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The bottom line: To sell a junk car in Oregon, sign the back of the title over to the buyer. You need no notary, bill of sale, emissions test or safety inspection. If there’s a loan on the car, pay it off and get the lender’s release first.
Without the title, a car worth $1,000 or less can go to a licensed dismantler. For a 2010 or older car, the buyer can apply for a replacement title instead. Otherwise, a new title on Form 735 515, by mail or at a DMV office, takes about 2 weeks and costs at least $101.
Report the sale to the DMV within 10 days, online through DMV2U or by mail. Your plates stay on the car unless you take them off, and you can move them to another car you own for $30.
In Oregon, the typical offer in our data for a junk car 10 years or older is $443.
What would buyers pay for your junk car in Oregon?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
- Free towing
- Fast payment
- Buys non running cars
- Pays by 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
- Buys cars without keys
- Buys cars missing parts, engine and transmission in
- Pays cash or check at pickup
- 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
- Free towing from nearly 200 locations
- Buys any vehicle with a motor, running or not
- Backed by Copart auction yards
- Pays a check right at pickup
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.
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.
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
Use: a Secure Odometer Disclosure form, available from DMV on request
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 contacts you 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 unless you remove them.
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.
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 through DMV2U, or mail the paper form to the DMV
- If it is not filed: the notice only notes on the vehicle record that it is sold; the owner on DMV records does not change until the buyer is issued a title.
- Plates: leave the plates on the vehicle for the buyer, or remove them before the sale and transfer them 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 $443 (cars 10 years and older, 206 offers, ranked 40 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 Oregon, 38% 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 $360, from our own quote data.
Of the requests here, 8% get no offer at all.
Oregon is offered more than the national figure on cars 10 to 12 years old and under it in every older age band the chart shows. Of those, 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.
Typical offer on old cars in Oregon 206 Oregon offers · 12,312 nationally · Age of car when the offer was made (years)Show the numbers
Age (years) Oregon Offers All cars nationally Offers 10-12 $1,310 33 $1,235 2,808 13-14 — 22 $720 1,746 15-17 $510 43 $555 2,735 18-19 — 26 $465 1,527 20-24 $385 45 $410 2,331 25+ $255 37 $350 1,165 
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 -76%. 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 -48%. 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 buys cars in any condition, running or not
- 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 is owned by Copart and buys cars in any condition
- 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. If your car still drives, sellers report being able to schedule a drop-off at one of its yards 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 $346 apart. The best offer is at least double the lowest one in 45% 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.
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: $101 to $116 by combined MPG rating and $192 for an all-electric vehicle; there is no separate duplicate charge
- Processing time: 2 weeks
- 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: 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?
Oregon does not require the title assignment to be notarized; the seller signs the back of the title.
Do the plates release me from liability in Oregon?
Plates and liability: the sale is reported separately to the DMV through DMV2U.
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.
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
Oregon offers by age now come from Sell Car Advisor quote data.
Originally posted and shared with our readers.
Sources
Release of Liability Filing Deadline
"10 days" 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
"2 weeks" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"with the vehicle unless you remove them" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"$30 to move plates to another vehicle you own" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
"$101 to $116 by combined MPG rating and $192 for an all-electric vehicle; there is no separate duplicate charge" 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
"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
Release of Liability Form Name
"Form 735-6890 (Notice of Sale or Transfer)" Accessed Sep. 10, 2026
Typical offer on old cars in Oregon, Junk Car Value Statistics
"206 Oregon offers · 12,312 nationally" Accessed Oct. 2, 2026
Junk Car Value Statistics, Sell Car Advisor
"On this page: 11 figures from 17,628 instant cash offers, and 4 figures from same-day quotes by several buyers" Accessed Oct. 2, 2026
