote form that there is no title, and let the buyer tell you whether it can buy the car that way.
Getting a Replacement Title in Illinois
What a replacement title takes in Illinois:
- Application: Form VSD 190.
- Fee: $50.
- Processing time: 3 to 4 weeks once the application is received.
- Rush option: $30 on top of the standard fee, with requests before noon shipped via FedEx the same day.
Apply first, then get quotes while the application is processed. If a buyer is waiting, use the rush option.
If the original turns up later, destroy it and use the replacement.
If a lender still holds the title
Peddle and CashForCars don’t buy a car with a loan still on it, so the lien comes off first. The lender releases it one of these ways: the lienholder signs off on the back of the title in the lien release area, or provides a separate lien release letter on company letterhead with the VIN.
Ask the lender for the payoff amount before you accept an offer, because you pay any part of the loan the offer doesn’t cover.
If your title is electronic
Illinois primarily uses paper titles; the Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) system applies to lienholders, not private sellers. If you can’t find your title, apply for a replacement.
If the car is titled in another state
Tell the buyer which state issued the title when you get the quote.
A lost out-of-state title is replaced by the state that issued it, not by Illinois.
Selling a Junk Car That Isn’t in Your Name
The title has to be in your name before the pickup.
- The owner died and you aren’t on the title: Small Estate Affidavit for estates under $100,000, Attorney's Affidavit if the Small Estate Affidavit doesn't apply, or Letters of Administration/Testamentary if probated; submit with Form VSD 190.
- Someone gave you the car: RUT-50, Private Party Vehicle Use Tax Transaction Return, filed with VSD 190. The flat tax is still paid.
A car someone else left on your property isn’t yours to sell. It goes through Illinois’s abandoned vehicle process instead.
Local Dismantlers vs Online Buyers in Illinois
Selling to a local yard
Ask a local yard to put its price in writing.
Ask who tows the car to the yard and whether that comes off the price.
Selling to an online buyer
The comparison tool shows each buyer’s offer in writing before any truck is booked, so you can compare them side by side.
Our guide to how online buyers work out an offer goes through what moves the number.
Storing a Junk Car in Illinois
Before you store the car, check your city’s and county’s rules on a junked car kept in public view.
Park it on a hard surface and keep it closed up.
Our guide on how to store a junk car explains what to do while you wait for a title.
Illinois Motor Vehicle Resources
The state facts on this page come from the Illinois Secretary of State. You can check them here.
- Motor vehicle agency: Illinois Secretary of State, Vehicle Services Department.
- Titles and registration: Illinois Secretary of State, Vehicle Services.
Compare instant offers before you accept one
Compare instant offers before you accept one
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to sell a junk car in Illinois?
The comparison tool returns offers within minutes, and Peddle’s pickups typically happen within 24 to 48 hours of scheduling.
If the title is missing, add the replacement processing time, or pay for the rush option.
Is a bill of sale required to junk a car in Illinois?
A bill of sale is recommended in Illinois.
State form: Generic (no state form).
It’s still worth having, because it records who bought the car. Our bill of sale generator creates one for you.
Do the license plates release me from liability in Illinois?
The answer in Illinois: no, file Form VSD 703 to release liability.
Does anything have to be notarized to junk a car in Illinois?
Title notarization is not required in Illinois, and bill of sale notarization is not required.
Does my junk car need an emissions test or safety inspection in Illinois?
Junk buyers don’t ask for test results.
- Emissions test to sell: not required (buyer needs a passing test to register in the Chicago-area and Metro East counties).
- Safety inspection to sell: not required.
Can I junk a car with expired registration in Illinois?
Yes. You don’t need to renew the registration first.
Keep the old registration card anyway. It shows the car was registered to you.
What happens to my junk car after I sell it in Illinois?
That depends on the buyer. Wheelzy repairs the cars it can, and recycles or parts out the ones that are beyond repair.
What if the junk car offer changes when the driver arrives in Illinois?
You don’t have to accept it. A price cut at or after pickup was the most common complaint sellers made about Peddle to the BBB in the year we read.
Until you sign the title the car is still yours, so you can send the truck away and use one of your other quotes.
Is it worth repairing my car instead of junking it in Illinois?
Get a repair estimate, then compare it with how much more buyers would offer once the car runs. A repair that costs more than that difference loses money.
Selling the car for parts is the other option, and it takes longer.
Article Update History
Illinois offers by age and body type now come from Sell Car Advisor quote data.
Originally posted and shared with our readers.
Sources
"required for model year 2011 and newer vehicles, with model year 2010 and older, trailers, and vehicles rated over 16,000 lbs exempt" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
What to Do With License Plates
"transfer your plates to another vehicle you own, or destroy them" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Duplicate Title Application Form
"Form VSD 190" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Inherited Vehicle Title Transfer Form
"Small Estate Affidavit for estates under $100,000, Attorney's Affidavit if the Small Estate Affidavit doesn't apply, or Letters of Administration/Testamentary if probated; submit with Form VSD 190" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Release of Liability Form Name
"Form VSD 703 (Seller's Report of Sale)" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Conditions to Sell Without Title
"sale must be to a licensed scrap processor or automotive parts recycler, the vehicle cannot return to the road, and the seller must furnish documentary proof of ownership such as registration plus photo ID" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Replacement Title Processing Time
"3 to 4 weeks once the application is received" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Expedited Title Replacement Fee
"$30 on top of the standard fee, with requests before noon shipped via FedEx the same day" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"RUT-50, Private Party Vehicle Use Tax Transaction Return, filed with VSD 190. The flat tax is still paid" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"Illinois Secretary of State, Vehicle Services Department" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Emissions Testing Required to Sell?
"not required (buyer needs a passing test to register in the Chicago-area and Metro East counties)" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"the lienholder signs off on the back of the title in the lien release area, or provides a separate lien release letter on company letterhead with the VIN" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"Generic (no state form)" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"$25" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Typical offer on old cars in Illinois, Junk Car Value Statistics
"440 Illinois offers · 12,312 nationally" Accessed Oct. 16, 2026
Typical offer on old cars in Illinois by body type, Junk Car Value Statistics
"347 Illinois offers, cars 10 years and older" Accessed Oct. 16, 2026
Junk Car Value Statistics, Sell Car Advisor
"On this page: 9 figures from 17,628 instant cash offers, and 3 figures from same-day quotes by several buyers" Accessed Oct. 19, 2026
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