How to Sell a Junk Car in New Hampshire (Instant Cash & Free Towing)

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Written by Tomas Gutauskas
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Tomas Gutauskas

Managing Editor

Expertise
  • Private Car Sales
  • Market Valuations
  • Online Car Buyers
  • DMV Paperwork & Titles
I want to take the guesswork out of selling your car. I analyze market data, decode DMV title laws, and test out online car buyers to give you a straight answer on whether it's worth holding out for a higher price or if you're better off taking the most convenient offer and moving on.
Published: Aug 31, 2026
Last Updated: Aug 31, 2026
✓ Fact Checked: Aug 31, 2026
How is this page verified?
Information on this article is compiled from publicly available data, customer feedback and our internal analysis. All our articles are being constantly updated and fact-checked annually to ensure accuracy, timeliness, and relevance.

The bottom line: To sell a junk car in New Hampshire, you get quotes online, sign the title when the tow driver arrives, and take payment on the spot. Two days is normal.

Peddle, Wheelzy and CashForCars all buy junk cars here. Most bring $200 to $600, and towing is free.

You need the title and a photo ID on the day. Your car’s model year decides whether a title exists at all, so check that first.

If the title is lost, apply for a replacement and collect quotes while you wait. If your car is old enough to be title exempt, a bill of sale takes its place.

One form gets you all three offers, so you can compare offers from multiple buyers in one go.

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How to Sell a Junk Car in New Hampshire in Six Steps

Step 1: Get quotes from several buyers

Every quote form asks the same handful of things. Year, make, model, mileage, your ZIP code, and whether the car starts and rolls.

Then it asks what’s wrong. Say it plainly: dead battery, blown head gasket, rear end caved in, no catalytic converter, three flat tires.

Some forms want the VIN. It’s on a small plate at the base of the windshield on the driver’s side, and on your registration.

A number comes back in about two minutes. It’s a real offer, not an estimate, and Peddle and CashForCars both hold theirs for seven days.

That number holds as long as the car matches what you typed. Leave out the missing engine and the driver will price it again at your curb.

Fill in one form instead of three and compare offers from multiple buyers at once.

Top junk car buyers in New Hampshire. All three reach the populated corridors along I-93, I-95 and Route 101. Up in the North Country, pickup can take an extra day.

Step 2: Check your paperwork

Look at the model year on your car before anything else. That one number decides which pile of paper you need.

Title needed to sell: yes (model year 1999 and older exempt)

Bill of sale: required only for title-exempt vehicles (1999 and older) and boats; recommended otherwise

Bill of sale form: Report of Sale or Transfer of a Non-Titled Motor Vehicle (Form TDMV 22A)

Where to get the form: available from the NH DMV website and must contain the information required by RSA 261:148

You can also build one with our bill of sale generator. Keep a copy of whatever you sign.

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

Separate odometer form: none; the reading goes in the assignment section on the back of the title, and under federal law a disclosure is required for vehicles model year 2011 or newer under 16,000 pounds

Bring a photo ID as well. Expired registration doesn’t stop the sale, since buyers care that the car is yours rather than that it was legal to drive.

If a document is missing, the fix depends on which one. A lost title goes to the replacement title section, a lender holding it goes to the lien section, and a title-exempt car goes to selling without a title.

Every form you might need

Most junk sales in New Hampshire need no forms at all. These come up when something is missing or the car isn’t straightforwardly yours.

Step 3: Accept an offer and book the pickup

Once you accept, the buyer hands your car to a local tow company. Someone from that company calls you, usually within a few hours.

You agree on a day and a rough window, and someone has to be at the car when the truck arrives.

Tell them where the car sits. A car behind a snowbank or up a steep dirt drive changes which truck they send.

Step 4: Get the car ready for the tow truck

Clear a path to the car. A flatbed needs room to back in and about thirty feet of straight pull to winch it up.

In winter that means shovelling. A car frozen into a plowed-in driveway is the most common reason a New Hampshire pickup gets pushed to another day.

Empty it out. Check the glovebox, console, under the seats, the spare tire well and the visors, because people leave garage remotes and EZ-Pass transponders behind.

No keys doesn’t stop the pickup, since a flatbed winches a car that won’t start or steer. It can lower the offer, because the driver can’t open the car or read the odometer.

Say there’s no key on the quote form. Then the number you’re given already accounts for it.

Step 5: Sign and take payment

The driver walks the car, checks it against your description, then hands you the paperwork. Sign the assignment on the back of the title in blue or black ink, exactly as your name is printed on the front.

Notarization: not required

You don’t go anywhere for this. The buyer takes the signed title to their own town or city clerk, who prepares the title application and sends it on.

For the full walkthrough of every box on the title, including jointly owned cars, see our guide to selling a car in New Hampshire.

Photograph everything you sign before it leaves with the driver. Both sides of the title, the bill of sale, and the odometer reading.

Payment is usually cash or check. It depends on the tow company.

Take the money before the car goes on the truck.

Step 6: Plates, records and insurance

Plates stay: with the seller

What to do with them: transfer your plates to another vehicle you own through your town or city clerk, or return them to your town or city clerk to avoid future fees

Plate transfer fee: varies, set by your town or city clerk where the plate transfer is processed

Take the plates off before the driver arrives rather than after. Once the car is on the truck it’s harder to get to them.

Form to file with the state: None required

No state filing is required for titled vehicles. Keep a copy of the signed title or bill of sale as your record.

Save your photos somewhere you’ll still find them in a year.

Call your insurance after the car is gone, not before. Cancelling early leaves it uninsured while it’s still sitting in your driveway.

Your New Hampshire Junk Car Checklist

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Before the Sale

At Pickup

After the Sale

What Your Junk Car Is Worth in New Hampshire

Most junk cars bring $200 to $600. Heavier, newer or more complete vehicles reach $1,000 and up.

Two things drive that number. What the car weighs as scrap metal, and whether anything on it can be pulled and resold.

Scrap value is the floor. Parts value is what moves, and it’s why two identical wrecks get different offers in different towns.

A complete car beats a stripped one. Engine, transmission, wheels and catalytic converter still attached is worth more than the same car with them gone.

Weight matters more than looks. A rusted-out truck often beats a tidy little sedan, because there’s more steel on the scale.

Common models pay better. Buyers pull more parts from an ordinary Honda or Ford than from something rare nobody stocks.

Road salt cuts into it. New Hampshire winters eat rocker panels and brake lines, and a rotted body is worth its metal and little else.

Missing paperwork lowers offers. A car the buyer can’t title cleanly is worth less to them, so they offer less for it.

Where you are changes it too. Cars in the Merrimack Valley sit close to more yards than cars in Coos County, and competition shows up in the offer.

For a fuller breakdown of who offers what, see who gives the most cash for junk cars.

Companies That Buy Junk Cars in New Hampshire

All three buy cars that don’t run. A dead engine, a seized transmission or a car that hasn’t moved in four years is normal business for them, and none of them needs to see it before quoting.

Peddle

Top Pick

Peddle buys junk, salvage, and non-running cars

Free Pickup Instant Offer No Fees
  • Quote stays valid for 7 days
  • Handles all the paperwork too
  • Buys cars that are missing keys
  • Pays cash or check at pickup
4.8
Get an Offer in Under 2 Minutes Get Peddle Offer
Prefer to call? (833) 391-2352
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Peddle picks up in Manchester, Nashua, Concord, Derry and Dover, and across the rest of the state through its carrier network.

Peddle instant quote for a non-running junk car in New Hampshire

Their quote holds for seven days. They also buy in some cases where there’s no title at all, such as a lost title or a car left by someone who has died.

Wheelzy

Cash or check at Pickup

Wheelzy is best for older, junk or damaged cars

Title Help Missing Parts OK Cash or Check
  • Assists with replacement titles
  • Buys cars stripped for parts
  • Driver pays you before loading
  • Quote often needs a phone call
4.7
Talk to a Real Person Fast Get Wheelzy Offer
Prefer to call? (833) 985-1374
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Wheelzy covers Rochester, Salem, Keene, Portsmouth and Laconia, and works through local tow partners elsewhere in the state.

Wheelzy quote for a wrecked car in New Hampshire

The form takes about two minutes and asks only for basic details. Your price stays locked at pickup when the car matches what you described.

CashForCars

200+ Yards

CashForCars runs on Copart's nationwide auction yards

Copart Owned Physical Yards Drop-Off Option
  • Over 200 locations nationwide
  • Drop off your car at any yard
  • Backed by Copart auction yards
  • Pays a check right at pickup
4.1
Backed by Copart Auctions Get CashForCars Offer
Prefer to call? (877) 748-6945
Read Review

CashForCars serves Merrimack, Londonderry, Hudson, Bedford and Lebanon, backed by a network of more than 200 locations.

CashForCars quote for an old high-mileage car in New Hampshire

Their quote is also good for seven days, and they handle the title transfer paperwork themselves. Same-day pickup happens in a lot of areas.

Pick Peddle if the title is lost or the owner has died, since they buy without one in some cases. Pick Wheelzy for crash damage or a car already stripped for parts.

Pick CashForCars if you want same-day pickup or would rather they filled in the transfer paperwork.

On junk cars their offers usually land within about $50 of each other, and the gap widens as the car gets more valuable. One form shows you all three.

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Selling a Junk Car Without a Title in New Hampshire

Which route you take depends on whether your car falls inside the state’s title exemption.

Conditions to sell without a title: the vehicle must have a model year of 1999 or older and not be a heavy truck or truck-tractor over 18,000 pounds gross vehicle weight, which must always be titled regardless of age

Form: Report of Sale or Transfer of a Non-Titled Motor Vehicle (Form TDMV 22A), provided with a Verification of Vehicle Identification (Form TDMV 19A) or a copy of the previous registration or title

That gives you three ways forward.

  1. Your car is exempt. There’s no title to look for, so sell it on the form above and keep a copy.
  2. Your car needs a title and you’ve lost it. Apply for a replacement and get quotes while you wait.
  3. Your car needs a title and a replacement isn’t possible. Ask each buyer which ownership documents they take instead, and selling it for parts is the fallback.

The exempt route isn’t limited to scrap yards or licensed dismantlers. Any buyer can use it, including the national online buyers, subject to their own document rules.

Say so when you request your quote. That way the right paperwork arrives with the driver instead of a title assignment nobody can fill in.

Learn more: How to Sell a Car Without a Title

Getting a Replacement Title in New Hampshire

This only applies to cars the state titles in the first place. If yours is exempt, there’s nothing to replace.

How to apply: complete an Application for Duplicate Certificate of Title (Form TDMV 18), include the $35.00 fee and a lien release on Form TDMV 20A if a lien was recorded, then drop it off at a DMV office or mail it to the Bureau of Title

Processing time: 5 to 10 calendar days once the DMV receives and verifies your application

Apply first, then get your quotes as the title gets close to arriving. Offers hold for about a week, so collecting them too early means doing it twice.

Is it worth doing? On a car at the bottom of the range, the fee and the trip to a DMV office eat much of what you’d gain.

Above roughly $500 it usually pays for itself. Below that, ask Peddle what they can accept first, since they sometimes work from other ownership documents.

If a lender still holds the title

Lien release: the lienholder signs a Release of Lien or Other Encumbrances (Form TDMV 20A) or provides a release on bank letterhead

Call the bank or credit union even if the loan was paid off years ago. Old liens sit on titles long after the debt is gone.

If you still owe more than the car is worth, that gap comes out of your pocket. Our guide to selling a financed car covers how that works.

Electronic titles

New Hampshire issues paper titles and does not title vehicles model year 1999 or older. There is no electronic title for sellers to print.

So if the paper copy is gone, a replacement is the only route. There’s nothing to print or download.

If the car is titled in another state

Sell it on the title you already hold. You don’t need to bring a Maine or Massachusetts title into New Hampshire first.

Follow that state’s signing and plate rules, not ours, since they often differ. Our guide to selling a car out of state walks through it.

Selling a Junk Car That Isn’t in Your Name

You can only sell a car you have the authority to sign for. A car parked at your place that belongs to someone else isn’t yours to hand to a tow driver.

When the owner has died, whoever the court appoints signs the title.

Present the original title plus Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the probate court to your town or city clerk. For small estates that bypass probate, contact your local DMV office or town clerk for the required documents.

How a gift transfer works: No gift form. The title assignment shows $0 or gift as the purchase price

An abandoned car left on your property has its own legal path. See our guide to selling an abandoned vehicle before you promise it to anyone.

Learn more: How to Sell a Car of a Deceased Person

What Counts as a Junk Car in New Hampshire

There’s no test you have to pass. Buyers use the word loosely, and it just means a car worth more in pieces than it is as a car.

Your model year decides the paperwork. Your condition decides the offer. Here’s how buyers sort what shows up.

What you haveWhat buyers call itWhat it changes
Runs and drives, worth under $1,000Old car or high-mileage carBest offers of the group, since it can be resold whole
Won’t start but everything is still on itNon-running junk carParts value holds, so offers stay solid
Crashed, frame or structure bentWrecked or salvageDepends on which panels and parts survived
Engine, wheels or converter already goneParts carLowest offers, and the tow can be harder to arrange
Flood or fire damageTotal lossParts value drops sharply, metal value stays
Sat outside for years, badly rustedScrapWeight does most of the work on the offer

Local Yards or Online Buyers?

New Hampshire has plenty of salvage yards, from Rochester down through the Merrimack Valley. Calling them means one phone call per yard and a different set of questions each time.

A yard can beat an online buyer when your car has something they want. If they’re stocking parts for your exact model, they’ll pay for it.

Some yards also want you to deliver the car. That’s a tow bill of $75 to $150 straight off the top of your offer.

Online buyers quote in writing, tow for free, and hold the number for days. The trade-off is that they price off a national model rather than what one local yard happens to need this week.

Get the online quotes first, since they take two minutes. Then you have a real number to hold a local yard against.

Storing a Junk Car While You Sort It Out

If the car is waiting on paperwork, keep it off the street. Many New Hampshire towns have ordinances about unregistered vehicles parked in view.

Keep it on a hard surface if you can. A car sinking into wet ground over a mud season gets much harder to winch out later.

Our guide to storing a junk car covers leaks, flat tires and town complaints.

New Hampshire Motor Vehicle Resources

State agency: New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV)

Official selling guidance: NH DMV Purchasing or Selling a Titled Vehicle page

For plates, registrations and title applications, your town or city clerk is the office you deal with. The DMV handles duplicate titles and lien records.

New Hampshire Junk Car FAQ

How long does it take to sell a junk car in New Hampshire?

Two days is realistic. Quotes come back in about two minutes, and pickup is usually scheduled within 24 to 48 hours of you accepting.

Same-day pickup happens in the busier parts of the state. If you’re waiting on a replacement title, that wait is the whole timeline.

Do I need a title to sell my junk car in New Hampshire?

Title needed to sell: yes (model year 1999 and older exempt)

If your car is exempt, selling without a title has the form and what goes with it.

Learn more: Best Places to Sell a Car Without a Title

How much does a replacement title cost in New Hampshire?

Does the title have to be notarized in New Hampshire?

Title notarization: not required

Bill of sale notarization: not required

Is a bill of sale required to sell a junk car in New Hampshire?

Bill of sale: required only for title-exempt vehicles (1999 and older) and boats; recommended otherwise

Do one either way. It’s the cheapest record you’ll ever have of the date the car stopped being yours.

Does my junk car need an emissions test or safety inspection in New Hampshire?

What paperwork do I file with the state after selling in New Hampshire?

Do I remove my license plates before pickup in New Hampshire?

Can I sell a junk car with a loan on it in New Hampshire?

Not until the lien is cleared first.

Lien release: the lienholder signs a Release of Lien or Other Encumbrances (Form TDMV 20A) or provides a release on bank letterhead

On a junk car the balance is often more than the offer, and you’d cover the difference to close it out.

Can I sell a junk car with expired registration in New Hampshire?

Yes. Registration is about driving the car, and this one isn’t going anywhere under its own power.

Hold on to the old registration anyway. On a title-exempt car it’s part of the paperwork the buyer needs.

What if I lost the keys to my junk car?

It doesn’t change much. A flatbed winches the car on without anyone starting it or steering it.

Say so on the quote form so the buyer sends the right truck. Our guide to selling a car with lost keys has the details.

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Article Update History

Published

Originally posted and shared with our readers.

Title Required to Sell?

"yes (model year 1999 and older exempt)" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026

Bill of Sale Required?

"required only for title-exempt vehicles (1999 and older) and boats; recommended otherwise" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026

Bill of Sale Form Name

"Report of Sale or Transfer of a Non-Titled Motor Vehicle (Form TDMV 22A)" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026

Bill of Sale Form Availability

"available from the NH DMV website and must contain the information required by RSA 261:148" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026

Odometer Disclosure Rule

"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

Separate Odometer Disclosure Form

"none; the reading goes in the assignment section on the back of the title, and under federal law a disclosure is required for vehicles model year 2011 or newer under 16,000 pounds" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026

Duplicate Title Application Form

"Form TDMV 18" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026

Inherited Vehicle Title Transfer Form

"No dedicated DMV inheritance form, since the executor or administrator signs the title using Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration from the probate court" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026

What to Do With License Plates

"transfer your plates to another vehicle you own through your town or city clerk, or return them to your town or city clerk to avoid future fees" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026

Official DMV URL

"New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV)" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026

Bill of Sale Notarization Required?

"not required" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026

Emissions Testing Required to Sell?

"not required (buyer needs a passing test to register statewide, as part of the annual inspection)" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026

How to Complete a Gift Transfer

"No gift form. The title assignment shows $0 or gift as the purchase price" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026

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