Quincy driveway, dead car: how many hours do I get?

Quincy's code caps it at 48 hours for any car that is wrecked, junked, half taken apart or not running, and that covers tenants as well as owners. Some exceptions exist; ask the city whether yours fits.

Is a non-starting car allowed on a Quincy street?

No. Quincy's Section 325-101 bars anyone from leaving a car that is wrecked, junked, stripped or dead on a city street or highway. It gives no grace period at all.

Where does the sale price go?

If the title has a spot for it, there. If it does not, the RMV wants a bill of sale showing the price.

Can I put my plates on my next car?

Yes. Anyone 18 or older gets a 7-calendar-day grace period after parting with the old car. Temporary plates are not issued by the RMV.

Town guide · Massachusetts

Selling a dead car in Quincy

Quincy gives a dead car 48 hours. Under the city's code, nobody in charge of a property, "whether as owner, tenant, occupant, lessee or otherwise," may allow a "partially dismantled, nonoperating, wrecked, junked or discarded vehicle to remain on such property longer than 48 hours." For a dead car, two days goes by fast. Selling beats racing that clock: we buy whole non-running and junk cars. You sell the whole car as it sits, and there is free pickup anywhere in the US, Quincy too.

Updated October 11, 2026 · 9 sources

Photo: Sswonk ( talk ) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Quincy, the short version

Population: 103,173 (Census estimate, July 1, 2025)
County: Norfolk
City code: Chapter 325, sections 325-1 and 325-101
Junk car on private property: 48 hours
Junk car on a street: Not allowed at all
Price on the sale: Quincy title, or bill of sale
Plates: Stay with the seller; 7 days to reuse

Two rules in Chapter 325

The 48-hour rule sits in Chapter 325 of the city code, shown online under section 325-1. Renters are covered too, not just owners. No one may leave such a vehicle "on any property within the City for a longer time than 48 hours." There are exceptions, but the online version stops before listing them, so check with the city if you think one fits.

The street rule is stricter. Section 325-101 reads: "No person shall leave any partially dismantled, nonoperating, wrecked or junked vehicle on any street or highway within the City." There is no hour count in it. If it breaks down at the curb, it's already breaking the rule.

When Quincy tows a car under the code, it "shall be held until all charges lawfully imposed for such removal and storage following the same have been paid." So you don't get it back until the tow and storage bills are settled.

Handing over a Quincy title

Chapter 90D, section 15 is the statute behind a Quincy sale. At delivery, the seller signs the title's assignment, records the true odometer figure, warrants the title, and passes the certificate across. The RMV spells out the hands-on part: the seller writes the miles; seller and buyer sign, print their names and date it. Quincy sellers with a price line on the title fill it in. Titles without one need a separate bill of sale listing what was paid.

The RMV's seller steps do not include a notary.

What happens to the plates

Quincy plates stay with you, not the car. Owners 18 or older who get another car have 7 calendar days after the old one goes to switch the plates over. The RMV issues no temporary plates, so that week matters.

No new car coming? End the registration online and file the receipt; your insurer wants a copy. The plates then get recycled or sawn through the middle. A cancelled car is barred from public roads, which does not matter when a flatbed carries it out of Quincy. After you sell has the rest.

Next door to Quincy

As the crow flies: Braintree Town is 3.8 miles, Milton 4.0, Weymouth Town 5.0 and Boston 5.4. The Massachusetts page has the statewide rules.

Getting an offer

Got a Quincy car to sell? Call (877) 421-6008 or send it through our form. In Quincy we collect the car where it sits, whether that's a driveway, the back of a building, or a repair shop that quit on it. If the city has already sent a notice, notice to remove a car explains your options.

Questions people ask

Quincy driveway, dead car: how many hours do I get?: Quincy's code caps it at 48 hours for any car that is wrecked, junked, half taken apart or not running, and that covers tenants as well as owners. Some exceptions exist; ask the city whether yours fits.
Is a non-starting car allowed on a Quincy street?: No. Quincy's Section 325-101 bars anyone from leaving a car that is wrecked, junked, stripped or dead on a city street or highway. It gives no grace period at all.
Where does the sale price go?: If the title has a spot for it, there. If it does not, the RMV wants a bill of sale showing the price.
Can I put my plates on my next car?: Yes. Anyone 18 or older gets a 7-calendar-day grace period after parting with the old car. Temporary plates are not issued by the RMV.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.

U.S. Census Bureau: city population estimates, 2020-2025 www2.census.gov
U.S. Census Bureau: 2025 Gazetteer (land area) www2.census.gov
Quincy City Code 325-1 ecode360.com
Quincy City Code 325-101, Leaving of wrecked or nonoperating vehicle on street ecode360.com
Mass.gov: registration and title for a car bought from an individual mass.gov
M.G.L. c. 90D s. 15 (assignment of title) malegislature.gov
Mass.gov: transfer your registration to a car bought from an individual mass.gov
Mass.gov: cancel your vehicle registration and plates mass.gov
Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles mass.gov