How junking a car works in Illinois
Junking a car with Junk Car Company takes four steps: send the car details, take our call with the offer, meet the free tow and get paid at pickup, then file one form with the Illinois Secretary of State. Here is each step, with the paperwork guide that goes with it.
How do you junk a car in Illinois?
- Send the year, make, model and title answer, then your name, phone and pickup address.
- Take our call, hear the offer, and go over which papers you have.
- Remove plates and belongings, meet the free tow, and get paid at pickup.
- Mail the Seller's Report of Sale (VSD 703) to the Illinois Secretary of State.
Fill in the car, then your number
The form has two steps. First the car: year, make, model and one question, "Do you have title?", with three answers: yes, no, or registration only. Then you: name, phone and the pickup address. Nothing else, and no account.
If you're unsure how to answer the title question, the quote page explains each answer.
Take our call, sort the paper
We call you with the offer and go over your papers. With the title, that's settled. Without it, tell us what you do have, such as a bill of sale, the registration or an insurance card, and we'll check it against Illinois rules for scrap sales before anyone books a tow.
Paper problems and where to read up on each:
- No title at all: what Illinois law says about junking without a title
- Title lost but in your name: replacing a lost Illinois title
- A lender still on the title: junking a car with a lien
Pickup and payment
Take the plates off and clear out the glovebox, trunk and seats before the truck comes. Same-day pickup is often possible. The truck comes at no cost to you, nothing is deducted from the offer for towing, and you're paid as the car is collected.
If you have the title, you sign it over at pickup. Our Illinois bill of sale guide shows the seller's side of the title and a bill of sale checklist.
Close it out with the state
Mail the Seller's Report of Sale (VSD 703). The Secretary of State's form says to complete it immediately when you sell a vehicle titled or registered in Illinois, and that it releases your responsibility for the vehicle.
If the plates left on the car, file the revocation request covered in our guide to plates after junking.
Questions people ask
- How long does junking a car take?
- The form is seven fields, we call you with an offer, and same-day pickup is often possible. The Illinois paperwork after the sale is one form in the mail.
- What if I can't be there at pickup?
- Tell us when we call. You're paid as the car is collected, in cash or through an app like Zelle or Cash App, so we plan the visit around whoever meets the truck.
- What if I can't find any paperwork?
- Then start with the Secretary of State. If the car is titled in your name, a duplicate title costs $50, and a duplicate registration card costs $3. Send the form meanwhile and we'll talk it through.