What To Do Before Junking Your Car

There are many reasons why someone may choose to junk their car. Perhaps the vehicle is racking up extensive repair costs or has begun to pose a safety risk. In either case, the car is probably better off being sold as scrap metal. If you determine that it is time to junk your vehicle, there are a few things that you’ll need to accomplish prior to visiting the junkyard. This guide on what to do before junking your car will help ensure that the process goes as smoothly as possible.

Video Overview

Gather the Necessary Paperwork and Documents

One of the first things to do after deciding that you want to junk your vehicle is to gather the necessary paperwork and documents. Before purchasing vehicle parts, most licensed buyers will require a variety of information to ensure that you are the legal owner of the vehicle.

As such, you should be prepared to provide the seller with the car title or other ownership documentation. Depending on local laws and restrictions in your area, you may also need to acquire certain legal paperwork if you wish to scrap the entire vehicle body.

Collect Your Personal Belongings

Another important thing to do before junking your car is to collect all of your belongings from the vehicle. If you’ve owned your vehicle for a long time, there is a good chance that several personal items have accumulated inside of it.

To avoid accidentally sending your items off to be crushed along with the rest of your vehicle, make sure to thoroughly inspect your vehicle. If you come across any items that you don’t want to get destroyed, make sure to remove them from the vehicle before continuing the junking process.

Remove the License Plates

In addition to personal items, it’s also important to remove the vehicle’s license plates before junking it. Your vehicle’s license plates are legally connected to you. If someone else gets ahold of your license plates and engages in some form of illegal activity, you could find yourself in the middle of a messy legal issue. As such, you should always remove your vehicle’s license plates before junking or otherwise selling your vehicle.

Cancel Your Car Insurance

Since you will no longer be driving your vehicle, it is important to cancel your car insurance. While this step may seem obvious, it slips many people’s minds. To avoid wasting money for insurance that you no longer need, you should make sure to call up your insurance company and cancel your policy before junking your car.