SellCarAdvisor is reader-supported, when you sign up through links on this post, we may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. How We Work.
The bottom line: In California, if fixing the car would cost more than you’d get for it, it’s a junk car. A blown engine, a wreck, a salvage title, a car that won’t start, or a car that’s just old all count. One like that is offered $615, against $565 across the country, and 31% of the junk cars quoted here are offered $1,000 or more.
To sell a junk car in California, 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: 15 to 30 days.
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: File the Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (REG 138) online through the California DMV portal within 5 days. 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.
Compare Instant Offers
Start With Your Situation
Jump straight to your situation.
How Do You Sell a Junk Car in California?
Six steps, and only the last one involves the DMV. The rest happen in your driveway.
Step 1: Get quotes from several buyers
Every quote form asks for the same few things: the year, make, model and mileage, your ZIP code, and whether the car starts and rolls.
Some ask for the VIN. It’s on a plate at the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side, and on your insurance card.
Be exact about what’s still on the car. The wheels, the engine, and the catalytic converter move the price far more than dents or rust do.
Get at least three quotes. Our comparison tool sends your details to several buyers at once, so you don’t fill in the same form four times.
A quote is not a commitment, and these three are the ones to collect first.
-
Offer amount 30% 5/5
-
Quote speed 20% 5/5
-
Pickup speed 20% 4/5
-
Vehicle acceptance 15% 5/5
-
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
-
Offer amount 30% 5/5
-
Quote speed 20% 5/5
-
Pickup speed 20% 5/5
-
Vehicle acceptance 15% 4/5
-
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
-
Offer amount 30% 4.5/5
-
Quote speed 20% 5/5
-
Pickup speed 20% 4/5
-
Vehicle acceptance 15% 4/5
-
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
Have the title and a photo ID ready for the driver. The one line on the title to watch is the odometer: required for model year 2011 and newer vehicles, with model year 2010 and older, trailers, and vehicles over 16,000 lbs GVWR exempt.
Our guide to selling a car in California walks through the title line by line.
Every form you might need
Most junk sales need one form. The other two come up when the title is missing or the car was never put in your name.
Release of liability
The one form you’ll almost certainly file. See when and how.
Inherited vehicle
Form REG 5 (Affidavit for Transfer Without Probate)
Goes in alongside the estate paperwork. See what else you need.
Step 3: Accept an offer and book the pickup
You accept online or on the phone, and the buyer books a local tow company. That company then calls you to set a pickup window.
The person named on the title has to be there to sign and take the money.
Step 4: Get the car ready for the tow truck
A flatbed needs a straight run at the car and roughly a car length of clearance behind it. Mention hard to reach spots when you book, not when the driver arrives.
Empty the car properly. Check the glovebox, the door pockets, under the seats, the spare tire well, and the visors.
Missing keys don’t stop the tow, since a flatbed winches a car that won’t start or steer. Put it on the quote form anyway. Without keys or a working battery the driver may not be able to read the odometer, and that can move the offer.
Our guide to selling a car with lost keys covers what to tell the buyer.
Step 5: Sign the title and take payment
Payment happens at pickup. Take it before the car goes on the truck, not after.
Payment is usually cash or check. It depends on the tow company.
Keep whatever paperwork the driver hands you, and check your email too: some buyers send the bill of sale and the confirmation that way. The release of liability asks for the buyer’s name and address. Use the company’s details from your offer confirmation, because the driver usually works for a contracted tow company.
Step 6: File the release and deal with the plates
Where the plates go: with the vehicle.
What to do with them: leave the standard plates on the vehicle, or remove personalized/specialty plates and transfer them to another vehicle you own.
How to tell the DMV: File the Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (REG 138) online through the California DMV portal within 5 days.
What happens if it isn’t filed: you remain liable for tickets, tolls, and accidents until you file.
The buyer’s paperwork does not do this for you. The release is what takes your name off the car.
Cancel the insurance last, after the car has gone and the notice is filed. Cancelling on the morning of the pickup leaves the car uninsured if the truck is late.
California Junk Car Checklist
Before the Sale
At Pickup
After the Sale
What Is Your Junk Car Worth in California?
In California, a typical junk car is offered $615 (cars 10 years and older, 1,884 offers, ranked 9 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 California, 46% are sedans, coupes and hatchbacks, and the typical offer on one is $578. Toyota is the make quoted most often in California, with a typical offer of $860. A junk car 15 years or older is offered $450 in California, from our own quote data.
On cars under 15, California is offered well over the national line. From 15 the gap narrows, at 20 to 24 the two are level, and past 25 California is a little under it. The chart is our own offer data for California, against every offer nationally.
Middle offer on old cars in California 1,884 California offers · 12,827 nationally · Age of car when the offer was made (years)Show the numbers
Age (years) California Offers All cars nationally Offers 10-12 $1,580 376 $1,240 2,936 13-14 $1,070 235 $720 1,835 15-17 $695 365 $560 2,843 18-19 $550 228 $465 1,571 20-24 $415 451 $410 2,445 25+ $330 229 $355 1,197 
Pickups are offered the most and minivans the least. California is over the national figure on every body type except minivans.
Middle offer on old cars in California by body type 1,521 California offers, cars 10 years and olderShow the numbers
Body type California Offers All cars nationally Offers Pickup truck $978 106 $850 1,083 SUV / crossover $715 463 $675 3,607 Car (sedan, coupe, hatch) $578 870 $510 5,327 Minivan / van $445 82 $495 602
San Jose has the highest offers of the five cities and Sacramento and San Francisco the lowest. Everywhere else in California, taken together, is offered more than Los Angeles.
Middle offer on old cars in California by city 1,884 California offers, cars 10 years and olderShow the numbers
City Middle offer Offers Los Angeles $595 105 San Diego $650 69 San Jose $790 55 Sacramento $518 48 San Francisco $520 43 Rest of California $620 1,564
The Accord, Camry, Civic and Corolla are the four models quoted most often in California. A Corolla is offered far more than an Accord, and a Prius more than anything else on the list.
Middle offer on the old cars most often quoted in California 378 California offers, cars 10 years and olderShow the numbers
Model Middle offer Offers Honda Accord $478 88 Toyota Camry $640 77 Honda Civic $740 52 Toyota Corolla $895 45 Toyota Prius $1,825 33 Ford F150 $625 29 Honda Odyssey $463 28 Nissan Altima $438 26
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%.
A running engine is the other big one. Against a comparable car that drives, once age and mileage are matched, a car that won’t start moves the offer by about -47%.
Companies That Buy Junk Cars in California
Peddle
Peddle buys junk, salvage, and non-running cars
- Buys anywhere in California, no sign-up
- Offer in minutes
- Takes wrecked and non-running cars
-
Offer amount 30% 5/5
-
Quote speed 20% 5/5
-
Pickup speed 20% 4/5
-
Vehicle acceptance 15% 5/5
-
Process ease 15% 5/5
For a car that won’t start or has a blown engine, Peddle is the first quote to get.
Wheelzy
Wheelzy is best for older, junk or damaged cars
- Free towing anywhere in California
- No title-transfer or removal fees
- Cashier's check on the spot, cashable same day
- Publishes a California title-signing guide
-
Offer amount 30% 5/5
-
Quote speed 20% 5/5
-
Pickup speed 20% 5/5
-
Vehicle acceptance 15% 4/5
-
Process ease 15% 4/5
When the title is missing, get the quote from Wheelzy first, because it helps with the replacement. In California the replacement takes 15 to 30 days.
CarBrain
CarBrain specializes in wrecked and broken-down vehicles
- Buys throughout California, pickup in as little as 24 hours
- Offer guaranteed for 7 days
- Free towing and title transfer
- Lost title? Get the DMV duplicate and upload a photo
-
Offer amount 30% 3/5
-
Quote speed 20% 4/5
-
Pickup speed 20% 4/5
-
Vehicle acceptance 15% 3/5
-
Process ease 15% 5/5
CarBrain specializes in wrecked and broken-down cars, so quote a totaled car or one with a bad transmission there too.
CashForCars
CashForCars runs on Copart's nationwide auction yards
- Yards in Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento and eighteen other towns
- Sixty seconds on the form or the phone gets you a number
- You are paid on the spot, as the truck loads the car
- Motorcycles, RVs and boats as well as cars, trucks and SUVs
-
Offer amount 30% 4.5/5
-
Quote speed 20% 5/5
-
Pickup speed 20% 4/5
-
Vehicle acceptance 15% 4/5
-
Process ease 15% 2/5
CashForCars is owned by Copart and buys through its yards. If the car still moves and a yard is near, you can drop it off and skip the tow.
Collect all four 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.
Compare Instant Offers
Compare Instant Offers
Do You Need a Smog Check to Junk a Car in California?
No. A car sold to be dismantled is exempt: no smog certificate is needed when the vehicle is sold to a licensed dismantler to be wrecked or dismantled (Vehicle Code 11520).
The ordinary rule for a car sold to another driver: yes, statewide for most vehicles more than four model years old.
What the test costs: $30 to $70.
Before you accept any offer, check the state’s own program for a car that fails the test: BAR's Consumer Assistance Program offers repair assistance of up to $1,450 for 1996-or-newer cars ($1,100 for 1976 to 1995) and a vehicle retirement payment of $1,350 to $2,000 for a car that can be driven to a BAR-contracted dismantler under its own power. Neither is available while the vehicle is undergoing a transfer of ownership.
Can You Sell a Junk Car Without a Title in California?
Here’s the rule as the state writes it: you must apply for a replacement title before, or as part of, the sale: Form REG 227 (Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title) carries a transfer section the buyer can complete, so the replacement and the transfer can be submitted together.
Replacing the title is the route.
Start the replacement first, then get your quotes while you wait.
Learn more: How to Sell a Car Without a Title
Getting a Replacement Title in California
What a replacement title takes in California:
- Application: Form REG 227
- Fee: $28
- Processing time: 15 to 30 days
- Rush option: $15 (Rush Title Processing)
Put the application in on the day you ask for quotes, and the two waits run together.
Weigh the fee and the wait against the offer, and take the rush option when a buyer is waiting.
If a lender still holds the title
You can’t hand the car to a dismantler until the lien is released. On a junk car the loan is often bigger than the offer, so you cover the difference yourself. Call the lender for a payoff figure before you accept any quote.
Our guide to selling a financed car covers the rest.
If your title is electronic
California electronic titles (ELT) are held by lenders only, so a seller needs the paper title in hand, requested from the DMV once the loan is paid off. Check that you have the paper title before you book, because the driver takes it away with the car.
If the car is titled in another state
You can sell it from California, but California’s replacement route only applies to California titles. A missing out-of-state title has to be replaced by the state that issued it.
With that title in hand, the sale is ordinary. You sign it over and file the release the same way.
Selling a Junk Car That Isn’t in Your Name
For a car that belonged to someone who has died, the DMV form is Form REG 5 (Affidavit for Transfer Without Probate), and once the title is in your name, the junk sale runs as normal.
For a gifted car the DMV route is this: Write GIFT in the purchase price field on the title. The recipient files the statement of facts. The vehicle cannot carry an outstanding loan.
A car dumped on your land is the hard case. You never owned it, so you can’t sign it over, and it goes through the state’s abandoned vehicle process instead.
Local Dismantlers vs Online Buyers in California
Both end up sending the same kind of flatbed. What changes is how you get the number and how firm it is.
Our guide to how online buyers work out an offer goes through what moves the number.
| Local dismantler | Online buyer | |
|---|---|---|
| How you get a number | Phone call, one car at a time | Online form, in minutes |
| Is it written down | Usually not | Yes, in writing |
| What drives the price | What that yard needs this week | A national parts and scrap network |
| Towing | Sometimes charged, sometimes not | Often included; ask |
| Best when | You can drive it in yourself | The car can’t move |
Two yards in the same town can quote different numbers on the same car, so get a written offer before you call any of them.
Storing a Junk Car in California
A car that won’t start and is left on the street gets tagged and then towed, and the tow bill goes to the registered owner. On your own property you have more time, though many California cities have rules on non-running cars kept in view of the street.
Waiting costs money too. Scrap prices move while the car sits, and the tires go flat. Our guide on how to store a junk car covers doing it without a fine.
California Motor Vehicle Resources
- Motor vehicle agency: California DMV
- Selling a vehicle: DMV guide to selling a vehicle
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to sell a junk car in California?
A few days, once you have the title. The tow company sets the pickup window.
Add the replacement wait if the title is missing.
Is a bill of sale required to junk a car in California?
A bill of sale is recommended. On a junk sale it is your record of who took the car.
State form: Form REG 135. Our bill of sale generator builds one in a couple of minutes.
Does leaving the plates on release me from liability in California?
Handing plates back releases you from liability: no.
The release of liability is what does.
Does anything have to be notarized to junk a car in California?
Title notarization is not required.
With two names on the title: names joined by AND or a slash: every owner signs; names joined by OR: any one owner can sign alone. Settle that before pickup day.
Can I junk a car with expired registration in California?
Yes. Registration says the car is road legal, and a junk car isn’t going back on the road.
You don’t need to renew it first. The title is the document that matters.
What happens to my junk car after I sell it in California?
It goes to a licensed dismantler, where anything resellable comes off it first. The shell is then crushed and sold as scrap metal.
What if the offer changes when the driver arrives in California?
The quote is built from what you typed in, so a car that doesn’t match the description can get a different number at pickup. Missing catalytic converters and wheels are the usual reasons.
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.
Is it worth repairing my car instead of junking it in California?
Get the repair estimate and a junk quote, then compare them against what the car would sell for running. If the repair costs more than that gap, fixing it loses you money.
Age matters here too. A car at very high mileage that needs a major repair will usually need another one within the year. A car with a sound engine or a part in demand can also be sold for parts.
Article Update History
Added California junk car statistics from our own quote data: the typical offer on cars 10 years and older, the offer by age, body type, city and model 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.
We verified California's duplicate title fee, Form REG 227, the 5-day REG 138 deadline, and the junk car smog exemption against the California DMV.
Originally posted and shared with our readers.
Sources
"Titles" Accessed Mar 16, 2026.
How to File Release of Liability
"File the Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (REG 138) online through the California DMV portal within 5 days." Accessed Sep. 15, 2026
Replacement Title Processing Time
"15 to 30 days" Accessed Sep. 15, 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. 15, 2026
Release of Liability Form Name
"Form REG 138 (NRL)" Accessed Sep. 15, 2026
Duplicate Title Application Form
"Form REG 227" Accessed Sep. 15, 2026
Inherited Vehicle Title Transfer Form
"Form REG 5 (Affidavit for Transfer Without Probate)" Accessed Sep. 15, 2026
"with the vehicle" Accessed Sep. 15, 2026
"$30 to $70" Accessed Sep. 15, 2026
"California DMV" Accessed Sep. 15, 2026
"$28" Accessed Sep. 15, 2026
How to Complete a Gift Transfer
"Write GIFT in the purchase price field on the title. The recipient files the statement of facts. The vehicle cannot carry an outstanding loan" Accessed Sep. 15, 2026
Expedited Title Replacement Fee
"$15 (Rush Title Processing)" Accessed Sep. 15, 2026
Conditions to Sell Without Title
"you must apply for a replacement title before, or as part of, the sale: Form REG 227 (Application for Replacement or Transfer of Title) carries a transfer section the buyer can complete, so the replacement and the transfer can be submitted together" Accessed Sep. 15, 2026
Emissions Exempt if Dismantled
"no smog certificate is needed when the vehicle is sold to a licensed dismantler to be wrecked or dismantled (Vehicle Code 11520)" Accessed Sep. 15, 2026
Emissions Fail: Help Available
"BAR's Consumer Assistance Program offers repair assistance of up to $1,450 for 1996-or-newer cars ($1,100 for 1976 to 1995) and a vehicle retirement payment of $1,350 to $2,000 for a car that can be driven to a BAR-contracted dismantler under its own power. Neither is available while the vehicle is undergoing a transfer of ownership" Accessed Sep. 15, 2026
"Form REG 135" Accessed Sep. 15, 2026
Emissions Testing Required to Sell?
"yes, statewide for most vehicles more than four model years old" Accessed Sep. 15, 2026
Middle offer on old cars in California, Junk Car Value Statistics
"1,884 California offers · 12,827 nationally" Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Middle offer on old cars in California by body type, Junk Car Value Statistics
"1,521 California offers, cars 10 years and older" Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Middle offer on old cars in California by city, Junk Car Value Statistics
"1,884 California offers, cars 10 years and older" Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
Middle offer on the old cars most often quoted in California, Junk Car Value Statistics
"378 California 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 3 figures from same-day quotes by several buyers" Accessed Sep. 17, 2026
