The bottom line: To sell a junk car in Missouri, sign the title over to the buyer. No notary is needed, but a bill of sale is required.
Without the title, a car at least 10 model years old that no longer runs and has no lien can go to a scrap metal operator. Otherwise, apply for a duplicate on Form 108, which costs $8.50 plus a $9 processing fee.
A car sold for junk skips the safety and emissions inspections. The buyer gives you an affidavit saying that is what it was bought for.
Report the sale on Form 5049 (Notice of Sale) within 30 days, or you could face a fine of up to $200. Keep your plates.
In Missouri, the typical offer in our data for a junk car 10 years or older is $485.
What would buyers pay for your junk car in Missouri?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 Missouri?
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 is. It also asks what’s wrong with the car.
If a form asks for the VIN, it’s on the title and on a small plate where the dashboard meets the windshield on the driver’s side.
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
Find the title now and read the front of it. The name has to match your photo ID, and the lien section has to be empty or released. Fix either problem before you accept an offer.
Bill of sale: required.
Every form you might need
Most of these are only for a title that’s missing, not in your name or still held by a lender.
Odometer disclosure
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
Clear a straight path to the car so the tow truck can reach it. Move other cars, trash cans and anything parked behind it.
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 and recycle them
Step 5: Sign the title and take payment
The driver looks the car over and you sign the back of the title. The buyer’s name and address go in as they appear on your offer confirmation, not the driver’s.
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.
The buyer then records the transfer at any Missouri license office statewide; the Missouri Department of Revenue processes the title application after submission.
Step 6: File the notice of sale and deal with the plates
- Deadline: 30 days.
- If you skip it: an infraction with a fine of up to $200; a class C misdemeanor with a fine of up to $300 if the sale went unreported to help the buyer avoid titling, registration fees or other fraud.
The plates come next.
- What to do with them: transfer your plates to another vehicle you own, or destroy and recycle them.
- Cost: $2 plate transfer fee (additional fees may apply for upgraded plates or different vehicle class).
Cancel the insurance last, after the car has gone and the sale is reported. If the pickup is late, the car is still yours, and it still needs insurance.
Keep a photo of the signed title, the bill of sale and the payment record together. They date the sale if a ticket or a toll bill turns up later.
Missouri Junk Car Checklist
Before the Sale
At Pickup
After the Sale
What Is Your Junk Car Worth in Missouri?
In Missouri, buyers typically offer $485 for a junk car (cars 10 years and older, 235 offers, ranked 30 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 Missouri, 36% are sedans, coupes and hatchbacks, typically offered $408. Chevrolet is the make quoted most often, and its typical offer is $443. Buyers typically offer $403 for a car 15 years or older in Missouri, from our own quote data.
A Missouri car 10 to 12 years old is offered more than the national figure. From 13 years on, it’s offered less at every age. The chart sets our Missouri offers against every offer nationally at each age.
Typical offer on old cars in Missouri 216 Missouri offers · 11,147 nationally · Age of car when the offer was made (years)Show the numbers
Age (years) Missouri Offers All cars nationally Offers 10-12 $1,285 49 $1,235 2,808 13-14 $653 36 $720 1,746 15-17 $445 51 $555 2,735 18-19 $418 32 $465 1,527 20-24 $328 48 $410 2,331 
Pickup trucks are offered the most in Missouri, and far more than the national figure for trucks. SUVs and crossovers come second and cars (sedans, coupes and hatchbacks) last, and both are offered less in Missouri than nationally.
Typical offer on old cars in Missouri by body type 175 Missouri offers, cars 10 years and olderShow the numbers
Body type Missouri Offers All cars nationally Offers Pickup truck $1,170 30 $855 1,035 SUV / crossover $600 61 $665 3,437 Car (sedan, coupe, hatch) $408 84 $505 5,115
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.
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 covers what else to tell the buyer about a car that won’t start.
Companies That Buy Junk Cars in Missouri
Peddle
Peddle buys junk, salvage, and non-running cars
- Buys junk cars across Missouri and hauls them away
- Offer shown on screen within minutes
- Three steps on its page: describe the car, view the offer, get paid
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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
- Branches listed in 22 Missouri cities, Arnold to Springfield
- Free removal from any Missouri address
- Charges no title transfer or removal fee in Missouri
- Pays by 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 Columbia, Sikeston, Springfield and St. Louis
- Offer in 60 seconds, from the form or one phone call
- Sellers report being paid by check at pickup
- 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 Missouri covers the paperwork.
Do You Need a Smog Check to Junk a Car in Missouri?
The ordinary rule for a car sold to another driver:
- Emissions test to sell: yes, for cars registered in St. Louis City or St. Louis, St. Charles or Jefferson County.
- Which cars: gas vehicles model year 1996 and newer and diesel vehicles 1997 and newer, 8,500 lbs GVWR or less; the seller gives the buyer a passing certificate or waiver, valid for registration for 60 days.
- Other exemptions: gas vehicles model year 1995 and older and diesel vehicles 1996 and older; vehicles over 8,500 lbs GVWR; electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles; motorcycles; school buses; historic-plate vehicles; new vehicles in their first model year with under 6,000 miles; a low-mileage exemption by application.
Junk buyers don’t ask for test results.
Can You Sell a Junk Car Without a Title in Missouri?
Option 1: Sell to a scrap metal operator. The route is open when the car is inoperable (rusted, wrecked, worn out or mechanically dead, fit only for scrap), at least ten model years old, free of any recorded lien, and sold to a Missouri scrap metal operator, who checks the lien record with the Department of Revenue unless the car is at least twenty model years old. The law is Section 301.227.9, RSMo (a scrap metal operator may buy an inoperable vehicle at least ten model years old without a title).
Option 2: Apply for the duplicate title. All three buyers can then quote the car.
Option 3: Sell the parts. Selling parts doesn’t transfer the car, so no title is needed. It’s slow, and every part needs its own buyer.
Getting a Replacement Title in Missouri
A duplicate title fixes a title that’s lost, damaged or never arrived. Apply for it and get your quotes in the same week. Only accepting an offer has to wait for the paper.
What a replacement title takes in Missouri:
- Application: Form 108
- Rush option: yes; the Department will handle an application in an expeditious manner on request
- Fee: $8.50 title fee plus a $9 processing fee
- Processing time: 3 to 5 business days when submitted in person at a license office; 4 to 6 weeks for mail-in applications
Notary: $2 notary service at any Missouri license office, for the duplicate title application (Form 108).
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. How the lien comes off in Missouri: the lender provides a notarized Lien Release (Form DOR-4809) once the loan is satisfied; submit it with the title to issue a new title without the lien.
Ask the lender for a payoff figure before you accept a quote, and get the release in writing.
If your title is electronic
If a lender held the title and the loan is now paid off, make sure the paper title has reached you before you accept an offer.
If the car is titled in another state
A car parked in Missouri with a title from another state sells here on that title. The buyer needs it in your name, signed the way that state’s title instructs.
A lost out-of-state title is replaced by the state that issued it, not by Missouri, so start with that state’s form.
Selling a Junk Car That Isn’t in Your Name
The person named on the title is the one who signs it over. If that isn’t you, get the title into your name first. You can get quotes while the paperwork is being processed.
The owner died. Missouri’s paperwork: Form 108 (Application for Missouri Title and License) plus probate documentation (Letters Testamentary, Small Estate Certificate, or Form 2305 for surviving spouse or minor children). Once the title is in your name or the estate’s, the junk sale is the same as any other.
Someone gave you the car. A gifted car is simple: Write GIFT in the sale price area of the title. Writing $1 instead converts it to a taxable sale. Plates do not go with the vehicle.
A stranger’s car is sitting on your property. A title you were never on isn’t yours to sign. Missouri’s abandoned vehicle process is the route.
Local Dismantlers vs Online Buyers in Missouri
Selling to a local scrap yard
Ask a local yard to put its price in writing.
Ask whether the tow is included before you agree to a price. If you can deliver the car yourself, ask whether that changes the price.
If you’re using the no-title route, ask the yard whether it buys that way.
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 Missouri
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. If it will sit a while, our guide on storing a junk car covers keeping it from getting worse.
Missouri Motor Vehicle Resources
- Motor vehicle agency: Missouri Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Bureau
- Selling a vehicle: Selling a Vehicle in Missouri
- Emissions station locator: Gateway Vehicle Inspection Program station locator
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 Missouri?
The comparison tool returns offers within minutes, and Peddle’s pickups typically happen within 24 to 48 hours of scheduling.
A missing title adds the wait for the duplicate. A lien adds the time the lender takes to release it.
Does anything have to be notarized to junk a car in Missouri?
Title notarization is not required in Missouri, and bill of sale notarization is not required for a private sale; the form calls for a notary only when it is proving ownership of major component parts on a rebuilt vehicle or when the Department of Revenue asks.
Does returning the plates release me from liability in Missouri?
Missouri’s rule on plates and liability: no; returning plates does not formally release liability, you must also file Form 5049.
Can I sell a junk car with expired registration in Missouri?
Yes. You don’t need to renew the registration first.
What happens to my junk car after I sell it in Missouri?
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 Missouri?
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.
Should I repair the car or junk it in Missouri?
Get a repair estimate and a junk quote on the same day, then compare the two against what buyers would offer for the repaired car. When the repair costs more than the difference, junk it.
A car with one good part left, such as a sound engine in a rusted body, can also be sold for parts.
What if I lost the keys to my junk car in Missouri?
Wheelzy buys cars without keys regularly, so lost keys don’t have to stop the sale. Mention them on the quote form.
Article Update History
Missouri offers by age and body type now come from Sell Car Advisor quote data.
Originally posted and shared with our readers.
Sources
Separate Odometer Disclosure Form
"none in the ordinary case; the disclosure is built into the title assignment, and an Odometer Disclosure Statement (Form 3019) goes with the title only when the title has no space for it" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Title Replacement Expedited Option?
"yes; the Department will handle an application in an expeditious manner on request" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"Form 1957" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Duplicate Title Application Form
"Form 108" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Release of Liability Form Name
"Form 5049 (Notice of Sale)" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
What to Do With License Plates
"transfer your plates to another vehicle you own, or destroy and recycle them" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"$2 plate transfer fee (additional fees may apply for upgraded plates or different vehicle class)" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"any Missouri license office statewide; the Missouri Department of Revenue processes the title application after submission" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Release of Liability Filing Deadline
"30 days" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"the lender provides a notarized Lien Release (Form DOR-4809) once the loan is satisfied; submit it with the title to issue a new title without the lien" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"Missouri Department of Revenue, Motor Vehicle Bureau" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"required" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Emissions Testing Required to Sell?
"yes, for cars registered in St. Louis City or St. Louis, St. Charles or Jefferson County" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Emissions Exempt if Dismantled
"Section 643.315.4, RSMo waives the emissions inspection for any sale that needs no safety inspection certificate under Section 307.380.2, which covers a car sold for junk, salvage or rebuilding; the buyer gives you an affidavit on the Highway Patrol's form saying the car is bought for that purpose" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Conditions to Sell Without Title
"inoperable (rusted, wrecked, worn out or mechanically dead, fit only for scrap), at least ten model years old, free of any recorded lien, and sold to a Missouri scrap metal operator, who checks the lien record with the Department of Revenue unless the car is at least twenty model years old" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"Form 5423 (Bill of Sale for Scrap Metal Operators), completed by the operator and mailed to the Motor Vehicle Bureau with a copy of your state ID; you sign the seller certification on it" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Where to Get Emissions Testing
"Gateway Vehicle Inspection Program station locator" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"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
Typical offer on old cars in Missouri, Junk Car Value Statistics
"216 Missouri offers · 11,147 nationally" Accessed Oct. 16, 2026
Typical offer on old cars in Missouri by body type, Junk Car Value Statistics
"175 Missouri offers, cars 10 years and older" Accessed Oct. 16, 2026
Junk Car Value Statistics, Sell Car Advisor
"On this page: 10 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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