Knowing what to do before junking a car saves you from the small problems that show up weeks later: a toll notice, a lost document, a policy still billing you for a car that is gone. None of it is hard. It just has to happen in the right order, and most of it has to happen before the tow truck pulls up.
This guide sets out what to do before junking a car in Chicago and the rest of Illinois, as a plain checklist. Work through it the day before pickup, and the handover itself takes a few minutes.
What to Do Before Junking a Car: The Short Version
If you only read one section, read this one. Here is the full junk car checklist in order:
1. Find your title, or confirm you can sell without it.
2. Get a quote and book the pickup.
3. Clear out every personal item.
4. Take the plates off.
5. Remove the I-PASS transponder and any parking or garage tags.
6. Wipe your phone and personal data from the car.
7. Leave the keys and the signed title ready.
8. After the car is gone, cancel the insurance and close out the plates.
Each step is explained below, with the reasons it matters in Illinois.
Step 1: Find the Title (or Know Your Options Without It)
The title is the document that proves the car is yours to sell. Look in the usual places first: a fire safe, a file of car papers, the glove box, or the folder where you keep the loan payoff letter. If the car was financed, the title may still be with the lender, or it may have been mailed to you when the loan was paid off.
When you find it, check that the name on the front matches your ID. If two owners are listed, you may need both signatures. Do not sign anything yet. Wait until the buyer is there, so the right details go in the right boxes.
If you cannot find it, do not panic. A missing title changes the paperwork, not the whole sale. Our guide to selling a junk car without a title in Illinois walks through what to bring instead.
Step 2: Get a Quote and Book the Pickup
Call with the year, make and model, whether the car rolls, whether it starts, and where it is parked. Be honest about missing parts, flood damage or a dead engine. A clear description gets you a firm number, and a firm number means no surprise haggling when the truck arrives.
Ask the buyer three questions before you book:
- Is the quote firm, as long as the car matches what I described?
- Is the tow free?
- How will I be paid, and when?
A reputable buyer answers all three plainly. Our junk car buyers page explains how we handle each one across Chicagoland.
Step 3: Clear Out Every Personal Item
This is the step people rush, and it is the one they regret. Once the car is crushed or dismantled, anything left inside is gone for good.
Check these spots one at a time:
- Glove box and center console
- Door pockets and seat-back pockets
- Under every seat, and between the seats and the console
- Sun visors, where people tuck receipts and cards
- The trunk, including under the floor panel where the spare sits
- Any roof box or bike rack you want to keep
Also look for things that are easy to forget because they live in the car: a garage door opener clipped to the visor, a phone mount, a dash camera, a child seat, a jump starter, or a parking permit hanging from the mirror. Those are worth keeping, and some of them are tied to your home or your account.
Step 4: Take the Plates Off
In Illinois, plates belong to the owner, not the vehicle. They do not go with the car. Take them off yourself before pickup day. It takes a screwdriver and two minutes.
Once they are off, you have two choices: transfer them to another car you own, or return them to the Illinois Secretary of State. Most owners keep them for the next vehicle. Either way, never leave them on the junk car, because plates left on a car keep your name attached to it.
For more on plates and registration when the sticker has already expired, see our guide on selling an unregistered car in Illinois.
Step 5: Remove the I-PASS Transponder and Tags
An I-PASS transponder is tied to your tolling account, not to the car. If it leaves on the windshield, it can keep charging you. Peel it off before the truck comes, then log in to your account and remove the old plate number from your vehicle list.
While you are at the windshield, check for a city parking sticker, a building or garage tag, or a work parking pass. Remove what you can, and tell the issuer the car is gone so the permit can be moved or canceled.
Step 6: Wipe Your Data From the Car
Newer cars remember more than you think. If you paired a phone, the car may hold your contacts, call history and home address in the navigation.
Before you junk it:
- Unpair your phone in the Bluetooth menu.
- Clear saved addresses and trip history in the navigation.
- If the car has a connected app or built-in service, remove the car from your account.
- Use the factory reset option in the settings menu, if the car has one.
If the battery is dead and the screen will not turn on, you cannot do this part. That is fine. The car is being dismantled, not resold to a driver. Just make sure you remove it from any phone app or online account it was linked to.
Step 7: Have the Keys and Paperwork Ready
On pickup day, the handover is quick when everything is in one place. Put these together:
- The title, unsigned until the driver is there
- Your photo ID
- All the keys and fobs you have
- Any loan release letter, if the car was once financed
When the driver arrives, sign the title over in the seller section, and fill in the details the buyer asks for. Then get a receipt or bill of sale before the car leaves. It should show the date, the vehicle identification number and who took the car. Keep it. If a notice ever arrives for a car you no longer own, that receipt answers it in one call.
What to Do Before Junking a Car vs. After: Insurance Comes Last
Here is the one step that belongs after the sale, not before it. Do not cancel your insurance until the car is gone.
Until the truck collects it, the car is still yours. If you cancel early and something happens to it on the street or in your driveway, you have no cover. A gap in coverage can also raise the price of your next policy.
So the order is simple. Sell the car, get your receipt, then call the insurer. Tell them the date the car was junked and ask what proof they need. If you paid the policy ahead, ask about a refund for the unused time while you are on the phone.
Do You Need to Drain Fluids or Remove Parts First?
No. You do not need to drain fuel, oil or coolant before you junk a car, and you should not try. The buyer handles fluids safely when the car is processed.
Should you pull valuable parts to sell on your own? Usually it is not worth it. A car that is missing its battery, catalytic converter or wheels is often worth less as a whole, and the quote you were given assumes the car is complete. If you remove something, say so when you call, so the number stays accurate.
The one thing worth leaving in the tank is a little fuel, if the car still runs. It makes moving it to the curb easier. Otherwise, leave the car as it is.
Common Mistakes When Junking a Car in Chicago
Most problems with what to do before junking a car come from a few simple slips. Avoid these and you avoid nearly every headache:
- Leaving the plates on. Your name stays tied to the car.
- Canceling insurance too early. The car sits uncovered until pickup.
- Forgetting the transponder. Tolls can keep posting to your account.
- No receipt. You lose your best proof of the sale date.
- Signing the title too soon. An open, signed title is easy to misuse.
- Rushing the cleanout. Papers with your address stay in the car.
If the car is parked on a Chicago street and has stopped running, book the pickup soon. A car that sits too long can attract tickets or a tow, and that adds a cost you did not need.
Ready When You Are
Once you know what to do before junking a car, the whole job takes an afternoon. Find the title, clear the car, pull the plates and transponder, and keep your receipt. Cancel the insurance last. If you want the step-by-step of how pickup and payment work, see our sell my junk car page.