My dad's car is titled to him. Can I junk it for him?

If he's able to, he's the seller, and the title in his name is the simplest paper there is. You can fill in the form and handle the call for him.

Two names are on the title. Do both have to sign?

The Illinois Secretary of State says a title has to show the signed and printed names of all the sellers, so plan on both.

The owner died. What happens now?

The Secretary of State's title and registration forms list includes a Small Estate Affidavit and a Beneficiary Affidavit. Which one applies depends on the estate, so ask the Secretary of State at 800-252-8980 or a lawyer before selling.

I bought the car but never put it in my name. Does that work?

Tell us on the form what you have, such as the title the seller signed over to you or a bill of sale. We'll go through it on the call.

Junking a car whose title isn't in your name

When the title is in someone else's name, Junk Car Company can still help, as long as the car is now yours to sell. Tell us how you came to have it and which papers you hold, and we check them on the call against Illinois rules. If the car still belongs to someone else, that person or their estate has to be part of the sale.

Free towing. Payment at the curb in cash or by app transfer. Often a same-day pickup.

Get an offer for your junk car

Can I junk a car if the title isn't in my name?

Only once the car is yours to sell. If you bought it and never transferred the title, tell Junk Car Company what you hold, such as the title signed over to you or a bill of sale, and we'll check it on the call against Illinois scrap-sale rules. If the car still belongs to a relative, their side comes first.

Four situations we hear about

You bought it and never transferred it. The seller handed you a signed title or a bill of sale, and the car never went into your name. Illinois law puts that step on the buyer: under 625 ILCS 5/3-112(b), the buyer applies for a new title within 20 days of getting the car and the assigned title. Plenty of cars skip it anyway. The title signed over to you is the strongest paper you can have here; a bill of sale helps too. Tell us which you hold and we’ll say on the call what Illinois allows.

It’s a family member’s car you’ve been driving. Driving it for years doesn’t move the ownership. The person named on the title or registration is the seller. They can sign, and you can do the rest: fill in the form, take the call, and meet the truck.

The owner died. This is the one to slow down on. The Illinois Secretary of State’s title and registration forms list includes a Small Estate Affidavit and a Beneficiary Affidavit (VSD 773). We haven’t set out here which one fits which estate, because that depends on the estate. Ask the Secretary of State at 800-252-8980 or a lawyer, get the paperwork in order, then call us.

Two owners, one of them gone. Couples split, co-signers move out of state. The title still lists both, and both sign. More on that below.

Who signs an Illinois title

The Secretary of State’s FAQ is direct about it: when you sell a vehicle to another person, the certificate of title “must be signed over on the back to the person purchasing the vehicle,” and the title has to show the signed and printed names of all the sellers and buyers, with the odometer reading certified. The seller-side steps, including the Seller’s Report of Sale, are in our Illinois vehicle bill of sale guide.

Where our policy fits

A missing title is something we can work around, but only for a car that’s yours to sell. A registration card in your late uncle’s name shows the car was his, which makes it a matter for his estate first. A title he signed over to you, or a bill of sale from him, points the other way. Tell us which papers you have and how you got the car, and on the call we’ll check them against Illinois rules for scrap sales. To start, get an offer with the form.

For the rest of the no-title picture, see junking a car without a title in Chicago or go back to Junk Car Company’s home page.

Questions people ask

My dad's car is titled to him. Can I junk it for him?: If he's able to, he's the seller, and the title in his name is the simplest paper there is. You can fill in the form and handle the call for him.
Two names are on the title. Do both have to sign?: The Illinois Secretary of State says a title has to show the signed and printed names of all the sellers, so plan on both.
The owner died. What happens now?: The Secretary of State's title and registration forms list includes a Small Estate Affidavit and a Beneficiary Affidavit. Which one applies depends on the estate, so ask the Secretary of State at 800-252-8980 or a lawyer before selling.
I bought the car but never put it in my name. Does that work?: Tell us on the form what you have, such as the title the seller signed over to you or a bill of sale. We'll go through it on the call.