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The bottom line: A junk car in Missouri is one where the repair bill would be higher than any offer for the car. A rusted frame, a dead engine or transmission, a wreck, or a car that has not been started in years all count. One like that is offered $485, against $565 across the country, and 37% of the junk cars quoted here are offered under $400.
To sell a junk car in Missouri, start with quotes. Enter the car details once in our comparison tool and a few online buyers quote it in minutes.
Accept the best quote, and that buyer sends a tow truck. Before it comes, have the title in your name and a photo ID ready. A lost title takes time to replace: 3 to 5 business days when submitted in person at a license office; up to 6 weeks for mail-in applications.
When the truck arrives, you sign the title over to the driver and are paid before the car is loaded. Notarization is not required. Plates stay with the seller.
Once the car has gone: Complete Form 5049, or the tear-off Notice of Sale printed on newer Missouri titles, and mail it to the Motor Vehicle Bureau, P.O. Box 3050, Jefferson City, MO 65105-3050; a completed Bill of Sale (Form 1957) is accepted in its place. No notice is needed for a car that already has a salvage title or junking certificate. Cancel the insurance last, once the paperwork is done.
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?
Six steps. Two of them are paperwork, and the tow company handles the pickup once you accept.
Step 1: Get quotes from several buyers
Each quote form asks for the year, make, model, mileage and ZIP code, and whether the car starts and rolls. The VIN speeds it up; it is printed on the title and on a plate at the base of the windshield on the driver’s side.
Answer the damage questions in full. A missing catalytic converter, missing wheels, flood damage or a fire are what change an offer at pickup, so put them on the form now.
The number that comes back is an offer you are free to decline. Get quotes from Peddle, Wheelzy and CashForCars on the same 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
Title required to sell: yes.
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. A driver who arrives to a missing title or an open lien leaves without the car, and you have lost the pickup slot.
- Bill of sale: required.
- Which cars: required for vehicles less than 10 model years old or weighing less than 16,000 lbs.
- Notarized: not required.
Our guide to selling a car in Missouri goes through the title line by line.
Every form you might need
Most of these come up only when the title is missing, the car is not in your name, or a lender is still on the title.
Step 3: Accept an offer and book the pickup
After you say yes, the buyer books a tow company from your part of Missouri. That company calls or texts with a day and a window of a few hours, not an exact time.
You meet the driver, sign the title, and take the money. If someone else will do that for you, tell the buyer when you book.
Step 4: Get the car ready for the tow truck
Open up the route to the car. A flatbed needs a straight run in and room to winch, so move other cars, trash cans and anything parked behind it.
Take everything out of the car before the truck comes: glovebox, trunk, door pockets, under the seats and the spare tire well. Take off any toll pass or parking permit.
Plates stay with the seller. Take them off before the truck arrives.
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.
Payment is usually cash or check. It depends on the tow company. You are paid before the car goes on the truck, so count the cash or read the check before it moves.
Keep any paper the driver leaves with you, and check your inbox, because some buyers email the bill of sale and the confirmation instead.
Where the buyer records the transfer: 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 notice is filed. If the tow is pushed to another day, the car is still yours that night.
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, a typical junk car is offered $485 (cars 10 years and older, 243 offers, ranked 33 of 44 states). Across the country, half of all offers on old cars fall between $380 and $1,080.
Of the junk cars quoted in Missouri, 35% are sedans, coupes and hatchbacks, offered $413 in the middle. Chevrolet is the make quoted most often, and its typical offer is $440. Cars 15 years and older are offered $410 in Missouri, from our own quote data.
Missouri offers on cars 10 to 12 years old are higher than the national figure. From 13 years on, the Missouri figure is lower than the national one at every age band. Both charts are built from our own Missouri offers, with the national figure beside them.
Middle offer on old cars in Missouri 223 Missouri offers · 11,630 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 $1,240 2,936 13-14 $625 38 $720 1,835 15-17 $485 51 $560 2,843 18-19 $415 33 $465 1,571 20-24 $333 52 $410 2,445 
Pickup trucks get the highest offers in Missouri, and by a wide margin over the national figure for trucks. SUVs and crossovers come second and sedans last, and both are offered less in Missouri than nationally.
Middle offer on old cars in Missouri by body type 181 Missouri offers, cars 10 years and olderShow the numbers
Body type Missouri Offers All cars nationally Offers Pickup truck $1,113 30 $850 1,083 SUV / crossover $600 65 $675 3,607 Car (sedan, coupe, hatch) $413 86 $510 5,327
Nothing moves the offer more than the catalytic converter. With the converter gone, and age and mileage matched, the offer against a comparable car with it moves by about -68%. If it is missing, say so on the form.
Whether it starts is the next question on the form. Against a comparable car that drives, once age and mileage are matched, a car that won’t start moves the offer by about -47%. Our guide to selling a non-running car covers the rest of what the buyer asks.
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 lists blown engines, failed transmissions and collision damage among the cars it buys.
Wheelzy
Wheelzy is best for older, junk or damaged cars
- 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
When the title is missing, get the quote from Wheelzy first, because it helps with the replacement.
CashForCars
CashForCars runs on Copart's nationwide auction yards
- Yards in Columbia, Sikeston, Springfield and St. Louis
- Offer in 60 seconds, from the form or one phone call
- Cash in hand when the truck 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 the cars it buys go into Copart’s auction yards.
Collect all three numbers even if the first one looks fine. 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 $328 apart. In 44% of those cases the highest offer is at least double the lowest.
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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 do not ask for test results.
Can You Sell a Junk Car Without a Title in Missouri?
Missouri gives you three ways forward when the title is gone. The right one depends on the car’s age and condition.
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. Parts change hands without a title. It takes weeks rather than days, and you still have a shell to dispose of at the end.
Learn more: How to Sell a Car Without a Title
Getting a Replacement Title in Missouri
A duplicate title fixes a title that is 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: no expedited service offered by the Missouri DOR; in-person submission at a license office is typically the fastest option
- 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; up to 6 weeks for mail-in applications
If a lender still holds the title
No junk buyer takes a title that still shows a lien. The release comes from the lender: 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.
On a junk car the payoff is often more than the offer, so the difference comes out of your pocket.
Learn more: How to Sell a Financed Car
If your title is electronic
Electronic titles: Missouri does not currently offer an electronic title (ELT) program for owners; titles are issued on paper.
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 and gets paid. If that is not you, get the title into the right name first, because no driver completes a pickup without it.
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 is not yours to sign. Missouri’s abandoned vehicle process is the route, and it takes time.
Local Dismantlers vs Online Buyers in Missouri
Selling to a local scrap yard
A yard quotes on weight, so the number moves with the price of scrap steel that week. Two yards in the same town can be far apart, so ask more than one.
Some yards expect you to bring the car in. If it does not move, ask whether a tow is included before you agree on a price.
If you are using the no-title route, ask whether the yard buys that way; not every yard does.
Selling to an online buyer
The three online buyers quote before anyone sees the car, and the tow is part of the offer. You can have all three offers in one afternoon and pick the highest, which is hard to arrange with yards.
Our guide to how online buyers work out an offer goes through what moves the number.
When selling it yourself makes sense
A common model with a good engine or a straight body can be offered more by a mechanic or a parts buyer than by any scrap buyer.
Allow weeks rather than days, and expect the buyer to bring a trailer. Take only payment you can verify while the buyer is there.
Storing a Junk Car in Missouri
Your city or county code, not the state, decides how long a car that does not run can sit in view of the street. Look up your own town’s rule.
Most codes work the same way: a written notice first, a deadline to fix it, then a fine or a tow at your cost.
A car in a closed garage or behind a solid fence rarely draws a notice. If it will sit a while, our guide on storing a junk car covers keeping it from getting worse.
Missouri Motor Vehicle Resources
The state facts on this page come from these sources. Check any of them at the source.
- 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
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to sell a junk car in Missouri?
Days, not weeks, once you hold the title. Quotes come back in minutes, and the tow company sets the pickup day.
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?
Does returning the plates release me from liability in Missouri?
Handing plates back releases you from 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. The buyer checks ownership, which is the title, not the sticker on the plate. Nothing has to be renewed first.
What happens to my junk car after I sell it in Missouri?
The yard removes whatever it can resell first: engine, transmission, wheels, doors, the catalytic converter. The shell is crushed and shredded for steel.
A car in better shape may go through an auction instead.
What if the junk car offer changes when the driver arrives in Missouri?
The quote rests on your description, and the driver confirms it at the car. A car that does not match the form can come with a different number.
Nothing obliges you to accept the lower number. 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 the repaired car would be offered. 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?
A flatbed winches the car on without keys. Put it on the quote form so the offer allows for it.
Article Update History
Added Missouri junk car statistics from our own quote data: the typical offer on cars 10 years and older, the offer by age and by body type against the national line, the share of offers under $400 and of $1,000 or more, the body type and make quoted most often, and the offer on cars 15 years and older.
Originally posted and shared with our readers.
Sources
"not required" 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
Bill of Sale Form Availability
"required for vehicles less than 10 model years old or weighing less than 16,000 lbs" 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
Replacement Title Processing Time
"3 to 5 business days when submitted in person at a license office; up to 6 weeks for mail-in applications" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"with the seller" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"any Missouri license office statewide; the Missouri Department of Revenue processes the title application after submission" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
How to File Release of Liability
"Complete Form 5049, or the tear-off Notice of Sale printed on newer Missouri titles, and mail it to the Motor Vehicle Bureau, P.O. Box 3050, Jefferson City, MO 65105-3050; a completed Bill of Sale (Form 1957) is accepted in its place. No notice is needed for a car that already has a salvage title or junking certificate" 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
"yes; 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
Middle offer on old cars in Missouri, Junk Car Value Statistics
"223 Missouri offers · 11,630 nationally" Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Middle offer on old cars in Missouri by body type, Junk Car Value Statistics
"181 Missouri offers, cars 10 years and older" Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Junk Car Value Statistics, Sell Car Advisor
"On this page: 11 figures from 18,326 instant cash offers, and 4 figures from same-day quotes by several buyers" Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
