Titles go missing all the time. They get lost in a move, stuck in a drawer at a relative’s house, or were never signed over when the car changed hands years ago. A missing title doesn’t end the sale. It just means we ask a few more questions first.
Papers worth mentioning
When you fill in the form, the title question has three answers: yes, no, or registration only. Pick the true one. Then, on the call, tell us everything else you have:
- an old Illinois registration card or renewal notice
- a bill of sale from when you bought the car
- an insurance card or policy with the car on it
- a lien release, if the car was once financed
- a photo of the VIN plate, so we can match the car to the papers
Illinois rules decide which of these can support a sale to a scrap buyer, and the answer can depend on the car’s age and history. So we don’t promise anything in advance. We look at what you have and tell you plainly whether we can take the car, and if we can’t, what you’d need to get first.
When getting a duplicate title is the better move
If the car is registered to you and you simply lost the title, the cleanest route is often a duplicate title from the Illinois Secretary of State. It takes some time, and the state charges a fee, but it removes every question from the sale. Our offer doesn’t expire, so you can apply for the duplicate and call us back when it arrives.
Cars we won’t take
We won’t buy a car when the person selling can’t show any connection to it, or when the papers name someone else and there’s no way to show permission. That protects you as much as us. If you’re cleaning out a property and found a car nobody claims, the city has its own process; our guide to a car abandoned on your block covers it.
Picking a buyer who handles this honestly
Be wary of anyone who says the title never matters. Our checklist for checking a junk car buyer before you call lists the questions that separate a real buyer from one who’ll change the price once the truck is in front of your house.
When the papers check out, the rest is simple: a free tow and payment at pickup in cash, Zelle or Cash App. Start with the vehicle details.