What you need to junk a car
Junk Car Company answers the common questions about junking a car in Chicago: which papers count, what Illinois law says, and how pickup and payment work. Where a state rule is involved, the answer names its source.
What do I need to junk my car?
To junk your car with Junk Car Company, start with the title. If it's missing, list the papers you do have, like a bill of sale, the registration or an insurance card, and we'll confirm on the call which of them Illinois accepts for a scrap sale. Free towing, and payment as the car is collected.
Titles, papers and the state's rules
- Do I need the title to junk my car with Junk Car Company?
- Not always. Without it, name the papers you have, and on the call we check them against Illinois rules for scrap sales.
- What does Illinois law require a scrap processor to collect?
- Under 625 ILCS 5/5-401.3, identification from at least two sources, one a driver's license or State ID, and documentary proof of ownership such as a title, salvage certificate, junking certificate, junking manifest or certificate of purchase.
- How much is a duplicate title in Illinois?
- $50, according to the Illinois Secretary of State's FAQ. It takes about three to four weeks to issue once the office receives the application.
- The title is in a relative's name. Can I still sell?
- Only once the car is yours to sell. The person on the title, or their estate, has to be part of it. Our page on titles in someone else's name explains the common cases.
- There's still a lien on the title. What now?
- Get the lien paid or released first. The Secretary of State accepts a lien clearance letter, a paid-in-full lien contract, payment receipts or a court order.
- What do I do with my license plates?
- Take them off before the tow. If they left with the car, the Secretary of State's form VSD 851 lets you request revocation.
The tow, the payment and where we go
- Is towing free?
- Yes. No towing charge, and nothing taken out of the offer for the tow.
- When am I paid?
- At pickup, when the car is collected.
- Can you come today?
- Same-day pickup is often possible. We confirm the time when we call.
- What kinds of vehicles do you buy?
- Any vehicle in any condition: cars, trucks, vans and SUVs, whether wrecked, fire-damaged, flooded, stripped or dead for years.
- What hours do you work?
- Six in the morning to nine at night, seven days a week, on Chicago (Central) time.
- Does your offer expire?
- No. The offer has no time limit, which helps if you're waiting weeks on a duplicate title.
- Can one visit take more than one car?
- Yes. A single pickup can collect several cars.
- Is a car held at a shop, or parked at an apartment or HOA, a problem?
- Yes. Repair shops and apartment or HOA lots are fine; you arrange access or permission with the shop or the building first.
- Where can I get paid for my junk car in Chicago?
- Right where the car is parked. Junk Car Company pays during the pickup visit, in cash or by a digital payment such as Cash App or Zelle, whichever you prefer.
- Where do you pick up?
- Chicago and Chicagoland, including the Cook, DuPage and Will County suburbs, Joliet and Aurora, and Northwest Indiana as far as Gary.
- Why don't you list prices?
- The offer depends on the car. You hear it on the call after you send the form.