In the life cycle of every vehicle, there comes a time when it can take no more. It’s like the final nail in the coffin. When a car gets old, people usually try to sell it off. However, after serving its share of buyers and owners, every car has a point where repairing it is simply worthless. It is at this point when you want to simply scrap your vehicle to junk and leave behind all the history associated with the car. However, before moving on, it is important that you ensure you have all the necessary documents required to junk a car.

Title

Firstly and most importantly, get your car title. It is your car title that states you are the owner of the vehicle and allows you to transfer ownership of your vehicle to the scrap dealer. Thus, if any unforeseen event happens with your car, you do not need to run around for investigation.



On the other hand, if you cannot find your car title, there is no need to panic. If you pay a visit to your state’s motor department, you can get it replaced. Having said that, there are many states where a car title is not a compulsion and every state has some variations in rules regarding the same. For example, Vermont does not provide a title to cars older than 15 years. Oregon, on the other hand, allows you to scrap your car and apply for a replacement title at the same time! If you’re in New York, you can sell the car without a title and it is the job of the buyer (in this case the scrap dealer) to apply for a title!



Also, there are different types of car titles. A vehicle that has never been a part of any major accident has a ‘clean’ title. If a vehicle has been totally damaged in an accident and is in an irreparable condition, it receives a ‘salvage’ title. Lastly, if a damaged vehicle is rebuilt after an accident, it gets a ‘rebuilt’ or ‘reconstructed’ title. Therefore it is important to figure out which car title category does your vehicle fall into.

Car Insurance

Once you are done with the car title, here is another thing you need to do immediately. Cancel your car insurance immediately. This means once your vehicle is scrapped you do not need to make any payments before the end of the policy tenure. In case you have paid the full coverage, you can still collect a refund from the same.

Registration and Driver’s License

Apart from the title and insurance, one must have the car registered in their home state. In case you have misplaced your registration card, you can get a duplicate one and have it replaced at the state Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for a fee of around US$ 22.

Once all the above mentioned documents are clear, you are all set to scrap your car!