Junking a car in Georgia is paperwork as much as it is a tow. The state decides when a vehicle is “abandoned” under O.C.G.A. § 40-11-1 and runs the title transfer through the Georgia Department of Revenue. A junk yard, scrap yard, or salvage buyer cannot pay you for the car until you sign the title over to them, and a vehicle that sits on private property past the statutory window can be removed under § 40-11-1 by the property owner on a different path. This page walks the right side of the line: the title you sign, the lien you satisfy, and the records you keep.
A specific junk title or scrap fee schedule was not confirmed in our research. Confirm the current fee with the Georgia DOR or the county tax commissioner before you sign.
What “abandoned” means under 40-11-1
§ 40-11-1 et seq. sets three ways a vehicle becomes abandoned in this state:
- Left at a repair shop unclaimed for 30 days past the agreed completion time.
- Lawfully towed to another’s property at the owner’s request and left 30 days without paying charges.
- Left unattended on private property for 30 days.
Once a vehicle meets one of those tests, the property owner or repair shop can follow the § 40-11-1 process to take title and remove it. That is a separate path from a voluntary junking.
If you are the owner junking the car
A clean order of operations:
- Get the title in hand. If the title is lost, request a duplicate from the Georgia DOR before anything else. A junk yard cannot pay you for a car without a title they can sign for.
- Satisfy any lien. If you financed the car and the lien is still on the title, the lien holder has to release the lien in writing on the title or on a separate lien satisfaction form. The junk yard will not pay you for a title that still carries an active lien.
- Get a written offer from the buyer. A scrap buyer, junk yard, or salvage pool that pays for a car should give you a written offer with the VIN, the agreed price, the pickup terms, and whether they pay in cash, check, or ACH. The pickup terms include whether they come to you or whether you have to drop it.
- Sign the title over. Sign the back of the title, print the odometer reading, and record the sale price. The junk yard reports the transaction to the DOR. You keep a copy of the signed title.
- File a bill of sale. A separate bill of sale (date, price, VIN, buyer name, seller name) is your proof of the transaction for tax and personal record purposes.
- Remove the license plate and return it to the DOR or transfer it to another vehicle. Plates left on a junked car can lead to a ticket if the car is towed before the DOR cancels the registration.
- Cancel the insurance on the date of sale.
The DOR processes the cancellation and the registration ends on the sale date. You are not on the hook for tickets or tolls after that date.
If the car sits on your property
A vehicle that meets one of the three § 40-11-1 tests on your property can be removed through a separate process. The property owner can apply to the DOR for an abandoned vehicle title. The DOR will run a notification process and, if no owner steps forward, issue a title to the property owner or to the tow operator who removed it.
If the car was towed to your property at your request, the 30 day clock starts on the tow date. If the car was left unattended on your property, the clock starts on the day it became unattended. Keep photos and a written log; the DOR will ask for evidence of the dates.
What junk yards and scrap buyers do
A licensed Georgia scrap yard reports every purchase to the DOR. The yard pays you the agreed price, takes the signed title, files the report with the state, and either crushes the car on site or ships it to a shredder. Some yards will pick the car up; others require you to drop it. A yard that does not want to deal with the paperwork typically pays less than a yard that does.
A specific scrap fee schedule per ton or per vehicle was not confirmed in our research. Compare two or three offers before you sign.
Frequently asked questions
How long before a car is legally abandoned in Georgia?
Thirty days under O.C.G.A. § 40-11-1, in any of the three tests set out above (repair shop, tow to another’s property, or unattended on private property).
Do I need the title to junk a car in Georgia?
Yes. A junk yard cannot pay you for a car without a title they can sign for. If the title is lost, request a duplicate from the Georgia DOR first.
What if there is still a lien on the car?
The lien holder has to release the lien in writing on the title or on a separate lien satisfaction form before you sign it over. The junk yard will not pay for a title that still carries an active lien.
Do I have to remove the license plate?
Yes. Remove the plate and return it to the DOR or transfer it to another vehicle. A plate left on a junked car can lead to a ticket if the car is moved before the DOR cancels the registration.
Will the junk yard come pick up the car?
Some do. Confirm pickup terms in writing before you sign the title. A yard that pays for the car and tows it out is bundling two services; the agreed price should reflect both.
Does Georgia have a junk title fee schedule?
A specific dollar schedule was not confirmed in our research. Confirm the current fee with the Georgia DOR or the county tax commissioner before you sign.
Need an operator to pick up a junk car in metro Atlanta? Call (678) 379-5984. The line matches you with an independent operator who runs your corridor and can quote the pickup.