Selling a junk car in Guilford

Connecticut law for a car that will not move

• Blight is local. The state gives towns power to adopt and enforce blight rules, requiring written notice to an owner and a fair opportunity to correct things. Vehicles go unmentioned in that statute, which leaves Guilford's own ordinance to decide whether a dead car qualifies.
• Abandoning a car. After 24 hours sitting on a Guilford highway or a neighbor's property, a left car becomes an infraction. Expect a fine of $85 or higher.
• Danger on or off the road. Any car that puts traffic or public health and safety at risk can be taken into custody by state police, DMV inspectors or local officers, on a highway or anywhere else.
• The $500 rule. Police may come across a car that seems abandoned, lacks valid plates, cannot be used and is worth $500 or less. Title then vests in the town, and a licensed recycler gets the car. A former owner has one year to claim the proceeds, minus costs; unclaimed money goes to the town.

Old cars sell without a title

Long-parked cars often benefit from this one. Connecticut stops issuing titles for a Guilford car after it passes 20 model years old. The Guilford seller of such a car fills out Form Q-1, a supplemental assignment, and gives the buyer the newest registration certificate. The DMV also publishes a letter, citing C.G.S. 14-166, that works as proof of the exemption.

Newer cars are another matter. Under state law, a licensed recycler may not receive a car required to have a title without that title, or an insurer's copy, and must stamp it "JUNKED." Lost yours? See junk car with no title.

If you were weighing a repair

Connecticut's emissions program tests cars every two years at private stations, and each test costs $20. Exemptions cover model year 2001 and older, the four newest model years, electric cars and some other classes. For a car that failed and will not repay the repair, see failed emissions.

The Hamden DMV office

For titles, people in Guilford go through the state DMV. The office we looked at is 1985 State Street in Hamden, about 10 miles west of central Guilford in a straight line.

After the car leaves

Plates belong to you after the sale, so remove them. Next, cancel the registration online. The DMV issues a plate disposition receipt; keep it. A car eligible for a refund brings up a refund request during the cancellation, and the State Comptroller mails any check. After you sell and the Connecticut page cover the rest.

Nearby towns

Branford is 5.8 miles away. North Haven and East Haven are a little over 8 miles off, and Wallingford 9.7.

Getting an offer

Use the form or call (877) 421-6008. Guilford owners can reach us through the offer form to get started. A truck can reach it at a house, a barn or a shop anywhere in Guilford's 47 square miles.