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From Your Message to Pickup Day: How Selling Works

Selling a junk car to Cash for Junk Cars Gary Indiana takes five steps: you send a short form, we call with an offer, you pick a time, the truck tows the car for free, and you're paid at pickup. Here's each step, plus the Indiana title and plate basics.

The five steps

  1. You send the form

    Step one asks for the year, make, model and whether you have the title. Step two asks for your name, phone number and where the car is. That's everything we need to start.

  2. We call with an offer

    We call you back and give you an offer. Tell us what's wrong with the car on that call: damage, rust, missing parts, whether it starts. The offer is built on what you describe.

  3. You choose a time

    If you accept, we set a pickup time that suits you. Same-day pickup is often possible. Think of it as a window rather than an exact minute, since trains and traffic around Gary can slow a truck down.

  4. The truck comes to the car

    Towing is free. The car doesn't need to run, and it can be in a driveway, garage, backyard, street spot or parking lot. Tell us about anything unusual, like a flat tire or a car stuck in park.

  5. Paperwork and payment

    You sign the title over (or hand over the other paper Indiana accepts, which we confirm on the call) and payment is made right there at pickup, as the truck loads the car, by Zelle, Cash App or another payment app, or in cash if you'd rather.

Before the truck arrives

  • Empty the car. Glovebox, console, trunk, under the seats, and any toll transponder or garage opener.
  • Take the license plate off. Indiana's BMV says the seller should remove the plate at the time of the sale.
  • Find the title. No title? We can still help. In Indiana a junk car sale runs on one of two papers: the title (lost it? the BMV issues a duplicate for $15) or a BMV certificate of authority, which costs $4 and is applied for with something showing the car is yours, like your current registration. If the car is under 15 model years old, state law requires one of the two. Let us know what you do have, such as a bill of sale, a registration or an insurance card, and on the call we'll work out which route fits your car.
  • Clear a path. Move anything blocking a garage door or a narrow side yard.

Indiana title and plate basics

These come from the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles' Buying and Selling page and its plate FAQ.

  • The seller and purchaser sections of the certificate of title should be completed in their entirety.
  • The purchaser is responsible for a new title, registration and plate, and applies for the title within 45 days.
  • You don't have to turn your old plate in to the BMV. You can move it to another vehicle you own, or destroy it so it's permanently unreadable.

An expired registration doesn't stop any of this. Our guide on selling a car with expired plates in Indiana explains why.

After the car is gone

Call your insurance company about the policy on that car, and keep a note of the sale date. If you kept the plate, decide whether it's moving to another car or being destroyed.

Still have questions? Our questions and answers page covers titles, plates, pickup and the towns we serve.

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