You Have Stopped Driving: What to Do With the Car

• Give it to family

  Good if someone needs a car, and it is safe. You still have to report the gift. The sale price is entered as zero for a gift.

• Sell it privately

  Often the way to get the most for a working car, but expect phone calls and strangers. Have someone with you.

• Donate it

  Good if a cause matters to you. See buyer or charity.

• Sell it for junk

  Good if it does not run or needs more than it is worth. It comes to you, in one visit.

If the car still runs and is in decent shape, don’t junk it just to get it over with. A family member, a dealer or a private buyer may give it a longer life, and may give you more for it. See junk, sell or donate.

A few rules are worth knowing before you hand over the keys.

• Sign the title over properly, and have the relative apply for the transfer. A buyer must apply within 15 days of delivery, and a late fee can apply after that.
• File your Report of Sale. A gift counts. See how to file. DOL says to enter zero for a gift.
• Do not transfer it to a grandchild under 18. RCW 46.12.755 makes that unlawful. An adult would need to be the one on the title.
• Ask about tax. Gifts can be exempt from use tax if the prior owner paid sales or use tax and nothing was given in return. A vehicle gifted with an unpaid loan generally does not qualify. See the Department of Revenue’s use tax facts.

Do not let a relative just use it while it stays in your name. As long as the record has your name on it, bills for it can find you.

1. Find the papers

   Title, registration and any loan papers. Put them in one folder.

2. Ask someone you trust to help

   You do not have to do it alone. A son, daughter, neighbor or friend can make calls, be there at pickup and count the cash with you.

3. Clean out the car

   Check the glove box, trunk and under the seats. Take the garage opener. See erasing personal data if you used a phone with it.

4. Take off the plates

   Disabled parking plates, personalized plates and collector plates must be returned instead of recycled. A placard is not covered here, so ask the Department of Licensing about that.

5. Report it

   File your Report of Sale within five business days, and keep the confirmation.

6. Call your insurer

   Tell them the date the car left. Ask about the policy and any refund. Keep the policy in place until then.

Once the car is gone, the bills for it can stop. Tabs expire every year, and insurance keeps going until you end it. See what an unused car really costs if you want to add it up. Any cost you stop paying could go toward rides, delivery or whatever helps you get around. Your local transit agency or senior center can tell you what rides are available.

We have been doing this for over 20 years, and we are glad to answer questions without any pressure. We tow for free, the car does not need to run, and we pay cash at pickup. We recommend you be there, and having a helper with you is a good idea. If you can’t be there, or the car is in someone else’s name, call us at (206) 941-0612 and tell us what you have, and we will tell you whether we can take it. See how it works.