Selling a junk or unlicensed car in Solon

Two Solon sections, two penalties

• Section 660.07, junk. Solon's definition of junk takes in wrecked vehicles, vehicles partly taken apart and vehicles that can't run, of every kind. It goes further: any vehicle that needs a license counts as junk “unless a current valid license has been issued for the operation of such automobile or other transportation device, which license, if required by law, is displayed upon such automobile or other transportation device.” Owners, occupants and anyone in possession of the property may neither deposit junk there nor let it remain. Each day is a first-degree misdemeanor, and Solon's Service and Public Safety directors share enforcement.
• Section 660.075, unlicensed vehicles. Storing an unlicensed motor vehicle on a lot is limited to 15 days “unless the same is in a completely enclosed building or garage or unless it is stored by an automobile agency or used car lot.” Breaking it is a minor misdemeanor, with $100 as the most it can cost and no jail.

Neither section sets a notice period before a charge.

Why tags lapse in Cuyahoga County

Solon is in Cuyahoga County, one of seven counties where Ohio EPA requires E-Check, and the agency's rule is plain: cars subject to the test “cannot receive their registration until they receive a passing test certificate, repair waiver certificate, or qualify for an applicable exemption or extension certificate.” The waiver costs more this year, too: “Beginning January 1, 2026, the minimum amount required to be spent on motor vehicle repairs and diagnostic fees increases from $300 to $450 for a repair waiver.” A car that fails and isn't worth fixing can't renew, and once its tags lapse, Solon's code treats it as junk. Our failed inspection guide covers selling one.

Streets: overnight and snow

Solon allows no on-street parking anywhere in the city from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. Exceptions need advance police permission, requested through the police Frontline website or from dispatch at (440) 248-1234. Under Section 404.05, Solon police may impound a car left at the curb two full days (48 hours) if the chief was never told why, and one left on someone's residential property without permission for four consecutive hours or more.

Solon declares a snow emergency once 2 inches of snow come down over a 24-hour period or less. City streets must then stay clear of parked and abandoned cars until the snow is below two inches or an official ends it; offenders are towed at their own cost under Section 404.05.

If police tow it

Solon police notify the registered owner after a removal, with the reason and the storage spot. Getting the car back runs through the Police Department first: identification, evidence that you own it, and whatever fines or bond the court sets. With the release form in hand, you pay the pound operator for towing and storage. Dispatch handles non-emergency calls at 440-248-1234, and City Hall is 440-248-1155.

Title offices near Solon

As the crow flies, Bedford's Cuyahoga County title office (22121 Rockside Road) is about 5 miles west of Solon, Summit County's Northfield Village office about 6 miles southwest, and the Mayfield Heights office at 1585 Goldengate Plaza about 9 miles north. Each can replace a lost title on a notarized form BMV 3774. The state fee is $18 per duplicate, or $23 in a county that opted into the higher amount.

Selling means signing the title's assignment section in a notary's presence, a requirement of Ohio law. The plates are yours to unscrew and keep when the car changes hands.

Getting an offer

Online or at (877) 421-6008, tell us what it is and how many miles it has, whether it starts, whether E-Check failed it, and where the title is. Nearby pages: Cleveland and Euclid.