Selling a junk or dead car in Evansville

Evansville's code and state law

We could not find Evansville's city code online, so this page does not quote a local junk-car rule. Indiana law covers the whole state. City ordinances may add requirements we could not read, so treat what follows as the floor, not the ceiling.

What Indiana treats as abandoned

State law gives several definitions. Two matter most for a car that has stopped running:

• On private property. Another person's car parked on your land past 48 hours, without your agreement, is abandoned. Your own car on your own lot is not covered by this test.
• On public property. In Evansville, a car left on public property is abandoned when its engine, transmission or differential is gone, or it's partly taken apart or won't run. A dead car at the curb fits this.

If an abandoned car carries no VIN or any other identification, state law allows it to be disposed of without notice.

When the car is on your land and not yours

A landowner who finds what looks like an abandoned car can ask an officer to take it away. The other route is to have it tagged and arrange removal after 24 hours; if the owner still has not moved it, the landowner may have it towed.

Repair shops and tow lots

Two more state rules apply once someone else holds the car:

• Mechanic's lien. An Evansville shop holding a lien may sell the car at public sale or auction if neither owner nor lienholder shows up within 20 days of the mailed notice.
• Storage. The $2,000 cap and the no-storage-fee rule after a tower's sale both come from state law, as above.

See towed or impounded for the choice between paying to get a car back and letting it go.

The BMV on Highway 41 North

Titles in Indiana are issued by the state BMV, not Vanderburgh County. We checked the branch at 4209 Highway 41 N, Suite 10. In a straight line, it's roughly 2 miles south of central Evansville. The branch's listed phone is 888-692-6841. Kiosks and Partial Service Providers offer some services too, and many title tasks are on myBMV.com.

Signing over the title

The seller's side of an Indiana title is short:

1. Each owner writes a signature and a printed name.
2. Record the odometer reading.
3. Enter the day of the sale and the price.
4. Fill in who bought it.
5. Unbolt the plates.

Selling a car in Evansville takes no notary, and per the BMV a bill of sale doesn't need one. From there the buyer files for the title, registration and plate, with 45 days before an administrative penalty kicks in.

A title that is lost, faulty or destroyed

You have two routes in Indiana:

• Duplicate title. State Form 205 with photo ID costs $15.00, and a speed title is $25 more. When it issues, the original is void.
• Certificate of Authority. State Form 55018, Certificate of Authority - Disposal of a Motor Vehicle, $4.00. It clears the car for scrap metal with no new title issued. The packet takes ownership proof such as current registration papers or an insurance settlement. A car with no VIN needs a State Form 39530 physical inspection, and a recorded loan needs the lender's release.

Our junk car with no title guide has more.

After a crash or a flood

A salvage title is required in Indiana when a vehicle from the latest seven model years has been settled by an insurer as economically impractical to repair, or is flood damaged. In state law, flood damage includes a car submerged until water came over the door sill into the passenger or trunk compartment. A car another state has designated junk, dismantled, scrap or destroyed cannot be titled in Indiana. See wrecked or totaled.

Plates and late fees

Plates leave with you. The BMV does not require their return and lets you move them to a different car you own. For an Evansville car whose registration lapsed while parked, late renewal carries a flat $15 penalty, and no back-year fees are listed.

Only Lake and Porter counties are in the emissions program, so Vanderburgh County is not.

Nearby

Other Indiana town pages are a long way off: New Albany is 95.6 miles away, Bloomington 97.9, Clarksville 98.7 and Terre Haute 102.4. Statewide rules are on the Indiana page.

Getting an offer

Selling a car in Evansville? Call (877) 421-6008 or use the offer form. Evansville pickups: driveways, behind rentals, shops off Highway 41.