Selling a junk car without the title, in Illinois or Indiana
Can you sell a junk car without a title?
Often, yes, but the state decides how. In Illinois, tell Top Dollar Junk Cars which papers you hold, such as a registration card or insurance card, and we confirm on the call whether they work for a scrap sale. In Indiana, the sale needs the title or a BMV certificate of authority, whatever the car's age.
The rest of this page sets out each state in turn, then what to do if the title is simply lost, and a table of the papers people usually have. Once the papers are settled, the pickup itself runs the same as any other: see how a free pickup works.
Illinois: start with the papers in your glovebox
Most Illinois sellers who call without a title still have something: the registration card from the glovebox, an insurance card, an old bill of sale from when they bought the car. Which of those can carry a scrap sale is set by Illinois rules, not by us, so we won't promise over the phone that any single paper is enough before we've heard the details.
What we will do is ask. Whose name is on the registration? Is the car still registered to you, or to the person you bought it from? Was there ever a loan on it? Those answers decide the route, and we tell you on the same call whether we can go ahead or what you'd need first.
Two cases come up often. If the title is in a relative's name, say so straight away, because the route may differ. If the car was financed, the lender may still hold the title, or the release for it came with the final payment; dig that letter out before you call. And if the title is in a business's name, our guide to junking a company-owned vehicle covers who signs for the firm.
Got a few weeks? A duplicate title from the Illinois Secretary of State settles the question entirely. The office's duplicate titles page explains the application.
Indiana: title or certificate of authority
Indiana is stricter, and the rule is written into state law. Any sale to a recycler, which is what we are when we buy your junk car, needs one of two papers no matter how old the car is: the certificate of title, or a certificate of authority from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (IC 9-22-5-18).
- Lost Indiana title: the BMV issues a duplicate for $15 (BMV duplicate title application).
- No title to be had: apply for a certificate of authority on State Form 55018, which carries a $4 fee (BMV fee chart).
- Buying without the title is allowed only for a car at least 15 model years old, and only when you hand over that certificate.
- A car under 15 model years old with neither paper can't be bought at all: taking it would be a Level 6 felony for the buyer under IC 9-32-9-29, as amended by Senate Enrolled Act 65 (2024).
None of that means an older car needs no paperwork. It means the certificate can stand in for a missing title on an older car. Tell us the model year and what you hold, and we'll confirm on the call which route fits.
Lost the title? Do this first
- Search the obvious places once more. Glovebox, a file of car papers, the envelope the lender sent when the loan ended.
- Check whose name it's in. If the car isn't registered to you, that changes the route in both states.
- Order a duplicate if you can wait. The Secretary of State in Illinois, the BMV in Indiana.
- Can't wait? Call us with whatever you have, and we'll tell you whether the sale can go ahead now.
Wondering whether no title will knock money off? Our guide to what sets a junk car's price lists what the quote call weighs, and if you're comparing buyers, how junk car offers move covers why two figures for the same car can differ.
Papers you have, and what happens next
| What you have | Illinois car | Indiana car |
|---|---|---|
| Title in your name | We buy it as normal | We buy it as normal |
| Title lost | Order a duplicate from the Secretary of State, or call with what you have now | Order the $15 BMV duplicate; for a car 15+ model years old, a certificate of authority also works |
| Registration, insurance card or bill of sale only | Tell us on the call; Illinois rules decide whether it works for a scrap sale | Not enough on its own; the title or a certificate of authority is needed |
| Certificate of authority (State Form 55018) | An Indiana form; tell us your Illinois papers instead | Hand it over with the car; we confirm how it fits your model year |
| Nothing, car 15+ model years old | Call us and we'll say what to get first | Apply for the certificate first ($4) |
| Nothing, car under 15 model years old | Call us and we'll say what to get first | We can't buy it until you have a title or certificate |
Which states we buy in
We buy in Illinois, across Chicago and its suburbs, and in Northwest Indiana from Hammond and Whiting out to Gary and the towns that border it. We don't collect in Michigan, so Michigan's title rules aren't covered on this page. The directory of pickup towns shows exactly where pickups stop.
No-title questions
Will a junkyard buy a car without a title?
Many will, but only on terms their state allows. We buy cars without titles in Illinois when the papers you hold work for a scrap sale, and in Indiana when you have a BMV certificate of authority and the car qualifies. Ring us with what you have and you'll get a straight answer.
Is a title required to junk a car in Illinois?
A title is the simplest way, but it isn't the only paper people bring. Illinois rules set which documents work for a scrap sale, so we check yours on the call before anything is booked. If you can wait, a duplicate title from the Secretary of State removes the question.
Can I junk a car without a title in Indiana?
Only in one case: the car is at least 15 model years old and you hand over a BMV certificate of authority. Every Indiana sale to a recycler needs the title or that certificate, and buying a car under 15 model years old with neither is a felony for the buyer. A lost Indiana title can be replaced for $15.