Selling a dead car in Dunwoody

We buy whole non-running and junk cars from Dunwoody homes. You can sell the whole car as it sits, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

The 30-day line at home

Section 30-79 is the rule most homeowners meet. Vehicles and trailers "without current license plates," or anything "permitted to remain in an inoperable condition for more than 30 days, shall not be parked or stored on or about any property within a residential zoned district."

Read closely, that sentence holds two clocks. If it has a plate but doesn't run, you get 30 days. If it has no current plate, the text gives it no time. The rule does not reach vehicles "stored in an enclosed structure or appropriately covered," so a garage counts. The quoted text stops mid-sentence after that, so read the full section before you count on a cover.

Streets, parks and impound lots

• Section 30-177 bans leaving a commercial vehicle, RV or trailer parked or abandoned on a street "for more than 72 consecutive hours." Passenger cars aren't named. For them, Georgia's manual is the guide: a car left on a public street in Dunwoody for five days or more, with no sign its owner plans to return, counts as abandoned.
• Section 25-34 covers city recreation facilities. A car left after closing "may be towed from the recreation facility at the owner's expense."
• Section 27-155 says cars at impound or towing lots "may not be held longer than provided by state law." State law gives the DeKalb towing yard 15 calendar days to write to owners, and ten calendar days after that letter it can petition a court over its lien.

Emissions in DeKalb County

DeKalb is one of Georgia's 13 metro Atlanta testing counties. For 2026 registration, that means 2002-2023 gasoline cars and light trucks, with the three newest model years exempt. A car that fails, can't be renewed and loses its tag becomes a junk vehicle under 27-621. Our failed emissions guide covers what to do with it.

Title and plate

For Dunwoody, the DeKalb tax commissioner points people to 4380 Memorial Drive in Decatur, phone 404-298-4000. In a straight line it sits roughly 12 miles south of central Dunwoody. There may be other county offices too.

A Dunwoody seller turns the title over and prints and signs in the Seller block. Any co-owner does it too. Mileage goes in as whole miles, and a corrected title can be void, so write slowly. After that, a Dunwoody seller closes out the DeKalb registration through DRIVES e-Services, or brings Form MV-18J to Memorial Drive. Stop the insurance once that is done. The plate comes off with you. A lost title costs $8.00 to replace on Form MV-1.

Close by

Sandy Springs is 3.3 miles away, Chamblee 4.2, Peachtree Corners 4.9 and Brookhaven 5.6. For statewide rules, see Georgia.

Getting an offer

Dunwoody owners can reach us at (877) 421-6008 and describe the car sitting at home. A truck can collect it from a Dunwoody garage, a driveway or an apartment lot.