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The bottom line: Selling a junk car in Kansas comes down to three things. Get offers, hand over the signed title when the tow truck arrives, and take your plates off. A replacement title only costs $10 here, but it takes 10 to 40 days to show up.
Most people get their best number from Peddle, Wheelzy, or CashForCars. All three tow for free and pick up in one to two days. Expect $150 to $1,200 for most junk cars, and more for heavy trucks.
On pickup day you need the title, your ID, and no lender on the record. You don’t need an emissions test, a safety inspection, or a notary.
Kansas has no junk exemption, so a lost title has to be replaced one way or another. Either you apply for the duplicate, or a buyer pulls it for you with a power of attorney.
The paperwork is the same no matter who buys the car, so compare offers from multiple buyers before you pick one.
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 to Sell a Junk Car in Kansas in Six Steps
Start to finish, this takes about two days if you have the title in hand. Without it, plan for longer.
Step 1: Get quotes from several buyers
Every form asks the same handful of things. Year, make, model, your ZIP code, and whether the car starts and drives.
Some ask for the VIN. It’s on a small plate at the bottom of the windshield on the driver side, and on your insurance card.
You’ll see a number in under a minute. It’s a firm figure rather than a range, and most buyers hold it for about seven days.
What you type sets the price, so be accurate about missing parts and damage. A quote built on wrong details can change when the driver sees the car.
You don’t have to fill in three separate forms. One entry on our tool will compare offers from multiple buyers at once.
Top junk car buyers in Kansas. All three buy cars that don’t run and cover the I-70 and I-35 corridors plus most rural counties, though pickup in far western Kansas can take an extra day.
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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
You need three things on pickup day: the title in your name, a photo ID, and no lender listed on the title.
Title required 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
Bill of sale: recommended
Most junk cars fall outside the odometer cutoff, so that line usually stays blank. Kansas offers Form TR-312, or you can make one with our bill of sale generator.
Expired registration doesn’t block the sale. Kansas ties ownership to the title, not the tag, so a car that hasn’t been road legal in years still sells normally.
Missing the title is the one thing that slows people down. Skip to getting a replacement if that’s you.
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.
All of them are statewide Kansas forms, but they get handed in at your county treasurer motor vehicle office rather than a central branch.
Selling without a title
Form: Form TR-312 (Bill of Sale, antique vehicle transfer section)
Antique cars only, not junk cars generally. What that means.
Lender on the title
Form: Form TR-150 (Lien Release)
One of four ways a lender can sign off. Lien details.
Inherited car
Which one depends on the size of the estate. Read more.
Step 3: Accept an offer and book the pickup
Once you accept, the buyer hands the job to a local tow company. Someone calls or texts you the same day or the next morning.
You’ll agree on a two to four hour window. In Wichita, Topeka, and the Kansas City metro that’s often next day, and rural counties can run a day longer.
You need to be there when the driver arrives. The title gets signed and the money changes hands at the car.
Step 4: Get the car ready for the tow truck
Flatbeds need room. Clear anything parked in front of the car and unlock a gate if the car sits behind one.
Check the glovebox, console, trunk, and under the seats. People find registration papers, garage remotes, and spare change every time.
Hand over the keys if you have them. Lost keys are fine with most buyers, so mention it on the quote form and they’ll send a truck with a winch.
The driver checks the odometer at pickup. If the car can’t be powered up to show the reading, the offer can come back lower than the online number.
Unscrew the plates before the truck leaves. What you do with them afterwards is step 6.
Step 5: Sign the title and take payment
Sign the assignment on the back of the title exactly as your name is printed on the front.
Notarization on the title assignment: not required
The driver fills in the buyer details and takes the title with the car. You don’t file anything at a county office, because the buyer handles the rest of the transfer.
Payment is usually cash or check. It depends on the tow company.
Photograph the signed title before it leaves and keep the bill of sale. Our Kansas selling guide walks through the title line by line if you want that detail.
Step 6: Close it out
Kansas gives you two ways to get your name off the record and you only need one. Hand the plates in at your county treasurer motor vehicle office, or file Form TR-216 online.
Either one has to happen within 10 days of the sale.
Until one of them is on file, the state record still shows the car as yours. That’s what the step is for.
If you own another car, move the plates onto it instead of turning them in. You get credit for whatever registration time was left.
Cancel your insurance last, after the title, the plates, and any state filing are done. Canceling early leaves it uninsured while it’s still sitting on your property.
Before the Sale
At Pickup
After the Sale
What Your Junk Car Is Worth in Kansas
Most junk cars bring $150 to $1,200. Full-size pickups and newer wrecks go higher, and stripped shells land at the bottom.
Weight sets the floor, because a junk car is mostly steel. Above that floor, buyers price the parts that can be resold.
Kansas scrap rates sit a little under the national average, so distance matters. A car near Wichita or Kansas City usually gets a better number than one three hours from the nearest yard.
Trucks and SUVs raise the offer. Kansas is truck country and the recycling market wants that weight, so an old F-150 or Silverado tends to beat a sedan of the same year.
A complete car raises the offer. Engine, transmission, converter, battery, wheels, and tires all still attached is the version buyers want.
A missing catalytic converter lowers it. This is the single biggest deduction on a junk car, so say it up front and the quote will be right the first time.
Hail damage matters less than you’d think. Kansas hail totals plenty of otherwise fine cars, and the drivetrain and interior still carry value even when the roof is dimpled.
Flood or fire damage lowers it a lot. Water and heat ruin the wiring and the interior, which takes most of the parts value with them.
A car that starts is worth more. Even a rough runner beats a dead one, because it can be moved around a yard without equipment.
See who gives the most cash for junk cars for how the buyers stack up on price.
Companies That Buy Junk Cars in Kansas
All three of these buy cars that don’t run, and none of them charge for towing. A dead car in the driveway is the normal case for them, not the exception.
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 picks up across Wichita, Overland Park, Kansas City, Topeka, Olathe, and Lawrence, and reaches smaller towns like Salina and Hutchinson.
The form takes about two minutes and the offer is a firm number. Peddle holds it for seven days, which is enough time to price the alternatives.
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 runs dedicated pickup in Kansas City, Topeka, Wichita, Manhattan, and Olathe, with a local tow network covering most of the rest of the state.
You can get the number by phone as well as online, which helps if the car has an odd problem to describe. Wheelzy tries to hold the offer until you’re ready rather than expiring it on a fixed clock.
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 works off its own yards and partner lots near Wichita, Kansas City, Topeka, and Salina, which helps on heavier vehicles.
The quote comes back fast online, and a rep usually calls to confirm the condition before scheduling. Same-day pickup happens fairly often near the yards.
Peddle suits you if you want a firm number you can sit on for a week. Wheelzy suits you if you’d rather explain the car to a person. CashForCars suits heavy trucks and anyone close to Wichita or Kansas City who wants it gone today.
The same car often comes back with a couple of hundred dollars between the high and low offer, so it’s worth seeing all three. The tool below does it from one entry.
Compare Instant Offers
Compare Instant Offers
Selling a Junk Car Without a Title in Kansas
Some states let you sign an affidavit instead of a title once a car is old enough. Kansas isn’t one of them.
That antique exception is meant for collector cars going back on the road, and the form for it is Form TR-312 (Bill of Sale, antique vehicle transfer section). It won’t help with a rusted sedan behind the garage.
So the first route is to apply for the duplicate yourself, then sell once it arrives.
The second route skips the wait. Peddle and Wheelzy take a power of attorney, pull the duplicate on your behalf, and the title transfers as normal.
Ask about it when you get the quote, since not every buyer offers it in every county. Neither route works while a lender is still on the record.
The third route is parts. If the car is worth almost nothing whole, selling it for parts can beat waiting on paperwork, though you still need to prove ownership for the shell.
Learn more: How to Sell a Car Without a Title
Getting a Replacement Title in Kansas
Fill in Form TR-720B and take it to your county treasurer motor vehicle office with your ID, or send it by mail or fax.
Kansas doesn’t accept these applications online and offers no rush service, so the wait is the wait.
Apply and get quotes at the same time. The wait makes sense on a car worth $400 or more, and less sense on a stripped shell.
Below that, ask a buyer to handle the duplicate instead. Both Wheelzy and Peddle do this in Kansas.
When a lender still holds the title
Pay off the loan first, then get the release. Kansas accepts four versions of it: the lienholder signs the release-of-lien section on the front of the title, provides a notarized lien release, completes Form TR-150 (Lien Release), or issues a letter on official letterhead with the VIN and an authorized signature
Junk cars are usually worth less than the loan balance, so you may owe the difference out of pocket. Our guide on selling a financed car covers how that plays out.
If your title is electronic
If you never received paper, check whether the loan was actually closed out. Once the lender releases it, the paper title gets printed and mailed to you.
If the car is titled in another state
Kansas can’t issue a duplicate for a title it never printed. You apply to the state that issued it, even though the car is sitting in your Kansas driveway.
You can still sell it here once that title arrives. Tell the buyer up front which state it came from so they know what to expect.
Selling a Junk Car That Isn’t in Your Name
If the owner died, which form you use depends on the size of the estate.
Small estate threshold: $75,000 gross probate estate value for small estate procedures, raised from $40,000 effective July 1, 2023
Whichever applies, the original title and a certified death certificate go with it. A buyer will want to see all of it before scheduling a pickup.
A car dumped on your property is a different problem. You can’t sell something you don’t own, so start with the abandoned vehicle process instead.
A car a relative signed over to you but never retitled is also a gap. Get the title into your name first, or the sale stalls at pickup.
What Counts as a Junk Car in Kansas
Kansas doesn’t hand out a junk car status you apply for. The word is a label yards and buyers use for a car worth less than the cost of fixing it.
What the state tracks is the paperwork trail. Here’s what each step costs and how long it takes.
| Step | Cost | How long |
|---|---|---|
| Getting quotes | Free | Under a minute |
| Towing and pickup | Free | 1 to 2 days |
| Replacement title (TR-720B) | $10 | 10 to 40 days |
| Bill of sale (TR-312) | Free | Same day |
| Notice of sale (TR-216) | $10 | Due within 10 days |
| Moving plates to another car | $1.50 | Same day |
Local Kansas Yards vs Online Buyers
A local yard pays for metal by weight. That works well if your car is a stripped shell and you can get it there yourself.
Online buyers price the whole car, parts included, and they arrange the tow. For a complete car that just won’t start, that’s usually the bigger number.
The gap widens in western Kansas, where the nearest yard can be an hour or more away. Free towing is worth real money when the alternative is renting a trailer.
Call a yard or two anyway if you’re near Wichita or Kansas City. There are good local junk car buyers and it costs nothing to ask.
Storing a Junk Car Until You Sell It
Kansas cities set their own rules on inoperable vehicles. Most of the larger ones treat a car that can’t be driven as a nuisance if it sits in view on the street or the front yard, so check your city code before you let it sit.
Behind a fence or in a garage is safer. Cover it if you can’t move it, and keep fluids from pooling on the driveway.
The longer it sits, the less it’s worth, since tires flatten and rodents get into the wiring. Our guide on storing a junk car covers the details if it’ll be a while.
Kansas Motor Vehicle Resources
Agency: Kansas Department of Revenue, Division of Vehicles
Title questions: Kansas Department of Revenue, Division of Vehicles Title FAQ
Duplicate title form: Form TR-720B
Notice of sale: Form TR-216
Counter visits happen at your county treasurer motor vehicle office rather than a central DMV branch. Hours and wait times vary by county, so check before you drive over.
Kansas Junk Car FAQ
How long does it take to sell a junk car in Kansas?
One to two days if you have the title. Quotes come back in under a minute and pickup is usually next day.
Without the title it depends on the route. A buyer-handled duplicate keeps you on the same two-day schedule, while applying yourself adds 10 to 40 days.
Do I need a title to sell my junk car in Kansas?
Title required to sell: yes
There’s no scrap exemption and no age cutoff that lets a dead car change hands on a bill of sale. Either apply for a duplicate or let a buyer pull it with a power of attorney.
Learn more: What Paperwork Do I Need to Sell My Car to a Junkyard?
How much does a replacement title cost in Kansas?
Fee: $10
Processing time: 10 to 40 days
Use Form TR-720B. There’s no expedited service and no online application, so it’s the counter or the mail.
Does the title have to be notarized in Kansas?
Notarization on the title assignment: not required
Notarization on a bill of sale: not required
A notary only comes up on lien releases from some lenders, and that’s the lender’s paperwork rather than yours.
Does my junk car need an emissions test or safety inspection in Kansas?
Emissions test: no testing required
Safety inspection: not required
The Kansas Highway Patrol inspection you may have heard of applies to out-of-state and rebuilt-salvage cars being titled here, not to a junk car leaving on a flatbed.
What paperwork do I file with the state after selling in Kansas?
Form: Form TR-216
Deadline: 10 days
Handing your plates in at the county treasurer motor vehicle office does the same job, so you only need one of the two.
Do I remove my license plates before pickup in Kansas?
Where the plates stay: with the seller
Take them off before the truck pulls away, then either move them to another car you own or hand them in.
Can I sell a junk car with a loan on it in Kansas?
Not until the lien comes off. Pay the loan down and get the release, then the title is yours to sign over.
On a junk car the payoff usually exceeds what the car brings, so expect to cover the gap yourself.
Can I sell a junk car with expired registration in Kansas?
Yes. Registration and the title are separate, and buyers only care about the title.
Buyer registration deadline: 60 days from the date of sale, inclusive of weekends and holidays
What if I lost the keys to my junk car?
It doesn’t stop the sale. Tow drivers winch cars without keys all the time, and it rarely changes the offer.
Say so on the quote form so the right truck shows up. A car that’s locked and in gear needs different equipment.
What happens to my junk car after I sell it in Kansas?
It goes to a licensed salvage yard or recycler. Usable parts come off first, then the shell gets crushed and sold as scrap steel.
The title gets surrendered to the state stamped salvage or junk, and no new title is ever issued for that VIN.
Article Update History
Originally posted and shared with our readers.
Sources
"$10" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"yes" Accessed Sep. 10, 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 Sep. 10, 2026
"recommended" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Duplicate Title Application Form
"Form TR-720B" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Inherited Vehicle Title Transfer Form
"Form TR-83b (Claim of Heir and/or Beneficiary Affidavit) for small estates, or Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from a Kansas probate court for larger estates" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Release of Liability Form Name
"Form TR-216" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"the lienholder signs the release-of-lien section on the front of the title, provides a notarized lien release, completes Form TR-150 (Lien Release), or issues a letter on official letterhead with the VIN and an authorized signature" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Electronic Title Handling Note
"Kansas has been an electronic title state since 2003, so any title with an active lien is held electronically by the Kansas Division of Vehicles and the paper title is not issued until the lien is released." Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Inherited Vehicle Estate Value Threshold
"$75,000 gross probate estate value for small estate procedures, raised from $40,000 effective July 1, 2023" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"with the seller" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"Kansas Department of Revenue, Division of Vehicles" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
