Selling a junk car in Cambridge

If that describes the car behind your building, we buy whole non-running and junk cars. You sell the whole car as it sits, and pickup is free anywhere in the US, Cambridge included.

Reading the definition

The definition has two halves, and a car needs one from each. First, its condition: worn out, discarded, inoperative or unregistered. Second, what it is waiting for: dismantling or destruction, or storage for salvage or parts. An unregistered car you are about to fix may not fit; one you have been pulling parts off for months likely does. The definition sits in Chapter 8.40 of the code, and the rest of that chapter is where any storage limits would be. We have only the definition, so check the full chapter or ask the city before you rely on a time limit.

Selling a stripped car is common; our missing parts guide covers it.

State law on top

Massachusetts adds an abandonment rule. Under Chapter 90, Section 22C, a Cambridge street officer can tow a car that looks abandoned after it sits over 72 hours (more than three days) on a road, or on land without the owner's consent, when removal and disposal cost more than its value. Chapter 140B, the state's junkyard law, targets junk dealers, not a resident with one car.

Title and plates

Titles are the RMV's job. Here is your part. Enter the miles on the title, sign, hand-print your name, and date the transfer section. The buyer does the same. With a price line, the price goes there; without one, it goes on a bill of sale. Under state law, a Cambridge seller's assignment must state the true mileage and give a warranty of title. A notary does not come up anywhere in the RMV's seller instructions. A Cambridge buyer gets 10 days to register the car, and a licensed insurance agent takes care of the forms.

The plates stay yours. In Cambridge, cancel on MyMassGov, keep the receipt, and give your insurer a copy. After that, each plate is recycled or cut in half. Cambridge assessors keep billing $25 in excise for each $1,000 of value until the registration is closed. Cancel it once the car is sold.

Nearby

Somerville is just 1.3 miles from Cambridge, measured straight; Watertown is 3.1, Medford 3.3 and Belmont 3.4. See Massachusetts for statewide rules.

Getting an offer

Cambridge sellers can call (877) 421-6008 or use the form, even with parts missing. Pickup is wherever it sits: a driveway, a back lot, or a permit space on a Cambridge street.