Life Changes
A Second Car Just Sitting in the Driveway: Keep or Let Go?
It started as the spare. Then someone changed jobs, or one of you started working from home, or the kids left. Now the second car sits in the driveway with leaves in the wiper well, and it only moves when you remember it is there.
You don’t have to get rid of it. But it should have a job. Here is a way to find out if it still does.
Short answer
Keep a second car if it would start today, is insured and legal, and you would really use it within your regular routine. Let it go if it only sits, needs work you keep putting off, or takes up space you need. If it runs well, a private sale or family gift often beats junking it.
The keep-or-let-go test
Answer these honestly. Go look at the car if you have to.
- Would it start right now, without a jump?
- Are the tabs current, and is it insured for the way you would use it?
- When did someone last drive it, and for what?
- If your main car failed tomorrow, would you truly use this one, or would you rent, share or take a bus?
- Would you feel safe with a family member driving it on the freeway?
- Is it taking up a space you need?
- Is there a repair you keep putting off?
- Would you buy this car today, for the job it does now?
If it comes up mostly no, the backup you are paying for may not work when you need it.
What the answers point to
| If this describes it | Think about |
|---|---|
| Runs well, used regularly, costs are fine | Keep it. Give it a regular drive so it stays that way. |
| Runs well but hardly used | Sell it privately, or offer it to family. It may be worth more now than after another year of sitting. |
| Needs a repair you keep delaying | Get a written quote and compare it with the car’s value. See repair or junk. |
| Does not run, hasn’t for a while | See revive it or junk it. Junking may be the honest answer. |
| Kept for sentimental reasons | That is a real reason. Just decide what you’re willing to pay for it, and keep it legal. |
What keeping it asks of you
A spare car costs something even if it doesn’t move. Insurance, tabs and maintenance keep coming, and our guide to what an unused car really costs gives you a worksheet to add up your real numbers.
There can also be rules about where it sits, and those depend on your city and whether the car runs.
| Where you are | What the source says |
|---|---|
| Seattle, neighborhood-residential zones | Up to three cars outside, with a 20-foot setback from the front lot line. You may not store inoperable vehicles as junk outdoors. |
| Bellevue, residential neighborhoods | Inoperable vehicles must be in a vented garage, a screened carport, or a side or rear yard that meets setbacks and is screened at least six feet. Open storage is allowed for seven days during repair. |
| Public streets anywhere | An expired registration of more than 45 days on a vehicle parked on a public street is a ground for impound. |
| An HOA or condo | Your association may have its own rules. See your HOA sent a notice. |
Other towns have their own rules. If you got a notice, read code violation notices.
Ways to let it go
Offer it to family
A good fit if it is safe. Note that a gift is still reported, and a car can’t be transferred to someone under 18.
Sell it privately
You will need a bill of sale unless the price and date are on the title, plus a Report of Sale.
Trade it in
If you are also replacing your main car, see trade in or junk.
Junk it
If it does not run or isn’t worth fixing, it can leave in one visit. See scrap car removal.
If you are clearing more than one, see selling more than one junk car. More than one car is fine with us if they are registered in your name in Washington.
If it goes to us
Tell us the year, make and model, whether it runs and where it is parked. We will give you an offer, tow it for free and pay cash at pickup. Call (206) 941-0612 or use our form. Before you sign anything, every owner on the title needs to be ready to sign. If a second car is in both spouses’ names, DOL says all owners shown on the title must sign.
Common questions
Official sources
- Seattle SDCI: Parking and car storage rules
- Seattle SDCI: Junk storage, cars and illegal dumping rules
- City of Bellevue: Storage of inoperable vehicles
- RCW 46.55.113: impound grounds
- RCW 46.12.755: transfer to a person under 18
- Washington DOL: Sell a vehicle
- Washington DOL: Affidavit of Loss/Release of Interest
This post summarizes official Washington guidance as of November 2, 2026. It is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules and fees can change, so check the sources above for your situation.
Keep reading
- Washington Junk Car Seller’s GuideEvery guide, sorted by where you are in the decision
- Washington Junk Car Paperwork GuideThe documents you need before pickup
- What an Unused Car Really Costs You
- Car Parked for Years: Revive It or Junk It?
- Your Teen’s First Car Died: What to Do Next
- The Project Car You Will Never Finish
- Buying a New Car: Trade In the Old One or Junk It?
- Moving Away and Stuck With an Old Car
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