Moving Away and Stuck With an Old Car

We do not list shipping or repair prices, because any number we gave you would be a guess. Call for real quotes, using the route and condition of your car. Then the math takes a minute.

1. Write down the shipping quote

   Get one in writing for this car and this route. If it does not run, say so.

2. Add any repair it needs

   Use a written quote from a mechanic, not a guess. Our guide on reading a repair estimate helps.

3. Find what the car is worth

   Look at listings for similar cars where you are moving. See finding your car’s value.

4. Compare

   If the first two together are near or above the third, shipping is hard to justify, unless the car means something to you. That is a fair reason, but be honest with yourself about it.

5. Ask what you’d need there

   Would you need to replace this car anyway, soon after arriving? Would your new city need a car at all?

Leaving the car at a friend’s place can seem like the easy answer. It can also come back to you. If it is your name on the record, the car is still your responsibility. Under RCW 46.55.105, the last registered owner is presumed liable for removal, storage and disposal costs if a vehicle is abandoned.

Street parking does not solve it either. Seattle has a 72-hour limit on the same block, and an expired registration of more than 45 days on a public street is a ground for impound. Letting a friend “sell it for you later” also has limits. Only a licensed dealer, the registered or legal owner, or someone with a notarized power of attorney may display a vehicle for sale.

1. As soon as you know you are moving

   Find the title. If it is lost, leave time for a replacement. DOL’s pages give different timing, so assume several weeks, or ask about an Affidavit of Loss/Release of Interest. If there is a loan, start now; see selling with a lien.

2. Once you have a moving date

   Make your decision. Get quotes for shipping and from buyers.

3. Before your final week

   Book the sale or pickup. Do not leave it for your last day, since same-day pickup is often possible but never promised.

4. The day it goes

   Clear out the car. See what to remove. Take off the plates, because DOL says sellers are “legally obligated” to remove them. Sign the paperwork and get paid.

5. Within five business days

   File your Report of Sale, using an address where mail will reach you. DOL requires a report even if the car is sold out of state. See what to do after you junk a car.

6. Then

   Call your insurer about the policy. If you renewed tabs early and they are unused, DOL has a refund route that can take 1 to 3 months.

We recommend the seller be present at pickup, to hand over paperwork and get paid. If you have moved and the car is still here, call us and tell us the situation before you arrange anything. A power of attorney may help you, and DOL explains how the signer writes it. See selling with power of attorney for how that works, and do I need to be there for what to arrange.

We pick up from driveways, garages, apartment and condo lots, business lots and the street, with flatbed trucks, and the car does not need to run. We tow for free, pay cash at pickup and are open 7 days from 8 AM to 11 PM. Give us as much notice as you can at (206) 941-0612, or use our form. Moving to Washington instead? Read moved to Washington with an old car. Our non-running car page has more on cars that won’t start.