To junk a car in Georgia, get the title into your hands, clear any lien on it, sign it over to the buyer with a bill of sale, and then cancel the registration before you cancel the insurance. Do those in that order and you avoid the two common traps: a buyer who cannot take the car, and a lapse fine on a car you no longer own.

I checked the Georgia Department of Revenue (DOR) pages cited below. Where the DOR does not publish a figure or a rule, such as a scrap-price schedule, I say so rather than guess.

Step 1: find the title

A buyer needs a title they can accept. The DOR’s titles page links to a process for replacing a lost or stolen title, which you start before you shop the car around. If the title is in your name and in your drawer, move on. See the DOR’s titles for motor vehicles page for the replacement route and the T-7 bill of sale form.

A very old car is a special case. The DOR notes that a vehicle of model year 1985 or older may not require a title, and a bill of sale is used instead. Check the year before you assume you are missing paperwork.

Step 2: clear any lien

If you financed the car, the lender’s lien shows on the title. The DOR’s casual-sale page says all recorded liens must be released in the spaces provided on the title before it can be assigned to a new owner. If you paid off the loan long ago, ask the lender for the release or a lien satisfaction. The DOR hosts a satisfaction form for this, and its title lien page explains how a lien is released.

Do not hand over a title with an open lien and hope the buyer overlooks it. It is your responsibility, and it will stall the sale.

Step 3: get the offer in writing

Junk and scrap buyers vary a lot. Before you commit, ask each one:

  • What is the total, and is it cash, check or transfer?
  • Do they pick the car up, and does that change the price?
  • Will they take it without a title, or do they require one?
  • When do they pay, before or after the truck arrives?

I did not find a published statewide price per ton or per car for scrap, so compare two or three real offers instead of trusting a figure from a website.

Step 4: sign and document the sale

When the buyer takes the car, complete the title assignment on the back of the title. The DOR says that section must be completed and signed by both buyer and seller. Add a bill of sale showing the date, the price, the vehicle identification number, and both parties’ names. Keep a photo of the signed title and the bill of sale for your records.

Step 5: cancel registration, then insurance

This order matters. The DOR says you can voluntarily cancel your registration if the vehicle has been sold, is not being driven, or is no longer operable, and you should do it before canceling insurance, to avoid insurance fines and penalties.

You can cancel online through DRIVES e-Services with the plate or VIN and your driver’s license number, or in person at the county tag office with Form MV-18J. See the DOR’s cancellation page.

Why not just cancel the insurance first? A lapse is 10 or more days without coverage on record, and the state fines $25 for a lapse on an actively registered vehicle. A car that is gone but still registered can collect that fine. Whether you also hand in the license plate is a county tag office question, and I did not confirm a statewide plate-return rule, so ask them.

If the car has no title or you cannot find the owner

A different path applies to a car you did not own or one left on your property. Under the Abandoned Motor Vehicle Act (O.C.G.A. § 40-11-1 and following), a vehicle can count as abandoned after 30 days in three situations: it sat unclaimed at a repair shop 30 days past the agreed time, it was towed to someone’s property at the owner’s request and left 30 days without paying the charges, or it was left unattended on private property for 30 days. The DOR says only towing and storage firms may remove such vehicles from property, and they must notify owners and lienholders and follow a lien process. Its abandoned vehicles page is the source. That path is separate from selling your own car, and a title cannot be issued on a bond alone for an abandoned vehicle.

Getting the car to the buyer

If the car will not run, an operator can haul it. A flatbed is usually the right truck for a car that does not roll or steer, and you can read about flatbed towing. Our page on junk car removal covers what to tell dispatch, such as whether the keys are available and whether the wheels turn.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a title to junk a car in Georgia?

Most buyers expect one. The DOR describes a replacement process for lost titles, and for a model year 1985 or older vehicle a bill of sale may be used instead.

What if I still owe money on the car?

The lien has to be released on the title before it can be assigned. Ask the lender for the release paperwork.

Should I cancel my insurance when I junk the car?

Cancel the registration first. The DOR advises doing it before you drop coverage to avoid insurance fines.

Is there a fee to cancel registration?

The DOR page does not list a cancellation fee, and I could not confirm one. Ask your county tag office.

For a tow or roadside call in metro Atlanta, the line is (858) 925-5546.