Whether your car is just too old or if the repair costs are becoming too expensive, there are a good number of reasons why it’s not always a bad idea to junk your car. However, what most folks don’t often think about when junking their car is the legal side of things. In particular, do you need to notify the DMV if you junk your car? In short, the answer is a solid ‘Yes’, you have to let the DMV know if you’re junking your car, but the process varies across states.
At the end of the day, letting the DMV know that you’re junking your car is an important and necessary legal step to make it known, on record, that you’re not responsible for the car. That means updating the DMV’s records to show that you’re no longer the owner and that the car isn’t registered under your name anymore. Or else, if you don’t do this, that junked car would technically remain yours, and you’re still liable for any issues that might arise from this.
1) What Happens If You Don’t Notify The DMV?
Speaking of, if your car isn’t marked as ‘junked’ in the DMV’s records, some of the things you’ll have to deal with include (but certainly aren’t limited to):
- First off, you’re still responsible for any parking tickets and fines. For example, if you’ve left the junked car abandoned in a parking lot somewhere or if it’s been illegally parked, tickets issued for the car will be yours to pay, and they’ll keep being sent to you.
- Worse, if the junked car was involved in anything criminal, such as being used in a hit-and-run, and it’s still registered under your name, you could be wrongfully implicated. You’re also open to being sued or lawsuits due to these criminal acts, since you’re technically still the owner.
- Aside from that, even though your car’s been junked and it’s no longer operational, not letting the DMV update your records will make you liable for any fees on that car. For instance, you’ll have to keep paying for registration and insurance.
- From a financial perspective, not notifying the DMV could also impact you down the line, too. Mainly, if you’re trying to register a new car, unresolved issues with your junk car can lead you to delays. It might also impact your credit score, especially with unpaid fines.
2) How To Notify The DMV About A Junk Car?
So, now that we’re clear on the fact that it’s up to you to notify the DMV if you junk your car, we have to discuss the process for doing this. I’ll include some state-specific anecdotes down below, but for most states, here’s what you’ll have to do to notify the DMV if you’re junking a car:
- First off, you’ll have to gather the necessary paperwork. This usually includes the car’s title, its registration documents, or a bill of sale. The latter will be needed if you’ve sold the junked car to a junkyard or another party, to prove the transaction.
- Next up, your state DMV will also ask that you fill out the relevant forms for junking a car. It’ll differ from state to state, but some good examples include the ‘Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability‘… This notifies the DMV that you’re no longer responsible for the car. Another piece of paperwork that you may have to deal with is the ‘Application for Salvage Certificate or Non-Repairable Vehicle Certificate‘… These types of non-repairable or salvage certificates formally declare your car as ‘junked’.
- Once you have all the forms and paperwork ready, it’s time to submit them to the DMV. You’d normally do this in person by visiting a local DMV office near you. But, in some states, you can do this by mail and send them to the DMV office, or even submit digital copies online through the DMV’s website.
3) State-Specific Regulations For Junking A Car
As I mentioned earlier, each state has its own, very specific set of rules for how to notify the DMV that you want to junk your car. Mainly, different states will require that you fill out other types of extra forms, varying ways of handling your car’s title and registration, not to mention there being specific timelines for notifying the DMV.
If you’re not 100% sure about what you have to do and what the process is like in your specific state, just give them a call and ask, or even head over to their website. They will be able to aid you in clearing up any confusion and provide step-by-step guides on what you’ll have to do, on top of providing you with FAQs and all the forms needed to complete this process.
Just to give you an idea of how this looks like in different states, here’s how notifying the DMV that you want to junk your car entails:
California
The process is quite stringent in California, where you’ll have to complete a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (NRL) form. Plus, you’ll need to do this within 5 days of selling, junking, or donating your car. This lets the California DMV know that the car is no longer in your name or under your possession. Since you’re junking your car, you’ll also need to obtain the Salvage Certificate from the DVM to mark your car as non-operational.
Texas
In Texas, within 30 days of selling or junking your car, you’ll need to submit a Vehicle Transfer Notification form to the DMV. This essentially removes your name from the title and releases you from liability. You’ll also need to submit a Salvage Vehicle Title if the car is being junked or salvaged, which shows the DMV that the car is no longer road-worthy and can’t be registered. It’s worth bearing in mind that specific counties within Texas have their own laws, too.
Florida
When you’re junking a car in Florida, you’ll have to surrender your license plates to the DMV, since the registration is being canceled. Otherwise, if you’re selling the car to a junkyard, the DMV will further ask you to submit a Notice of Sale form, and you’ll have to do this within 30 days. Additionally, there are other more specific requirements for handling the car’s title, like signing it over to the junkyard.
New York
Meanwhile, in New York, when you’re junking a car, you’ll have to surrender the license plate to the DMV and submit a Plate Surrender Application form. This makes it 100% certain in the DMV’s records that the junked car is no longer under your name. If your car is being scrapped, New York also requires that you submit a Salvage Certificate, and to prevent any penalties, it has to be done within 10 days of selling or disposing of the car.
Michigan
If you’re junking your car by selling it to a junkyard or salvage yard, you’ll have to fill out and submit the Bill of Sale, as well as transfer the title accordingly. Michigan has some pretty strict rules about junking a car, which include canceling the car’s insurance and making sure that the registration isn’t being renewed. Furthermore, to mark the car as non-operational, it must be accompanied by a Junking Certificate.