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The bottom line: A junk car in Oregon is one where the repair bill would be higher than any offer for the car. A car that no longer starts, a wreck, a car with a rusted-through floor, and one with a branded title all fit that description. One like that is offered $455, against $565 across the country, and 45% of the junk cars quoted here are offered under $400.
To sell a junk car in Oregon, 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: 1 week for Oregon replacement titles.
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 vehicle.
Once the car has gone: Notify the DMV within 10 days using DMV2U, or mail Form 735-6890 to the DMV. 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 Oregon?
Six steps, from the first quote to the paperwork you do after the car has gone.
Step 1: Get quotes from several buyers
Each quote form asks for the year, make, model and mileage, your ZIP code, and whether the car starts and drives. It then asks what is broken or missing.
Some forms want the VIN. It is stamped on a plate at the base of the windshield on the driver’s side and printed on your registration card.
The offer is built from your answers, so answer them exactly. The driver checks the catalytic converter at pickup, so a missing one goes on the form.
Get at least three quotes. None of them commits you to anything, and these are the three to start with.
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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
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.
- Title required to sell: yes.
- Odometer disclosure: the seller discloses the odometer reading at transfer, required for vehicles model year 2011 or newer and under 20 years old.
Our guide to selling a car in Oregon explains each box on the back of the title, one at a time. A title that is missing, damaged or in someone else’s name gets fixed before you accept an offer, not on pickup day.
Every form you might need
A plain junk sale needs the first of these and nothing else on the list. The others come up when the title is missing or the car is not in your name.
Release of liability
Use: Form 735-6890 (Notice of Sale or Transfer)
Filed after the car has gone. When and how.
Selling without a title
The buyer files this one, not you. Which cars qualify.
Odometer disclosure
Only when the title has no room for the reading.
Inherited vehicle
Use: Form 735 516 Inheritance Affidavit, signed and notarized by all heirs
For the car of someone who has died. The rest of that paperwork.
Step 3: Accept an offer and book the pickup
Accept the offer online or on the phone. The buyer passes the job to a tow company near you, and that company calls to set a pickup window.
Say when you book if the car is down a long driveway or in a spot a flatbed cannot back up to.
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
Move whatever is parked in front of the car so the flatbed can back up to it.
Take everything out of the car before the truck comes: glovebox, trunk, door pockets, under the seats and the spare tire well. Check the center console for a garage remote or a parking pass, and put the keys you still have with the title.
Plates stay with the vehicle.
Step 5: Sign the title and take payment
At the car the driver checks what is there against what you typed. You then fill in the seller’s part of the title, sign it, and hand it over.
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. When the notice asks for the buyer’s name and address, give the company’s, from your offer confirmation, and not the driver’s.
Title transfer: the Oregon DMV by mail or at a DMV office.
The buyer does that part, not you.
Step 6: Tell the DMV and deal with the plates
How to tell the DMV: Notify the DMV within 10 days using DMV2U, or mail Form 735-6890 to the DMV.
- If it is not filed: you stay listed as the owner on record until the buyer transfers the title.
- Plates: leave the standard plates on the vehicle for the buyer; personalized or specialty plates stay with you and can be transferred to another vehicle you own.
- Plate transfer fee: $30 to move plates to another vehicle you own.
Cancel the insurance last, after the car has gone and the notice is filed. If the pickup moves to another day, a policy cancelled early leaves the car uninsured in the meantime.
Oregon Junk Car Checklist
Before the Sale
At Pickup
After the Sale
What Is Your Junk Car Worth in Oregon?
In Oregon, a typical junk car is offered $455 (cars 10 years and older, 219 offers, ranked 37 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 Oregon, 37% are sedans, coupes and hatchbacks, offered $455 in the middle. Ford is the make quoted most often, and its typical offer is $393. Cars 15 years and older are offered $368, from our own quote data.
Of the requests here, 7% get no offer at all.
In every age band the chart shows, Oregon is offered under the national figure. The gap is smallest on cars 20 to 24 years old and widest on cars 25 and older. The chart is our own offer data for Oregon.
Middle offer on old cars in Oregon 219 Oregon offers · 12,827 nationally · Age of car when the offer was made (years)Show the numbers
Age (years) Oregon Offers All cars nationally Offers 10-12 $1,200 34 $1,240 2,936 13-14 — 23 $720 1,835 15-17 $523 42 $560 2,843 18-19 — 27 $465 1,571 20-24 $395 55 $410 2,445 25+ $253 38 $355 1,197 
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 the engine starts is the next thing. Against a comparable car that drives, once age and mileage are matched, a car that won’t start moves the offer by about -47%. Say on the form whether it rolls.
If yours will not start, our guide to selling a non-running car lists what the buyer needs to know.
Companies That Buy Junk Cars in Oregon
Peddle
Peddle buys junk, salvage, and non-running cars
- Junk car removal across Oregon
- Describe the car online and the offer shows on screen
- Buys used cars no matter the condition
- Comes to you and hauls the car away
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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 buys a car with a blown engine, a failed transmission or crash damage. Get its quote first, then the other two on the same day.
Wheelzy
Wheelzy is best for older, junk or damaged cars
- Branches in 17 Oregon cities, Albany to Springfield
- Free pickup from any address in Oregon
- No dealer, title-transfer or removal fees in Oregon
- Pays by cashier's check you can cash 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% 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. It also buys a car that has sat for years.
CashForCars
CashForCars runs on Copart's nationwide auction yards
- Yards in Eugene and Portland
- The offer comes back in 60 seconds, by form or by phone
- Payment happens at pickup, not afterwards
- Buys trucks, SUVs, motorcycles, RVs and boats, not just cars
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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
Copart owns CashForCars, so the car ends up at a Copart auction yard. A car that still drives can be delivered to the nearest of its Oregon locations instead of waiting for a truck.
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. The best offer is at least double the lowest one in 44% of those cases.
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Do You Need a Smog Check to Junk a Car in Oregon?
The junk sale is exempt: no test is needed to junk a car, because DEQ requires the test only so a vehicle registered inside the Portland or Medford testing boundary can be re-registered with the DMV, and a car sold to a dismantler is not registered again.
- The ordinary rule for a car sold to another driver: Emissions testing is tied to registration, not the sale, and is required only for vehicles registered in the Portland and Medford areas, where the buyer handles it at registration.
- Test fee when one is needed: $25 per certificate in the Portland area and $20 in the Medford area.
A car that still drives and failed at a DEQ station has these options before you take a scrap offer: a free re-test after repairs, a DEQ list of Recognized Automotive Repair Shops for the Portland area, and the Clean Air Partners Program for low-income Portland-area residents whose 1996 or newer vehicle failed the OBD test and needs minor emission-control repairs. Our guide to selling a car with a failed emission test puts the repair estimate next to the scrap offer.
Can You Sell a Junk Car Without a Title in Oregon?
Yes, for some cars. Oregon’s rule: a 2010 or older car can be transferred when the buyer marks the Replacement Oregon Title box on the title application, while a car appraised at $1,000 or less can be disposed of to a licensed dismantler without the title under ORS 819.280.
Option 1: the buyer handles it on the title application. The buyer files Form 735 226 Application for Title and Registration, with the Replacement Oregon Title box marked for a 2010 or older car. Ask on the quote form whether the buyer will take the car this way, since the title work falls on the buyer.
Option 2: a licensed dismantler. That route depends on the yard’s license, so ask whether it holds one before you agree on a figure.
Option 3: replace the title first. Every buyer can then quote the car.
Option 4: sell it for parts. No title is needed to sell parts, since the car itself does not change owners. It takes longer, and each part needs its own buyer.
Learn more: How to Sell a Car Without a Title
Getting a Replacement Title in Oregon
What a replacement title takes in Oregon:
- Application: Form 735 515
- Where to submit: by mail to Oregon DMV, 1905 Lana Ave NE, Salem OR 97314, or at any DMV office
- Fee: Oregon does not charge a separate duplicate title fee. The title fee applies and starts at $101, varying by combined MPG rating up to $192 for all electric vehicles.
- Processing time: 1 week for Oregon replacement titles
- Rush option: no
Apply before you get quotes, because the quotes come back faster than the title does.
Weigh the title fee against your best quote before you apply. A car that qualifies for the no-title route skips this step.
If a lender still holds the title
A junk buyer will not take a car with a loan still recorded on the title. Your lender releases it one of these ways: the security interest holder signs the front of the title or provides a separate signed statement releasing interest, and the loan must be paid off before the sale.
Get the payoff figure from the lender before your first quote. On a junk car the loan is often more than the offer, and you pay the difference, so read our guide on how to sell a financed car before you accept anything.
If your title is electronic
How Oregon handles it: Oregon issues paper titles only, so there is no electronic title to convert before the sale. The driver takes the paper title with the car.
If the car is titled in another state
A car sitting in Oregon on another state’s title can still be junked in Oregon. Sign it the way that state’s title says, and the buyer handles the rest.
A lost out-of-state title comes from the state that issued it, on that state’s form and at its fee and wait. The Oregon DMV cannot issue it for you.
Selling a Junk Car That Isn’t in Your Name
The buyer pays the person on the title, so the car has to be in your name first.
The owner died. Oregon’s form is Form 735 516 Inheritance Affidavit, signed and notarized by all heirs. Once the title is in your name, the junk sale is the same as any other.
Our guide on selling a car that belonged to someone who died covers the probate side.
Someone gave you the car. Oregon’s rule on a gift: No state form. Only title and registration fees are due on a private transfer.
A stranger dumped it on your land. You never owned it, so you cannot sign it over, and Oregon’s abandoned vehicle process comes first.
Local Dismantlers vs Online Buyers in Oregon
Selling to a local yard
A local yard prices the car by scrap weight, and that price moves with the metal market. You call each yard yourself, and some will not send a truck.
Ask before you agree on a number whether the yard sends a truck, and whether it charges for it.
Selling to an online buyer
The number is written down before anyone sees the car, and the buyer books the truck. The price allows for the parts that can be resold, not only the weight.
Online quotes come back in minutes and in writing. A yard quotes over the phone, and the number can change once the car is on its scale.
Our guide to how online buyers work out an offer goes through what moves the number.
When selling it yourself makes sense
A car with a sound engine can bring more from a mechanic or a hobbyist than from any scrap buyer. Expect weeks instead of days, and a buyer who arrives with a trailer.
Storing a Junk Car in Oregon
While you wait on the title, the car has to be parked where your city allows it. Oregon cities and counties each write their own rule on inoperable vehicles, so check your city’s code.
Keep it on your own property, off the street and under a cover. Rain gets in through worn seals, and the interior goes moldy.
For a longer wait, read our guide on how to store a junk car.
Oregon Motor Vehicle Resources
- Motor vehicle agency: Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services (DMV)
- Selling a vehicle: Oregon DMV, Buying or Selling a Vehicle
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to sell a junk car in Oregon?
A few days from the first quote to the pickup when the title is in hand. The tow company picks the day.
Without the title, add the replacement wait, unless the car qualifies for the no-title route.
Is a bill of sale required to junk a car in Oregon?
- Bill of sale: not required.
- Notarization: not required.
- State form: Form 735 501 Vehicle Bill of Sale.
Keep one whatever the rule says, since it dates the moment the car stopped being yours. Our bill of sale generator fills one in.
Does the title have to be notarized to junk a car in Oregon?
Do the plates release me from liability in Oregon?
Plates and liability: no, you must file a notice of sale with DMV to release liability.
Can I junk a car with expired registration in Oregon?
Yes. The title proves the car is yours, and the registration only says it may be driven. A junk car leaves on a truck, so nothing needs renewing first.
What if I lost the keys to my junk car in Oregon?
Put it on the quote form. The flatbed winches the car on without starting it, but without power the driver may not be able to read the odometer, and that can move the figure.
Our guide on selling a car with lost keys says what to tell the buyer.
Can I sell a junk car with a salvage title in Oregon?
Yes. You sign the salvage title over at pickup the same way as a clean one, and you say on the quote form that the title is branded.
Learn more: How to Sell a Car with a Salvage Title
What happens to a junk car after it is sold in Oregon?
It goes to a dismantler or an auction yard. The fluids are drained, the usable parts come off, and the shell is crushed for scrap steel.
What if the junk car offer changes when the driver arrives in Oregon?
A missing converter, missing wheels or a car that does not roll are the usual reasons for a lower figure.
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 Oregon?
Get a repair estimate, your best junk quote, and what the repaired car would be offered. If the repair costs more than the gap between the last two, junk it.
A car with a wanted engine or a good set of wheels can also be sold for parts.
Article Update History
Added Oregon junk car statistics from our own quote data: the typical offer on cars 10 years and older, the offer by age against the national line, the share of offers under $400 and of $1,000 or more, the share of requests that get no offer, 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
"the seller discloses the odometer reading at transfer, required for vehicles model year 2011 or newer and under 20 years old" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"Form 735 501 Vehicle Bill of Sale" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Duplicate Title Application Form
"Form 735 515" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"Form 735 226 Application for Title and Registration, with the Replacement Oregon Title box marked for a 2010 or older car" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Inherited Vehicle Title Transfer Form
"Form 735 516 Inheritance Affidavit, signed and notarized by all heirs" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Replacement Title Processing Time
"1 week for Oregon replacement titles" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"with the vehicle" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"$30 to move plates to another vehicle you own" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"Oregon does not charge a separate duplicate title fee. The title fee applies and starts at $101, varying by combined MPG rating up to $192 for all electric vehicles." Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services (DMV)" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"Emissions testing is tied to registration, not the sale, and is required only for vehicles registered in the Portland and Medford areas, where the buyer handles it at registration" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
How to Complete a Gift Transfer
"No state form. Only title and registration fees are due on a private transfer" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Emissions Exempt if Dismantled
"no test is needed to junk a car, because DEQ requires the test only so a vehicle registered inside the Portland or Medford testing boundary can be re-registered with the DMV, and a car sold to a dismantler is not registered again" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"$25 per certificate in the Portland area and $20 in the Medford area" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Emissions Fail: Help Available
"a free re-test after repairs, a DEQ list of Recognized Automotive Repair Shops for the Portland area, and the Clean Air Partners Program for low-income Portland-area residents whose 1996 or newer vehicle failed the OBD test and needs minor emission-control repairs" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Middle offer on old cars in Oregon, Junk Car Value Statistics
"219 Oregon offers · 12,827 nationally" Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Junk Car Value Statistics, Sell Car Advisor
"On this page: 12 figures from 18,326 instant cash offers, and 4 figures from same-day quotes by several buyers" Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
