Selling a dead or junk car in Claremore

The ten-day rule in § 90.03

Part (B) covers anyone in charge or control of property in the city, "whether as owner, tenant, occupant, lessee, or otherwise." It applies to a car that is "partially dismantled, nonoperating, wrecked, junked, or discarded."

For someone selling from home, two of the listed exceptions count:

• "A vehicle in an enclosed building"
• "A vehicle in an appropriate storage place or depository maintained in a lawful place and manner"

If the car sits in the open, in a yard or on a driveway, the ten days apply.

Streets, alleys and trucks

Part (A) of the same section is stricter. "No person shall leave any partially dismantled, nonoperating, wrecked, or junked vehicle on any street, highway, or alley-way within the city." There is no grace period in that sentence.

Section 72.27 adds the police side. Officers "shall deem a vehicle abandoned" on public property "if after a period of 48 hours there is no evidence of an apparent owner who intends to remove the vehicle." If the car blocks traffic or is likely to be vandalized, they can have it removed right away. Section 72.63 gives the department its impound authority.

A dead pickup or work truck has one more limit. Under Section 72.20, some vehicles over one ton may not park on a residential street "for more than three consecutive hours."

Rogers County title office

We checked one office for Claremore: 200 S. Lynn Riggs Blvd., phone 918-923-4797. In a straight line, it is less than a mile southwest of downtown Claremore. Rogers County could run other offices too. Across the state, titles and tags run through Service Oklahoma and licensed operators, the tag agencies.

What Oklahoma asks of a seller

• Swear the title. The seller signs the title over, with warranty of title, under oath before a notary. For an electronic title, Form 718 takes its place, and it needs a notary too.
• Keep the plates. They stay in your name and cannot pass to the buyer.
• Report the sale fast. One of you, seller or buyer, pre-registers the transfer with Service Oklahoma inside 2 business days.
• Mileage. Model year 2011 and newer cars need an odometer disclosure, usually on the title.
• A scrap car with no title. A certificate of ownership can take the title's place if the car is past the last 10 model years and won't run, or if a scrap metal dealer is the buyer. Cancelling the title costs nothing for a Claremore owner whose car is only fit for parts or scrap. That title is never reissued.

Registration does not pause for a parked car. Oklahoma expects a vehicle to be registered every year whether or not it is used. A late renewal adds a penalty of $1.00 a day, capped at $100. For a car parked in the yard for years, you owe fees and penalties on this year and the year before.

Getting an offer

Reach us online or at (877) 421-6008. Have the odometer reading handy, plus the year, make and model, a word on whether it cranks, and whatever title papers you hold. The truck can come to a driveway in Claremore or to a shop in Owasso or Tulsa. For the state's full rules, see Oklahoma.