Most of this takes ten minutes. Doing it in this order avoids the two calls people regret: the one to the City Clerk about a sticker they threw away, and the one to the Tollway about tolls on a car they no longer own.
Eight steps, in order
- Find your papers. The title if you have it. If not, gather what you do have: registration, bill of sale, insurance card. We’ll tell you on the call which papers fit the sale. Our no-title page explains why we ask.
- Empty the car. Glove box, center console, trunk, under the seats, the spare-tire well. People find old pay stubs, tax papers and spare house keys in these spots.
- Take your Chicago city sticker if you’ll need it again. If you’re replacing this car with another one, the City Clerk lets you transfer the sticker to the new vehicle, but the Clerk’s FAQ says the transfer needs your old sticker, regardless of its condition. Peel it off the windshield (or scrape it off in pieces) before the truck comes. Refunds are limited to duplicate purchases or stickers issued with invalid information, per the City Clerk’s sticker FAQ.
- Deal with your I-PASS. Remove the car’s plate from your I-PASS account, and take any removable transponder with you. Sticker tags stuck to the windshield aren’t designed to move between vehicles, according to the Illinois Tollway, so update the account and order a tag for your next car.
- Unplug the extras. Garage door remotes clipped to the visor, a dash camera, a phone mount, a child seat. Clear any garage codes stored in the car’s built-in remote, and sign out of the infotainment system if it holds your phone contacts.
- Take the license plates off. Then check with the Illinois Secretary of State whether to move them to another vehicle or turn them in.
- Make room for the truck. Move bins, bikes and other cars out of the way. If the car is in a garage or tight alley, our garage and alley pickup guide explains what helps.
- Cancel insurance after the sale. Not before. Keep a photo of the signed title or bill of sale with the date for your records.
When the driver is at the curb
The driver checks the car and the papers, loads it, and pays you in cash, Zelle or Cash App. If the car isn’t what was described, that’s when it comes up, which is why step 1 and an honest description on the call matter.
If someone else’s name is on the title
A car titled to a parent, a former partner or someone who has died needs more than the title in hand. Tell us on the call; it’s better to sort that before the truck comes than in the driveway. For how to tell if a buyer handles this properly, see how to check a junk car buyer.
Done with the list? Schedule the pickup.